Who stalks the Night Stalker?

By: Patrick Sauriol
Date: Friday, October 15, 2004

KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER, the obscure 1970s ABC TV series that inspired Chris Carter to create Fox's hit THE X-FILES show, is being reinvented by celebrated X-FILES writer-producer Frank Spotnitz. The circle is officially complete. Somewhere, Fox Mulder is smiling.

Spotnitz, who also wrote and produced MILLENNIUM as well as creating X-FILES spin-off THE LONE GUNMEN, is launching his recent overall deal with Touchstone TV by developing a new take on reporter Carl Kolchak's nocturnal activities. "The first TV movie is burned into my memory," said Spotnitz. "It was a huge event at the time, and [Kolchak] was one of my favorite TV characters of all time. The chance to return to this character and find another great storytelling vehicle for smart, scary television was very appealing." The short-lived 1974 TV show -- based on the two TV movies and Jeff Rice's original novel -- featured writers such as Robert Zemeckis and SOPRANOS creator David Chase.

It sounds like, for all his love of the original movie, Spotnitz will be taking some liberties in his recreation. "As much as I loved the TV movie, the series was not successful," he told Variety. "I wouldn't expect a religiously faithful adaptation. I don't intend to repeat the same mistakes." But the man's heart is in the right place -- after all, he did write the episode which introduced the original keeper of the X-FILES, played by Kolchak actor Darren McGavin.

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