# Kolchak Returns **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 15, 2005, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579 "2005-03-15T03:31:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Sir\_Rhosis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@Sir\_Rhosis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sir_Rhosis)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/41 "2005-03-19T03:24:20Z")
The new Kolchak uses a 1996 model webtv unit and sits there in the dark forever waiting for even the smallest file to load. Sir Rhosis ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2005, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/42 "2005-03-19T03:39:44Z")
In the original series, Kolchak also used a really crappy looking camera that looked like it held 110 film. I can’t imagine why none of his photos were ever used. ---
**Author:** ![Scott\_Plaid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@Scott\_Plaid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scott_Plaid)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/43 "2005-09-29T22:18:58Z")
Now, I know it will be just as bad a sequel as Knight Rider 2000 was, but I wanted to bump this six-month old thread to point out that it will premiere [tonight at 9](http://abc.go.com/primetime/nightstalker/). ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/44 "2005-09-29T22:29:55Z")
Sci-Fi is showing some episodes of the original today. The new version is a terrible idea. I hope it’s canceled quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/45 "2005-09-29T22:50:29Z")
I have my VCR set. I have my doubts as to whether or not I’ll like it. Not because it will be good or bad, but because as I age I have less and less attention span for TV and so I usually can’t finish 1hr TV episodes (oddly, I can read for hours.) Still, I remember the original fondly and so I am going to give it a try. I’m guessing that it is a little less camp and perhaps a little more Buffy. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/46 "2005-09-29T22:55:16Z")
You realize that a Kolchak today would be a hot property, being fought over by the Star and the National Enquirer and their ilk? Another lover of the original. Remember the one with Quetzlcoatl? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/47 "2005-09-29T23:06:48Z")
I would love to see the movie with the vampire in Las Vegas. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/48 "2005-09-29T23:11:50Z")
I didn’t see the original series, just the first two segments that started it off. But I will give this new one a shot. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/49 "2005-09-29T23:28:01Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > I would love to see the movie with the vampire in Las Vegas. ☹ That was on today. I only caught part of it because I was napping. ---
**Author:** ![Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2005, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/50 "2005-09-29T23:28:49Z")
A friend handed me the pilot and I’d say the new show is very X-files. I’d say it’s more of a continuation of the X-Files than it is the original Night Stalker. But it does have one serious, potentially fatal, flaw in the opening episode. Kolchak has some pesticide in his trunk and sprays what he calls chemical lo-jack that ends up emailing his PDA when it’s tracked the bad guys to their lair? What the fuck!? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/51 "2005-09-30T02:02:24Z")
> [@Barbarian](#): > > But it does have one serious, potentially fatal, flaw in the opening episode. Maybe there was some device he left there. It was pretty dumb. Not a bad show. It sure isn’t _The Night Stalker_, but not bad. McGavin had a mustang, too. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/52 "2005-09-30T02:15:49Z")
Did anyone notice that in tonight’s episode they had one newroom shot with a brief glimpse of Darren McGavin in this original, rumpled “Night Stalker” suit standing in the newsroom? ---
**Author:** ![Menocchio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de053/32.png) [@Menocchio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Menocchio)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/53 "2005-09-30T02:46:05Z")
I wasn’t impressed. I’ll stick with Supernatural. Same basic concept (let’s kill us some monsters!) but it takes itself less seriously. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/54 "2005-09-30T02:48:41Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Did anyone notice that in tonight’s episode they had one newroom shot with a brief glimpse of Darren McGavin in this original, rumpled “Night Stalker” suit standing in the newsroom? Yeah, I exclaimed about it to Mrs. Plant. I used to watch it with my Grandmother baby sittingme, dammit! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/55 "2005-09-30T05:52:46Z")
I missed most of the second act but thought it was all right. I’ll see if I can take in an entire episode next week. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/56 "2005-09-30T06:13:13Z")
Well, I just saw the show. I’m surprised! Did someone tie Stuart Townsend up and give him an enema? I was sure this remake was gonna shitty but it was surprisingly pleased. Stu’s acting wasn’t bad. The writing ain’t bad. More straight like than camp. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Baldwin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baldwin/32/7264_2.png) [@Baldwin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baldwin)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/57 "2005-09-30T11:55:21Z")
_Posted by Tuckerfan:_ > [@](#): > > I’ve never seen the original . . . . Get out. Just get the Hell out of here. Just kidding. When I first saw “The X-Files”, I thought, “This is like ‘Kolchak: The Night Stalker’ if it took itself seriously.” So now we’ve got a new version of “Kolchak” that’s like “The X-Files” – period. Even if it’s a decent show, what’s the point? It looks like they’re going for an overall story arc, instead of the original show’s purely episodic nature. It seems strange to have a Vincenzo who doesn’t yell and suffer from dispepsia. I’m also just having a hard time being enthusiastic about a Kolchak who’s young, handsome, works in a big shiny newspaper office, and has a cool, expensive-looking apartment and a new car. One thing I loved about the old show was that the Chicago public, oblivious to the supernatural dangers all around it, is being protected by a grumpy, middle-aged, kind of slovenly guy who barely makes a living in a crappy little third-rate newspaper. ---
**Author:** ![Batsinma\_Belfry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ea5d25/32.png) [@Batsinma\_Belfry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Batsinma_Belfry)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/58 "2005-09-30T12:11:00Z")
In the original, Kolchak would do research on the monster thing. In this version, no research, no interest in finding out what it is, or how to destroy it. Also, Who in the hell takes their kid with them to the morgue? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 12:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/59 "2005-09-30T12:15:33Z")
> [@hillbilly queen](#): > > In the original, Kolchak would do research on the monster thing. Wasn’t there a librarian for the newspaper, Mrs. Quigly or something? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2005, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579/60 "2005-09-30T14:16:45Z")
Too many dark scenes; hard to see anything. You would never know that was the Nightstalker without all of the supporting characters saying “Kolchak” every 20 seconds. And having that doesn’t make it the Nightstalker. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/kolchak-returns/294579.md?page=4)