I have to admit. I don't watch a lot of television. So when ABC announced they were redoing the Night Stalker I totally missed it. So I happened to be wandering over to the ABC website (in search of information on another show "Dancing with C List Celebs"), I noticed the ad for the upcoming show. I naturally clicked on it and read about it. I was a huge fan of the original and totally dug Darrin McGavin. Why? He is a classic proto geek. He dressed poorly even for the early seventies. He wore his hat long after wearing hats was out of style. He carried around a really sweet portable tape recorder which looking back on it was probably more expensive than his car. I really wanted that tape recorder. He believed odd things and suffered through a horrible boss (Tony Vincenzo) and worked in a third tier wire service based out of Chicago.
The newer version has a strong "24" influence based on the rough video clips on the ABC web site. Only one scene begins to capture the flavor of the original, the third clipped where Carl Kolchak is discussing the case with the sexy skeptic. Covering his walls are notes and photographs of the case. Only in that scene do you get a sense of that the Carl Kolchak can become obsessed by strange things. Instead of a actor like Darren McGavin, they have cast Stuart Townsend (you remember him as Dorian Gray in League of Extraordinary Gentleman and the Vamprie Lestat in Queen of the Damned). So we get a young, good looking Carl Kolchak. The question is whether or not Townsend can act through his attractivenews and protray his true geekiness. David Duchovny was able to do so in X-Files. Based on the clips I have seen thus far I would say no. The scenes are far too brightly light. (Remember X-Files guys even daylight didn't seem too bright on that show.) When showing the other worldly on television, darken things. It somehow makes it more believable. Additionally the night stalker was a solo guy. It was just Carl. For this show it looks like they are going with the team approach. There's the sexy skeptic (another reporter), and her camera guy and of course Vincenzo is no longer an over weight Italian guy but a good looking older thin editor. What's wrong with casting real looking people in shows? With reality TV you think people would be used to it by now.
I will probably TIVO the damn show. I hope it doesn't suck. Otherwise it may go into the memory hole that Highlander 2 went too.
8 comments:
Just attended Comicon and sat through the Night Stalker panel. I agree with you that McGavin was the antithesis of our usual TV heros and Townsend is another pretty face. My jury is still out on the casting. On the segment they screened the "monster" scene retained the same terrifying feeling as the original - you don't actually see the monster. The creator hopes to use those same devices to terrify the audience. He also admitted that he was able to obtain the rights to the original series. Frankly, my jury is still out and I'll have to judge it when I've seen an entire episode or two. They did have Darrin McGavin's Kolchack CGI'd into the clip they showed - that was cool.
sorry, I intended to say that he was UNABLE to attain rights to the original.
What part of the rights was he unable to get? It seems odd to be able to remake series but not get the rights to it. Does that mean he just won't be able to use the footgage? Comicon was in San Diego right? How did it look otherwise?
There are couple of things about the new series that I do like. Structurally by having Kolchack's wife killed by the unknown it gives the series a plot device to drive the series forward. The orginal series had monster of the week feel to it and I remember thinking even as a kid, "How come all this crazy stuff happens to Kolchak?" If he's actively exploring the unknown to find out what happened to his wife, it certainly seems more reasonable. Townsend is a pretty good acter although his roles are largely the same (sulky Lord Byron types).
Brian, the reason he encountered the menaces in the original series was that they were merely an offshoot of a story he was already supposed to cover.For example, in writing an article on couples on cruise ships, he inadvertently discovers a werewolf on board.Also his motivation was to land the one big story that would put him back on top.
Rennae, what was the reaction of the crowd like during the presentation? Did people seem to be into it?
What are your reactions now that the pilot has aired? I was a hardcore fan of the original and this new version has some good things(like Carl and Tony's relationship) but it still seems overburdened.Gabrielle Union is pretty but her character is unneccesary except to lure in a demographic.You could have used one shot supporting characters to accomplish most of what was dramatically required of the character.Don't get me started on the Kolchak as a murderer though.That idea is frankly garbage.
As I recall that cruise ship was a singles cruise ship. Kolchak needed some blessed silver by a priest. So he found a swinging x-priest to bless them. That's a quite a 70s artifact (singles cruises). Anyway I totaled missed the premiere. When's it on so I can Tivo it.
Unfortunately it's rather a moot point now since the show was cancelled after only six episodes.
If you're used to driving a Rolls, you aren't going to be happy with a Toyota.
Bad news for McGavin fans, I just read that the Night Stalker is dead. Do any of you remember him as Murphy Brown's dad. I must have stopped watching the show by the time they wrote him in. I truly dug the original Night Stalker. That beat-up Mustang Convertible in Chicago winters, that searsucker suit, the shoes, he really personified the geek reporter. I saw the new show and knew right away it did no justice to the original. Weak premise, too many good looking people. You would hope, say, Sci-Fi Channel could do it some justice, but their originals are so cheesy. Thankfully McGavin lives on in DVD.
Post a Comment