DARK SHADOWS FORUMS
Members' Mausoleum => Calendar Events / Announcements Archive => Calendar Events / Announcements '24 I => Calendar Events / Announcements '05 II => Topic started by: Mysterious Benefactor on September 28, 2005, 10:42:06 PM
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Newsday.com has a review (for tomorrow's edition) of the new The Night Stalker series that mentions DC and DS:
'ABC has even retained the services of Dan Curtis, legendary producer of the original "Night Stalker" (as well as the classic spook-soap "Dark Shadows"), just to make sure his "Stalker" isn't transmogrified into slop.'
However, the review isn't exactly what one might call favorable:
'The Jan. 11, 1972 movie, "The Night Stalker," in which Kolchak tracked a vampire, was a huge hit - it's still ranked 13th in TV history in total viewers. Although a 1973 sequel, "The Night Strangler," didn't fare as well and the 1974-75 series, "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," lasted a mere season, the ghost of Kolchak has lingered many years. "The X-Files" was directly inspired by "Night Stalker," but not until tonight has a network been brazen or foolish enough to attempt an actual exhumation.
Based on the first two episodes, this is a ghost best left moldering in the grave.'
That sure makes it seem as if the retainment of DC didn't quite prevent the series from being "transmogrified into slop" in the reviewer's opinion. But then...
It will certainly be interesting to see what the series is actually like. And even more interesting to see how long it actually survives on the air because, as I've noted before, it's in a killer timeslot that even an amazing series will have tough going in. But if Newsday's review is an accurate take, it looks like the going may have just gotten a hell of a lot tougher.
Read the full review: Kolchak, why'd they dig you up? (http://www.newsday.com/entertainment/ny-ettel4445468sep29,0,5479759.story?coll=ny-entertainment-bigpix)
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I certainly will give the show the benefit of the doubt by viewing it. Sometimes critics are wrong. The scifi.com website reported that Rob Bowman has directed the October 6th Night Stalker episode entitled" The Five People You Meet In Hell". Now if he only directed the 2004 DS pilot...........?
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I'll give it a shot. It doesn't seem to have the charm of the original though.
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SCI FI Wire has a much more positive article: Night Stalker Has Answers (http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire2005/index.php?id=32595)
(Though it doesn't mention DC or DS.)
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I thought it was going to be on Saturday nights? They've scheduled it opposite the dreary WB soap opera Schlongville, which my roomie tapes obsessively. Oh well. Sounds as if I am not missing much.
G.
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Well the NY Post gave it 3.5 stars and the NY Dailynews rated it 2.5
http://www.nypost.com/entertainment/28690.htm
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/ent_radio/story/350647p-299092c.html
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I thought it was going to be on Saturday nights?
That might have actually been preferable to the death slot it's actually in.
They've scheduled it opposite the dreary WB soap opera Schlongville, which my roomie tapes obsessively.
Smallville is on at 8 (and a Spike fan alert: James Marsters makes his first appearance as Brainiac in tonight's season premiere). Night Stalker is on at 9 (and is opposite the WB's Everwood, which, considering that most WB shows routinely of late place 5th in their timeslots, probably won't be much competition - but I suppose we'll see...).
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A blogger on the capecodtoday Web site posted the following remark in a piece in their Cape Cod Crusader blog that generally deals with the state of TV today and specifically with the original Night Stalker series:
Original shows of "Dark Shadows", "Twilight Zone", "Outer Limits", and "Lost in Space", were among other favorites while growing up.
They sound like someone who would definitely fit in well here. ;)
Check out the entire entry: TV - Friendly Companion or our Brain Sucking Enemy (http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index.php/crusader/2005/09/29/title_20)
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Watch for a prop from the original series to show up. It's not a person but a thing. :)
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I think this review of the pilot is pretty much on target. It seems only seven million viewers tuned in to catch the pilot-it may have to do a little better than that but the show is not in a desirable time slot. I think the next episode with Rob Bowman directing will be much better.
http://www.creature-corner.com/?type=reviews&id=862
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jimbo, I agree. That review pretty much hit the nail on the head IMO.
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The fact that Night Stalker pulled in 7.13 million viewers (in the overnight ratings) doesn't paint the complete picture. The really damning facts are that NS came in 3rd in its timeslot, with CSI bringing in 27.2 million and Apprentice 4 brininging in 10.34 million - and in the key 18-49 demographics it only mustered a 2.7/6 rating, whereas CSI had a 9.3/23 and Apprentice 4 had a 4.7/11. As one media analyst put it "that is nothing to certainly boast about." But as bad as all that might be, it's usually true that a new series' viewership will fall off after the premiere episode as the people who merely tuned in to sample it go back to whatever they normally watch, so it's anyone's guess what might happen next week...
