KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER

The cult television series that inspired THE X-FILES, KOLCHAK: THE NIGHT STALKER was not nearly as successful as that later show yet still maintains an influence. The show, which ran from 1974 to '75 follows the creepy adventures of Carl Kolchak, a scruffy, cynical reporter played by Darren McGavin. When Kolchak finds that the murderer responsible for a series of bloody murders plaguing his home city of Las Vegas is a member of the undead, a vampire out for food, he undertakes a quest to defeat the bloodsucking fiend. Gritty, dark, and dramatic, KOLCHAK was described by many critics as too scary for television.