‘The X-Files’ Formula Comes From This Cult Horror Series Released 52 Years Ago

Carl Kolchak is supposed to be covering crime. That’s the assignment when the series begins. He deals with police reports, courthouse chatter, and the slow grind of a city newspaper trying to keep up with Chicago after dark. But the stories he stumbles into tend to delve into the realm of horror. A witness sees something strange. A detail refuses to make sense. Another piece of the puzzle turns up, and suddenly the explanation sounds less like police work and more like superstition.

The TV series wasn’t actually the beginning of Carl Kolchak’s story. Two television movies paved the way first. In 1972, The Night Stalker introduced the reporter as he investigated a string of killings in Las Vegas that turned out to involve a vampire. A year later, horror writer Richard Matheson’s The Night Strangler had Kolchak investigating the site of an ancient, undead killer who had lived there for generations. In 1974, Kolchak: The Night Stalker series premiered. Although only one season, it would clearly have an impact on later shows like The X-Files. Series creator Chris Carter admitted to being inspired by the 70s cult classic.

Kolchak Is Defined Not Only by His Job but Also by His City

Star Darren McGavin never gives in to the idea of Kolchak as a monster hunter. He’s a reporter who keeps following strange leads down rabbit holes. His rumpled suit makes him look like he’s spent the day chasing stories across the city and never stops. He scribbles notes and continues asking questions even when the people around him would rather change the subject.

In the first episode, “The Ripper,” you can see his persistence right away. It starts with a series of disturbingly familiar killings. Kolchak recalls a prior experience and feels the possible killer is someone he tangled with before. Back at the newsroom, his editor, Tony Vincenzo (Simon Oakland), reacts to these developments like a man who’s about to develop yet another ulcer. He respects Kolchak’s instincts but would prefer those instincts point toward stories that don’t sound like pulp fiction. Their arguments are a hilarious highlight of the show.

The city itself does much of the atmospheric work.Kolchak rarely looks polished or high-budget. The series wanders through darkened alleys, dim office buildings, and quiet residential streets where the traffic has thinned out for the night.Those places already carry a certain tension. A block that feels ordinary during the day can feel very different after midnight, when the sidewalks are empty, andthe only sound is a distant car passing somewhere out of view.

Episodes like “The Vampire” lean into that atmosphere nicely. It circles back to Janos Skorzeny (Barry Atwater), the Las Vegas vampire from the first television movie. Kolchak follows the connection through dark apartments and quiet parts of the city where the supernatural seems to slip into everyday life almost unnoticed.

The Monsters in ‘Kolchak: The Night Stalker’ Don’t Come From the Typical Legends

The show also keeps things interesting by reaching beyond the most familiar horror creatures. Vampires appear, yes, but they don’t dominate the series. Instead, the writers wander into folklore and mythology that television rarely touches. “Horror in the Heights” is a good example. Kolchak is looking into some deaths in a Chicago neighborhood. He eventually realizes he’s dealing with a Rakshasa, a demon straight out of Hindu mythology that disguises itself as someone its victims can trust. That alone is terrifying, not knowing someone you know is a demon in disguise.

Other episodes drift into stranger territory still. “They Have Been, They Are, They Will Be…” has Kolchak investigating a series of deaths. They seem connected to an invisible alien that’s somewhere in the city trying to repair his spaceship, as Kolchak relentlessly searches for him. The show moves easily between the supernatural and science fiction without missing a beat.

‘Kolchak: The Night Stalker’s Influence Spreads Through Television Like ‘The X-Files’

Looking back now, it’s easy to see how much of modern paranormal television has grown out of this format. The structure is simple but effective. A stubborn investigator takes on a case that doesn’t make sense, while the authorities continually dismiss the explanation. The truth surfaces briefly before being buried again. Anyone who’s watched The X-Files will recognize that pattern, as the latter show’s creator intended. Both series follow investigators who keep running into phenomena that official institutions prefer not to acknowledge.

What keeps Kolchak: The Night Stalker memorable, though, isn’t just the concept. It’s McGavin’s performance. His dry sense of humor keeps the stories from getting too dark. Kolchak reacts to the supernatural with equal parts curiosity and annoyance, like a reporter who has just discovered that tonight’s assignment is far stranger than expected, and he won’t get home in time to watch the fights. Although only one season, once Kolchak is on your radar, the echoes start turning up more often than you’d expect.