One of the coolest, most underrated series EVER on TV. It's all due to the Kolchak character himself, really. Kolchak was truly a GREAT character, especially to begin with (it was easier to buy him running into one or two monsters, but once a week?). I NEVER missed it, the series or the movies. I'd wait all week long for it, prepare in advance with a cold glass quart bottle of Coke (remember those?) and a bag of Munchos and the thrill would carry me through the week till the next episode. The spooky camera work, shadows, dark alleys, the shaky handheld POV shots as the monster(s) stalked its victims is still chilling today and so obviously influential. Sound played a big role, too; weird, distorted voices, GREAT music/theme, etc. Not only was Kolchak a great character but Darren McGavin was the PERFECT actor to play him. His "Darren McGavininess" added a lot of life and detail, upstaging even the monsters at times. He's an archetypal character, really, with a knight's uniform of rumpled seersucker suit and straw hat. I remember one week it was pre-empted by news coverage of some (the last ones?) US soldiers returning from Vietnam. Oh, I was so mad! One of the best, scariest episodes is "The Zombie" (correct title?). That scene where Kolchak is trying to fill the zombie's mouth up with salt and sew it shut in a cramped hearse in a junkyard AT NIGHT can still fry your nerves. Hope I have those details right. Another favorite episode is "Horror in the Heights, " where we sorta learn why/how Kolchak MIGHT be running into monsters alla time - he's like some sort of "chosen one" or something, only he doesn't realize it. Very subtle, but check it out. Also love "Spanish Moss Murders, " has a great monster and idea. "Chopper" (the one about the headless biker) is also great, very funny, quirky. The whole series was quite high-larious, in fact, thanks to the interplay between the actors and McGavin's great comedic talents. The first movie, of course, is a classic horror film and EVERYONE saw it back then, it was HUGE. So, go get yourselves a straw hat, a tape recorder, camera, and a compass for your car's dashboard and go find yourselves some monsters!

--philmfan