Panatics who are fans of classic television horror (and really, aren’t we all in some way?) should head over at the StarWarp Concepts blog for today’s special post. That’s where I talk about the 45th anniversary of the 1973 TV movie The Night Strangler, in which downtrodden yet intrepid journalist Carl Kolchak (played by actor Darren McGavin)—the frumpy newspaper reporter who became a reluctant vampire hunter in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the 1972 telefilm The Night Stalker (which I celebrated last year)—finds himself investigating a new series of murders by yet another monster, this time in Seattle, Washington. Accompanied by plucky belly dancer Louise Harper (Jo Ann Pflug, seen pictured here), Kolchak works hard to put an end to the killing and get an exclusive on the story.

The Night Strangler debuted on ABC-TV on January 16, 1973, and remains popular with Kolchak fans to this very day. Not only that, but this creation of author Jeff Rice has influenced legions of fans over the decades, including The X-Files’ Chris Carter, who often stated in interviews about how Kolchak was foremost in his mind when he developed the characters of Fox Mulder and Dana Scully.

Go over to SWC now and give it a read!