If you're a fan of The X-Files, you're going to want to check out Kolchak: The Night Stalker, which X-Files creator Chris Carter has said directly influenced the creation and style of his show. Kolchak: The Night Stalker started out as not one but two television movies before becoming a series. The first, The Night Stalker, aired on ABC in 1972, and the second, The Night Strangler, hit in 1973. In 1974, Kolchak: The Night Stalker premiered on ABC, and though it only ran for one season, it solidified itself into cult status.
The premise revolves around Carl Kolchak (Darren McGavin) an investigative reporter with a particular interest in strange, supernatural cases. Throughout his investigations, Kolchak encounters vampires, werewolves, zombies, witches, mummies, and the big man himself: Satan. The series hovers mostly in the realm of horror, though it does delve into science fiction, with Kolchak dealing with cases involving aliens and killer robots.
It's pretty clear that The X-Files, and more specifically the character of Fox Mulder, were directly influenced by Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Indeed, as Entertainment Weekly writes, "Series creator Chris Carter says his goal was to make a show as scary as Kolchak: The Night Stalker." He surely succeeded. Carter even asked McGavin if he would appear on The X-Files as Kolchak. McGavin turned him down but did appear as another character: FBI Agent Arthur Dales, "the father of the X-files."
