Kolchak: The Night Stalker 1974–1975 ...

I would like to chime in and say that I'm a huge fan of Kolchak: The Night Stalker. Nobody else could have created Kolchak's wise-cracking, headstrong persona better than Darren McGavin, and Simon Oakland is equally great as the grouchy, sarcastic bureau chief Tony Vincenzo. McGavin and Oakland had terrific chemistry together when they butted heads.

The show was a perfect blend of horror and humor, crackling with sharp and witty dialogue (much of it courtesy of David Chase, whether he was credited for it or not). Since it was done a limited budget, the make-up effects ranged from impressive to not-so-impressive. But that's fine, it was the writing and lead performances that really made the show count.

My top 5 favorite episodes are:

The Spanish Moss Murders
Horror In The Heights
The Zombie
Chopper
The Vampire

The 2005 reboot was a travesty for so many reasons.