Includes bibliographic references (pages 103-107) and index.
Contents:
Introduction: "now here are the true facts": the dark corners of network television -- "Do you believe in vampires?" the creative forces behind Kolchak -- "Try to tell yourself, it couldn't happen here": bringing horror into the home -- "What do you mean, 'we,' white man?" investigating power and privilege in the gothic world -- "Well, goodnight Carl": diminishing returns of the monster of the week -- "Kolchak's coming back in style": The night stalker's cult influence.
Summary:
"Before Buffy tried out for cheerleading, before Fox Mulder arrived at Quantico, and before George Freeman attempted to map Lovecraft Country, there was Kolchak. A curmudgeonly reporter in a perpetually rumpled seersucker suit, he had a wry sense of humor and a nose for finding the supernatural lurking in every corner. Carl Kolchak was first introduced into the American imagination by ABC in 1972 in what was for many years the highest rated television movie of all time, The Night Stalker. Another television movie followed in 1973 and then a television series appeared in 1974. While the series lasted for only twenty episodes, the influence of these tales of a Chicago-based investigative journalist and the horrifying creatures he faced each week can still be felt in American popular culture."-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.