In fact, the first movie was a huge hit. It was the highest-rated TV movie ever when it aired. They followed it up with The Night Strangler (set in Seattle) and junked plans for a third movie to create the TV show. Reportedly, squabbles over creative control on the set doomed Kolchak to a single season, and the TV…

Embarrassing pedant behavior —> The burning cross makes the vampire collapse, but Kolchak does drive in a stake at the end.