Details

Release year: 1974

Storyline

Carl Kolchak is a reporter for a Chicago newspaper. Through more accident than design he ends up investigating homicides, many of which involve supernatural forces. Ultimately, rather than reporting on the crimes, he solves them.

Top credits

Cast

Darren McGavin — Carl Kolchak
Simon Oakland — Tony Vincenzo
Jack Grinnage — Ron Updyke
Ruth McDevitt — Emily Cowles, Edith Cowels, Elderly Woman

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Did you know

• The series was cancelled because Darren McGavin asked to be released from his contract. Not only did he become disappointed with the series' scripts, but he ended up exhausted from the rigorous daily shooting schedule (beginning at 3:00 pm until just before sunrise) and his uncredited producing duties. Three scripts were left unproduced. Two of them were adapted into a "Kolchak" series of comic books in 2003.

• Producer Dan Curtis and screenwriter Richard Matheson were both approached by Universal to work on the series. Although they had worked on the original made-for-TV movies, they both turned down the offer (they weren't keen on the "Monster of the Week" formula).

• The series was the inspiration for The X - Files.