As for the Creature Corner review, I think it's a bit harsh, and in opposition, Variety's review was generally favorable and they liked Stuart Townsend's performance/interpretation. At the moment I think my own opinion of the series probably falls somewhere between those two views and I'm definitely willing to give it at least a few more views before forming a final opinion. However, something that I wholeheartedly agree with as a general principle is the sentiment expressed in the first two paragraphs of the Creature Corner review:
"Sacrilege!" That's the usual cry when a genre classic ends up on the conveyor belt to remakesville, and all too often we spend way too much time bemoaning the ways in which the new version deviates from what we know and love, and too little time considering whether the new material stands up in its own right.
In other words, sometimes a remake isn't always a bad thing. They can honour the original and stand alone as solid entertainment at the same time.
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Thanks PennyDreadful.
MB I agree that it is too early to get a good read on the series. I just think it was a poorly filmed pilot and I can't put my finger on why I feel that way. Maybe because Townsend looked bored and/or unsure on how to play his character. It almost reminded me on how uncomfortable Ben Cross appeared in the Barnabas role for the first 4-5 episodes. After that Cross was just great in my opinion. Perhaps the NS script could have been written more tightly. I remember how good the Jack and Bobby pilot was filmed only to see the show fall apart when it went to series. Perhaps the reverse will hold true for the NS. I think this show is going to have to average about 8 million viewers for the show to survive.
I also agree that a remake is not a bad thing. We need a good DS remake to bring life back into the franchise.
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I thought the whole attempt was both half-assed and half-hearted.
I wondered why the hell there was so much use of extreme low-light shots.....only to discover that they were using a brand spanking new extreme low-light camera for the first time. Too bad there was no Mom around to take that toy away.
And worst of all, I couldn't fathom why the lead character,( who's lost his wife to an unspeakable horror, and has to defend himself from both suspicion AND the Thing he seeks), still has to look like a european underwear model! No, he doesn't have to be a middle aged curmudgeon, but can't he at least look like a man who's actually been touched and changed by his experience?
TV gets more Totally Vapid with every new season.......
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There's a bright side to everything, I guess. After all, there almost certainly never will be a cross-over episode where the new Kolchak stumbles into a new Dark Shadows.
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Well, if nothing else, the series can be credited with giving new "life" to the rumors that Darren McGavin is dead. If I had a nickel for every time I'd heard or read that piece of misinformation in the past few months, I'd be a wealthy woman.
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This program is just an excuse to do another X-Files even though Chris Carter ended the real X-Files. Spotnitz was out of work, that's the reason for the show. It colors my opinion that I didn't care for the TV movies but lovred the NS series. The characters and humor and atmosphere were crucial for me. Kolchak was more important than the supernatural danger of the week. This new thing called "Night Stalker" has no Kolchak. That guy is not him. The character is completely absent, because it's superficial 2005 where no one would ever put a rumpled middle-aged un-model-like loveable loser character in clothing twenty years out of style on TV.
X-Files isn't that influenced by NS, which is evident from how little Spotnitz understands it, at least the series. Carter said it wasn't a direct influence. Watching the Invaders recently, that has to be the most directy influence. The infected bees even came from that show. (locusts)
Dan Curtis did the movies but not the series, so maybe he did have some say. But I'm getting the impression DC wasn't much responsible for what was good about DS, and was sort of confused by the love people have for it.
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But I'm getting the impression DC wasn't much responsible for what was good about DS, and was sort of confused by the love people have for it.
Gee, ya think? ;D
But getting back to NS, its future *might* be brighter than I'd originally thought because here's something from a weekly ratings report that I didn't realize:
"Alias" (5.5/9, tied for 46th) and "Night Stalker" (4.8/7, 63rd) gave ABC its best numbers in years for regular series in their respective timeslots.
Even if NS remains a distant third in its timeslot, so long as it's able to hold onto its better numbers, *maybe* ABC will be willing to let it last the entire season. Though, of course, that's still a lot of ifs and maybes...
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Even if NS remains a distant third in its timeslot, so long as it's able to hold onto its better numbers, *maybe* ABC will be willing to let it last the entire season. Though, of course, that's still a lot of ifs and maybes...
