Way back in 1972 ABC aired a made for TV movie named The Night Stalker. It starred Darren McGavin as an aloof, witty, and resourceful reporter named Karl Kolchak. On his beat in Las Vegas he discovers a modern day vampire and is taxed with bringing him down when the authorities fail to see the proof he has gathered. It was a ratings bonanza for ABC who quickly put together a sequel called The Night Strangler which premiered in 1973 to similar success.
In this movie Karl has moved to Seattle Washington when a chance run in with his former editor Tony Vincenzo puts him back on the beat. It seems that woman across Seattle are are being strangled to death under mysterious circumstances. Their necks are crushed and small amounts of blood are missing from the base of their spine. Can this be just a run of the mill psycho or somehow connected to a fiend who seems to strike every 21 years starting in the early 1800's?
I remember seeing this movie as well as The Night Stalker on TV when I was a kid and was seriously effected by the suspense, great writing, and superb acting of Darren McGavin on both movies. The movies were spun off into a good but uneven series that lasted just one season in the 1974-75 season. Many people were influenced by the movies and show with Chris Carter stating that his show The X Files was very much inspired by it.
Nowadays it is available on video and the show is available on Netflix. Another very good way to experience The Night Strangler is via YouTube which has an original ABC movie opening which creates great ambiance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUfYRiLvc78
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