Dark Shadows

ABC (ended 1971)

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Show Summary

Premiered: --
Status: Ended

Dark Shadows was a daytime soap opera on ABC-TV which aired weekdays during the afternoon. With vampires, witches, worlocks, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures, it became a surprising phenomenon, lasting for five years before it was cancelled.

8.2

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Episode Guide

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S 12 : Ep 46	DS-1245	Aired 4/2/71
S 12 : Ep 45	DS-1244	Aired 4/1/71
S 12 : Ep 44	DS-1243	Aired 3/31/71
S 12 : Ep 43	DS-1242	Aired 3/30/71
S 12 : Ep 42	DS-1241	Aired 3/29/71

Dark Shadows News

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20

Comic-Con 2010: Saturday's Don't-Miss-'Em TV Panels

By Louis Peitzman, Jul 12, 2010

Still poring over Comic-Con's Thursday and Friday line-ups? This weekend, the masterminds behind the event released the full schedules for Saturday and Sunday as well. Now we can finally sit back, look at all the possible permutations of panels, and… more
7

October 28, 2008 DVD Releases

By Athena Karantzalis, Oct 28, 2008

The 4400 The Complete Series Buy the DVD! Show Summary | Episode Guide | Forum NewsRadio The Complete Series Buy the DVD! Show Summary | Episode Guide | Forum Girlfriends Season Five Buy the DVD! Show Summary | Episode Guide… more

Cast & Crew

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Dana Elcar

Sheriff George Patterson (1966-1967)
Mitch Ryan

Burke Devlin #1 (1966-1967)
David Selby

Quentin Collins aka Grant Douglas (1968-1971)

Fan Reviews (28)

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This show was forbidden in my house when I was young.

10

"Perfect"

By OhioNeesee, May 05, 2011 Report Abuse

Now that I have grown up and have my own house. I have permitted myself to watch this show and get very addicted. I have watched every single episode, thanks to Netflix and now I am on my second time through all the episodes again. My favorite character has to be Barnabas. I also like Julia and I wish they could have got together and had a love relationship. My first time through this show, every episode was new to me. Even though it was 20 years after the end of the show. It was very very exciting and I am hooked.moreless

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2 0
A Classic that was also Unintentionally Funny. The combination makes this one of my all-time favorites.

8.5

"Great"

By azshadowwalker, Jun 18, 2010 Report Abuse

I was born roughly four months after Dark Shadows originally went off the air, so I came to the show only through the Sci-Fi Channel's re-airings of the show during the 1990s. When I first started watching it, it immediately felt comfortable--like a childhood memory. The more I watched, the more fun I had with it. It had all of the melodrama of a soap opera, all of the silly monsters of the horror genre of the 1960s, plus the camp and silliness that ensued from the lack of proper editing.
At times, the show felt like amateur hour, considering the fact that flubbed lines and other bloopers were often left in because of time and money constraints. This just added to my adoration, however. I love the drama and the storylines (well, most of the storylines, anyway), but I also love laughing at the obvious mistakes--bad line readings, people wandering on set when they shouldn't be, the omnipresent boom mic, even a fire burning on the set while the cast was forced to continue shooting a scene.
I have great admiration for the cast that was forced to work under such conditions. More than that, several of the performers were quite talented--including the beautiful Joan Bennet, an accomplished movie actress in the 1930s whose movie career ended after her husband shot one of her business managers, and the Oscar-nominated Grayson Hall. Dark Shadows will always have a special place in my heart. Now, if only we could get a new series. (Yes, I'm looking at YOU, the WB.)moreless

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3 0
Gothic

8.5

"Great"

By gophone, Jun 18, 2010 Report Abuse

DARK SHADOWS originally aired in the afternoon in 1966 as a half hour gothic soap opera, but as the shows progressed over the first few months from mystery gothic to supernatural suspense we are introduced to the character of Barnabas Collins played by Jonathan Frid. Mr. Collins represents himself to the family as a distant cousin who just arrived from England. Hanging in the entry hall of the manor house is a portrait of the original Barnabas Collins from the 1700s, which bears a striking resemblance to the new Mr. Collins. The Collins family live near the coastal town of Collinsport, somewhere on the coast of Maine. The Collins family has money, breeding, and position in the Collinsport community the show moves slowly and deliberately, and was in no hurry to move from storyline to storyline. Instead, it relied on shadows, ghosts, mysteries, lightening, vampires and anyone who sought love. Hollywood screen star Joan Bennett played the Collins matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard; Grayson Hall was Dr. Julia Hoffman who tried cure Barnabas. Lara Parker was Angelique, in the service of Josette Dupres (Kathryn Leigh Scott), Barnabas's true love, but Angelique was jealous of the love Barnabas had for Josette, and vowed both of them would suffer. The show is famous for the occasional slip-ups, goofs. Sometimes you could see the crew, or the ever-present Boom mike over someone's head. Once I saw the shadow of a camera in a basement. DARK SHADOWS concentrated on plot and character rather than cheap thrills, and would deliver quality suspense and plenty of spooky moments.
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I never thought *I'd* become such a fan of this show.