Well, so much for that idea:
ABC had nothing to smile about courtesy of its revamped line-up of Alias, Night Stalker and Primetime Live. ... Week two of Night Stalker at 9 p.m. declined by 1.23 million viewers (7.12 to 5.89 million) and 23 percent among adults 18-49 (2.6/ 6 to 2.0/ 5) from its debut on Sept. 29.
I actually thought the second episode was much better than than the pilot. The plot was much more involving, with several suspenseful moments - and more importantly, the Kolchak and Reed characters were more interesting to watch. IF the show can produce more episodes like last night's, maybe word of mouth *might* bring more people to the show. Though, once again, that's still a lot of ifs and maybes...
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I wasn't impressed with the pilot episode and tuned out a few minutes into episode 2. This just isn't The Night Stalker, because as someone else pointed out Kolchak isn't in this thing. For me, what made the original version so great was Darren McGavin and Simon Oakland. This new guy is just dull and "charismaless" (is that a word?) and the show is way more of an X-Files clone than anything else.
On the bright side, the original series is now finally on DVD so I can watch the episodes I've never seen before including the one with Lara Parker. Just 2 more episodes until I get to it. Can't wait. :)
Dan
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Those ratings MB for the second NS episode are just horrible. I am afraid that the show is dead in the water unless a miracle happens. It is another knock (justification) against making remakes and that is a shame. If an ABC executive was thinking about making a new DS before the NS premiered, I have a feeling that idea will now fly right out the window.
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I am afraid that the show is dead in the water unless a miracle happens.
Mediaweek's recent prediction:
-Night Stalker: the axe could swing before November.
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This just isn't The Night Stalker, because as someone else pointed out Kolchak isn't in this thing. For me, what made the original version so great was Darren McGavin and Simon Oakland.
Funny you should mention it in these terms. I was reading who were the guest stars, etc. on TV Tome. Lo and behold Darren McGavin was uncretited for the pilot episode. For three seconds they superimposed the old Kolchak in the new newsroom with the new Kolchak. Viola...
Don't know if any of you caught the credits for episode 2. 1991 DS Director alumni and director of many of the X-Files episodes, Rob Bowman was at the director's healm. This gives two real obvious DS connections with Dan Curtis as consulting producer.
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Well, I'm sure this comes as no surprise to anyone:
ABC Says Good Night to 'Stalker' (http://tv.zap2it.com/tveditorial/tve_main/1,1002,271|98619|1|,00.html)
(And as a side note, I love the changes that Zap2it.com have made to their Web site. [thumb])
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I got to see the final ten minutes or so of one episode. The editing and photography were impressive. I really have nothing else to say about it.
It sounds as if the series was sabotaged by the programmers from the get-go. I'm amazed they waited six weeks--twice as long as I expected, given the current state of television.
G.
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Well, let's face it- you can't improve on the original! Just how many versions of Twlilight Zone have there been since the original left CBS? There's been two- three if you count Night Gallery!!! One good thing has come from this fiasco- the publicity got Universal to release the original series on DVD, and that's fine by me. Series remakes are iffy- ironically the '91 DS did show a life of its own and could've succeeded if it weren't for that ghastly Friday time slot and Saddam Hussein. On the other hand, look at the bad remakes of TV shows like The Odd Couple, Family Affair, The Munsters, The Fugitive, et al.
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I see they made nine eposides. You realize that's enough to let the new SciFi Channel run this weekly for the next 3-4 years, somewhere between "Battlestar Galactica: Extreme Kitchen Patrol" and "Stargate HG1: FRCF - Home and Garden, Free Range Chicken Farming." [5393]
Michael [ghosty] [ghosty] [ghosty]
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have to say i missed it but i've been missing a lot of tv these days
i did see some old reruns of the first NS and have to say they are still fun to watch
jennifer
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I see they made nine eposides. You realize that's enough to let the new SciFi Channel run this weekly for the next 3-4 years
Oh, your prophetic soul! [santa_cheesy]
SCI-FI announced today that they've acquired the rights to rebroadcast all 10 episodes of the series, including 3 that didn't air on ABC. They say it will launch this summer. The press release is here. (http://www.nbcumv.com/release_detail.nbc/scifi-20051212000000-scifichanneltoai.html)
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SCI-FI announced today that they've acquired the rights to rebroadcast all 10 episodes of the series, including 3 that didn't air on ABC.
Well, at least that's good news for the 3 people who remained loyal viewers. [santa_wink] (Particularly after ABC yanked the series after only the first part of a two-part episode had aired. ::))
And can a DVD release be far behind...
