Following on the news that Don Knotts passed away comes word that another TV veteran has died. Darren McGavin, who played roles from private eye Mike Hammer and Jerry Lewis' Delicate Delinquet cop buddy in the 50s to the original Carl Kolchak in The Night Stalker (let's forget about the awful remake this past season, shall we), died this morning in California.

Besides all the real-life writers I read when I was a kid, I was also inspired by two TV scribes: Rob Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show and Kolchak, who fought monsters and demons and tried to write stories about them, but no one would believe him. 

Wow, Knotts and McGavin die within the same 24 hours. We've lost two classic stars.