The Night Stalker Returns this Fall!

[jaerdaph]

ABC will be airing a remake of 1970s The Night Stalker TV series starring Stuart Townsend as Carl Kolchak. It will air Thursdays at 9 PM EST and premieres Thursday September 29th.

http://abc.go.com/primetime/nightstalker/

It looks like it's going to go the Battlestar Galactica route and be a little darker than the original. EDIT: And apparently Carl has a better tailor in the 21st century...

Either way, I can't wait to check it out!

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

Hmmmmm..... I'm skeptical but interested. I'll certainly watch it.

I just bought the original two movies (whoa, low budget fun!) in anticipation of the original series coming out on DVD this fall. The part in the house at the end of the first film is great.

I wonder if the new show will recycle stories from the original? Or just use the concept and write brand new stuff. The prime time version of Dark Shadows recycled plots from the original and was fun to watch, but it only last about a 1/2 season.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

OK, I just went to the web site and now I'm even more skeptical that I'll enjoy. It looks like an X-files retread (substitute "reporter" for "FBI agent")....and with Frank Spotnitz & Dan Sackheim behind the scenes, it probably will be.

Oh, well, at least they're trying a different spin on Kolchak. I guess.

 

[KaosDevice]

I'm going to give it a fair chance. Obviously we've got a serious survival of the fittest thing going on with genre shows this season. It will be interesting to see which (if any) survive.

 

[jaerdaph]

OK, I just went to the web site and now I'm even more skeptical that I'll enjoy. It looks like an X-files retread (substitute "reporter" for "FBI agent")....and with Frank Spotnitz & Dan Sackheim behind the scenes, it probably will be.

Oh, well, at least they're trying a different spin on Kolchak. I guess.

Yeah, it looks like it's going to be a lot different and a lot darker than the original. While the original Night Stalker episodes "stand alone", it looks like the new version will have an underlying story arc related to the mysterious death/murder of Kolchak's wife (the original Kolchak was a professional confirmed bachelor). Chis Carter often cited The Night Stalker as the inspiration behind The X-Files. I think it will be interesting to see the influence of The X-Files on the new Night Stalker.

 

[Jamdin]

I will give the new series a chance and I can't wait for it to begin.

 

[Barendd Nobeard]

it looks like the new version will have an underlying story arc related to the mysterious death/murder of Kolchak's wife (the original Kolchak was a professional confirmed bachelor).

Which pretty much makes it an entirely different character.

As for the "confirmed bachelor" part, well, in the first movie Karl proposes to his girl friend. But at the end when the authorities run him out of town, they run his fiancee out of town first, and he doesn't know where she's gone. He sets out to look for her and that's the end. She's an important character because she's the one who first suspects the murderer is a real vampire and forces Karl (against his will) to read about vampires before tracking the guy down.

I don't think she shows up in any of the episodes, so I don't think he ever found her. Guess I'll find out when the DVD hits the stores. But I think he's a bachelor because she's his true love. Not because he has something against marriage.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

You know I wasn't a watcher of the old series, but having read the article in next weeks TV Guide I've decided to give it a try. Hope it isn't a stinker.

 

[trancejeremy]

I haven't seen much of the original series, but I liked what I have seen (I too am looking forward to the DVDs).

But yeah, the new one looks far more X-files-ish. Since it's being done by some of the people who did that show, and stars 2 very very very photogenic people, like the X-files. But that's not necessarily a bad thing, just that it won't be like the original.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Older thread on it: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=142321

I will wait and make my judgement on it when I see it.