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OT for Darren McGavin fans, with thanks to Kosmo:
from the authorized http://www.darrenmcgavin.net/ --
Feb. 16: "As many who write me regularly know, Darren's health has steadily declined over the past several years. It has now come to the point where he is gravely ill. In the hope of sparing his loving and devoted fans, we want you to be aware of the situation so you may take a moment in the next several days to hold his memory in reverence and send some kind thoughts upward."
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A message from the webmasters on the official darrenmcgavin.net (http://www.darrenmcgavin.net)
It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Darren McGavin at approximately 7:10 A.M. Pacific time today, Saturday 25, 2006. Darren was...
Thanks, onyx_treasure. :(
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This is so very sad.
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NEWSFLASH!
Darren McGavin known for his role as THE NIGHT STALKER and the father in the 1983 classic A CHRISTMAS STORY has passed away yesterday at the age of 83 in LA.
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[sad5] Its been a sad and rather depressing weekend for many of us, with both Don Knotts and Darren McGavin passing away. First on Knotts, while he will no doubt be best remembered for Barney Phyfe, I must say that I have a very fond memory of seeing "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken" [ghost] in first run as a kid and along with many, consider it to be one of the best horror-comedies of all time. The haunted house sequences with the blood on the organ keyboard and the shears piercing the throat on the painting were pretty chilling. ("...and they couldn't remove the bloodtstains, even with Bon Ami!") This and the fantasy "Mr. Limpet" are quite good and are standing the test of time as fun littl;e efforts. [ghosty]
Darren McGavin. So much to say as well. I like many of us here will never forget the impact of the first "Night Stalker" movie which stood vampire films on its head and took us to a whole new perspective on the genre. A great collaboative effort. Great Matheson script, great characters, great casting and pretty decent direction from Dan Curtis with a creepy Cobert score. I think we saw they that couldn't really reinvent the series last year. The original was just one of those moments where so much comes together.
I just watched "the Night Strangler" this evening and I love as much now as I did then. I think its pretty underrated. The great supporting cast-Wally Cox, John Carradine, Margaret Hamilton, (who has the best line.."if it (the youth serum) worked, I'd be sitting here in front of you ..an 80 year old sexpot."), the also recently departed Al Lewis, Scott Brady, Richard Anderson and the sexy Joann Pflug. (I can't put my finger on it, but there's something Lara Parker about here in that film. Of note that Curtis used her again in "Scream of the Wolf." That she manages to be so attractive in some wacky '70s outfits says something as well. Please see '70s fashions discussions elsehere on these boards) The DVD has a longer cut and well worth it. McGavin is brillant in this one, and as ever in the series, that great chemistry with Simon Oakland.The whole Seattle underground sequence is so deliciously creepy and gothic. This is some of the best stuff Dan Curtis ever directed. You can notice he sets up a lot of shots similar to the vampire wedding sequences in "House of Dark Shadows." [Bat] The short bonus on the DVD of Dan speaking on the film is nice, if leaving you hungry for a bit more. I bet Dan underrates this effort a bit too, I find it holds up better than his "Dracula" ( a much more flawed screenplay from Matheson) but on par with Trilogy of Terror.
I mourn the loss of such great talent as Mcgavin and Knotts, but I don't feel as sad as I did this morning. The short but very sweet work we have of the original Kolchak continues to give me equal parts humor and horror. I know both Knotts and McGavin will be continuing to make people smile for many more years.
Michael [vampy]
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And now Dennis Weaver's gone--- McCloud for most, and in dozens of other productions, but I'll never forget "Duel". I saw that the first time it was on (and a couple of times after, but it's been years.) Not a supernatural story---or was it? Defintely a suspense / mystery story (with a potential for horror; getting clipped by a truck could be pretty horrible) --- broke through the genres, quite an accomplishment for a little made-for-TV thriller (one of Spielberg's earliest complete and widely-viewed adult efforts.) Weaver's performance as the Everyman caught in an insane, inexplicable VERY big cat-and-very small mouse game helped make it memorable.
Lost track of time--- didn't even realize DW was over 80.
Someone in work mentioned, what an odd coincidence that these 3 great TV character actors' first names all began with "D"? (And surnames in alphabetical order!)
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An interesting article about Darren McGavin's passing: Soldiering on: Darren McGavin (1922-2006) (http://www.popmatters.com/film/features/060301-darrenmcgavin.shtml). Not only does it reference DC and DS, but the author gets into how he believes McGavin's "life ended much as he lived his early years, shrouded in mystery."