9.3

"Superb"

By archangelcory16, Jun 18, 2010 Report Abuse

I've never liked soap operas. My grandmother used to watch them all the time and I thought they were awful. But then again they ARE mostly targeted for girls so maybe that's why.

But "Dark Shadows" has recently become a fascination of mine and I'm now a huge addict, which makes another accomplishment: I'm not usually into shows from the 60s.

"Dark Shadows" is a compelling, gothic, and moody daytime soap that aired for several years on ABC. After suffering low ratings, series creator Dan Curtis introduced supernatural elements to the show in a desperate effort to save it from cancelation. When this proved effective, the show switched into a full supernatural gothic tale that become a phenomenon.

Unlike many fans, I've had the luxury of seeing several episodes from the pre-vampire Barnabas days, and I think they were also very good. The characters are interesting and the writing is extremely good for a daytime soap.

Just the other day a couple of DVD collections came in the mail and I began watching immediately, and now I am more hooked than ever. Despite the fact the show can be corny just like every other soap opera, "Dark Shadows" manages to still be a fascinating piece of entertainment. Another interesting thing is that due to time and budget constraints all scenes were done in one take. Therefore there are several times in which the cast makes mistakes and stumbles over lines. However, this does two things. First of all, it shows how talented the cast actually was, as they always recover VERY quickly, when actors today mess up GOOD when they flubb a line. They'd never survive on "Dark Shadows". Secondly, it adds realism to the show. In reality people make pauses and mistakes in their speech all the time, yet in the big-budget TV shows and movies we see characters give long-winded speeches without a single mistake.

It's sad that no network is currently syndicating "Dark Shadows", but at least it is now available on DVD.

"Dark Shadows" is a must have for any fan of gothic tales of the supernatural.moreless

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2 0
Before there was Buffy, there were Shadows.

8.5

"Great"

By bonefactory, Jun 18, 2010 Report Abuse

Originally airing in the afternoon in 1966 as a half hour "gothic" soap opera then a few months later morphing into pure supernatural story telling, Dark Shadows is unique in American television. Though not 'run' live, the show was taped with almost no interruptions so it 'felt' live. Only the most catastrophic of events would cause producers to re-shoot a scene. The show is famous for the occasional slip-up: crew visible on screen, a boom-mike shown above the actors' heads, actors struggling to remember their lines or actors calling another character by their wrong name. Still , this only helped to give the show a theatrical feel, as if you were sitting in the audience watching a live piece of theatre which consequently endowed the show a certain prestige that typical soap operas never achieved. Former movie star Joan Bennett, headlined the show as the Collin's family matriarch, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. Ms. Bennett's 'old' Hollywood trained voice & poise gave the show glamour. Many of the jeweled baubles Ms. Bennett wore on the show were the real thing from Ms. Bennett's private collection. Closing credits of the shows always had.."Fashions by Orbachs.." The show is great for, if nothing else, a study in late 60s early 70s fashion sensibilities. From Ms. Bennett's upswept hairdos & flowing chiffon dresses or tailored skirt/blouse 'sets' to the younger womens' minis & long flip hair styles, the show's a veritable time capsule of retro chic. But the show is so much more than its fashion. The show is a true American Gothic original.
This show an envolope pusher in it's time and way ahead of it's time. People who watch Buffy and Angel now and have never seen Dark Shadows may think the WB was original in it's thinking, but veiw reruns of Shadows and you will see the truth in originality from thirty years before.moreless

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2 0

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Dark Shadows 2012 fan site!
Hey, everyone! We have built a website for fans of Tim Burton's movie Dark Shadows (2012). Official trailer, hd wallpapers, photo...

By DarkShadows, Yesterday

Yesterday

1
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Bloopers, bloopers, and more bloopers
Here are URLs to some funny Dark Shadows bloopers. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did! Part 1 of 4http://youtu.be/4UeZtYriyFk...

By Josette, Feb 01, 2012

3 days ago

2
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Quentin's Theme
Wow, after all these years, this music still haunts me..... http://youtu.be/fwaFCXEYJ14

By Josette, Feb 01, 2012

3 days ago

3
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House of Dark Shadows
I watched "House of Dark Shadows" on TCM. Usually TCM runs its movies uncut, even R-rated ones. Was "House" edited? There were so ...

By skippercollecto, Feb 02, 2012

3 days ago

2
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I Wasn't Her
I came across this cool video and thought I'd share it with all of you. Fabulous pics and great music! http://youtu.be/zKGrG-Hwm4w

By Josette, Feb 01, 2012

02/01/12

1
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