The Night Stalker: A 25th Anniversary Companion

by Mark Dawidziak

An excel,lent guide to a classic series.

Genres: Nonfiction

207 pages, Paperback

First published August 28, 1997

Reviews

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty much, as Dawidziak even says in his intro, this is a slightly expanded edition of the barely distributed Night Stalking: A Twentieth Anniversary Kolchak Companion - what's added. In the interim between books, Dawidziak talked extensively with show producer Cy Chermak, expanded a little on the music used in the series (a nice addition - the music in Kolchak was top-notch), and also tracked down Jack Grinnage (Ron Updyke) and Carol Anne Susi (Monique Marmelstein) for their memories, and gets to expand a bit on the "Kolchak is coming back" ending of the previous volume, although this was written before the ill-fated revival got off the ground.

Probably worth acquiring over the earlier addition - nothing was removed and stuff was added, plus it probably got larger distribution.

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are lots of little tidbits, production information, and general trivia about the ultra-popular, but short-lived cult favorite, "The Night Stalker" in Mark Dawidziak's literary tribute. The first half of the book is dedicated to the genesis of the series and all the effort that went into creating the first two made-for-TV movies starring Darrin McGavin as the eponymous news reporter.

The second half of the book covers each of the 20 hour-long episodes in some detail with listings for all of the writers, directors, and various players, along with short plot details. It's clear from the amount of research and effort that went into the creation of this compilation that it was a labor of love for Dawidiak.

There are a few editing snafus that will grate on some readers, but true fans of the show will overlook those and will definitely want to check out "The Night Stalker Companion - A 25th Anniversary Tribute". It's very likely that those readers will have to search diligently for this hard-to-find reference, but if they can snag one, it will be well worth the effort.

[Mark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gotta love that Carl. With its mixture of camp and chills, the Night Stalker was postmodern horror--and politically subversive. I've always thought Kolchak made a fitting role model, battling against the monsters most of us are too clueless to notice and dedicated to the truth...Dawidziak does a great job covering the creation of the series. Much more than an episode guide, it includes great interviews and perceptive commentary.

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book for fans of the classic Darren McGavin tv show that inspired THE X FILES. It is full of trivia and facts about all the episodes and the two movies.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

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