A dogged Chicago reporter investigated the paranormal (everything from vampires and werewolves to a senator who could transform himself into a vicious dog) while he clashed with his perpetually (and understandably) skeptical editor. A cult favorite for its blend of dark humor and genuine chills, the series was born from two hugely popular TV-movies, `The Night Stalker' and `The Night Strangler,' and was an inspiration for Chris Carter's equally spooky 1990s hit `The X-Files.'