Night Stalker

_X-Files_ writer/producer Frank Spoitnitz helms ABC’s reboot of the classic supernatural thriller _Night Stalker_. Season 1 follows reporter Carl Kolchak as he investigates strange and unusual stories along with the mysterious murder of his wife. Starring Stuart Townsend and Gabrielle Union, the show employees the standard believer/skeptic dynamic (a la Mulder and Scully). And the guest stars featured include Susan Misner, Tony Todd, John Pyper-Ferguson, and Jane Lynch. The writers to a pretty good job at varying the different types of stories Kolchak looks into, and avoid some of the more clichéd and fantastical creatures (i.e. vampires and ghosts). But with only 10 episodes (4 of which didn’t air), the show wasn’t able to do a lot of character development and leaves a number of questions unanswered; particularly those concerning the murder of Kolchak’s wife and the mark he bears. While short lived, _Night Stalker_ delivered a strong first season full of exciting mysteries.