Kolchak: The Night Stalker keeps its focus tightly on supernatural mysteries and investigative journalism. Characters are presented with personality, flaws, and competence independent of identity politics. There’s no sense of forced representation or “messages” shoehorned in at the expense of storytelling. It’s a straightforward, enjoyable romp through classic monster-of-the-week territory.

The show generally upholds traditional values and doesn't go out of its way to undermine religion, family, or traditional masculinity. Kolchak is depicted as a determined, masculine hero facing both supernatural and practical challenges. There is little, if any, revisionism or overt subversion of longstanding cultural frameworks.

There’s no finger-wagging or pitting 'progressive' ideology against strawman traditionalists. Most conflicts are human vs. monster, not culture war battles. Differences of opinion arise naturally, not as stand-ins for modern ideological divides. If anything, classic skepticism versus belief gets more airtime than anything resembling today's ideological monoculture.