Dark Shadows

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NBC (ended 1991)
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Show Summary

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In 1966, the gothic soap opera Dark Shadows premiered on ABC and ran for 5 years, making exactly 1,225 episodes. Today, it is known as one of the most popular cult classics of all time. In 1991, Dan Curtis remade the show as a weekly prime-time drama. NBC bought the series and aired it mid-season 1991. The series wasn't up to NBC's standards in ratings, so the network cancelled the show after only twelve one-hour episodes.

Dark Shadows: The Revival Series remade most of the beginning storylines and the episodes that transported Victoria Winters back to 1790 (in the original series, Victoria went back to 1795). The series starts with the resurrection of Barnabas Collins, who was released from his coffin by Willie Loomis, the bumbling caretaker on a quest for legendary family riches. Dr. Julia Hoffman attempts to cure his vampirism, and release him from the curse that Angelique Bouchard put on him two hundred years earlier. Later on, Victoria is transported to 1790 during a sance in which the Collins family was trying to contact Barnabas' sister, Sarah, who died in 1790. Trapped in the past, Victoria becomes the governess of Sarah and Daniel Collins, and the governess who was hired to tutor the children, Phyllis Wick, has taken Victoria's place in 1991. Victoria stays in 1790 for a while, and many people accuse her of being a witch for knowledge of the future and many other things. She is put on trial and Peter Bradford (her first friend in 1790 Collinsport) tries to save her from being hanged.moreless
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Episode Guide

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S 2 :  Ep 290 Aired 1/1/67
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S 2 :  Ep 289 Aired 1/1/67
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S 2 :  Ep 288 Aired 1/1/67
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S 2 :  Ep 287 Aired 1/1/67
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S 2 :  Ep 286 Aired 1/1/67
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Fan Reviews (11)

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  • Dark Shadows (1991) was an updated version of the old gothic classic. This was a weekly series with a bigger budget.

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By teleadventure, Jan 21, 2011
    I remember being fired up about this remake because I loved the original series. The remake had a terrific cast and since it was a weekly series it did move at a quick pace. This show had tremendous potential and actually originally had good ratings but required a big budget and coverage of the Persian Gulf war (which obviously did and shook take precedence) ruined the series because many viewers simply didn't know about it. It could have and should have had a good run. Ben Cross is a terrific actor as was the remainder of the cast. The Chiller Channel occasionally will have a marathon of the 12 episodes of this show.moreless

  • Revisiting Colinwood

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By sh811a, Oct 21, 2010
    I'll admit I'm a fan of Dark Shadows, and when it comes to revivals I'm always sceptical it's always a hit or miss affair as much as movie remakes are. But this show didn't disapoint me, it really met my expectations and more, I feel this is one of the best revivals I've seen just about on par with the "Battlestar Galatica" revival. And it makes me all the more sad and teed off of the fact this show's lifespan was prematurely cut, if this show was on for the long haul it probably would of been the next big thing; I would of given it a 10 if it wasn't because of that. There should of been a miniseries or may'be even silver screen films if this was going to happen cause I really wanted more.

    This show did what most good/great remakes should do; remodel everything to make things a little up to date, improve upon some areas that need some improvement, while staying true to the spirit and stand on it's own at the same time. I really love the production value, it still has the gothic setting and tone but there is an even grander and vaster sense because everything and everyone isn't confined in just one space all the time. It's almost like this was what the original wanted to be in production sense, Collinwood in this show is forboding but also beautiful at the same time, it has the mysterious forboding but romantic sensability about it. There was even some special effects in some places which actually are up to par, where in the original the speical effects suck.

    But of course what makes this show is in it's characters and drama, the cast is great most to all were spot on with their characters, they didn't mimic the characters all had their own unique quality which made them feel like the same characters but were different at the same time. I'll talk about a few of them since there is a lot. Ben Cross I thought was absolutely brillant as Barnabas Collins, he still had those characteristics that make him all the more sympathtic, but I thought there was even more charisma and menice which made him even better.

    It's pritty much the same thing for the other two, Lyontte Anthony I thought was great as Angelic she is still that villianous I don't hate and awesome. And of course Victoria Winters played by Joanna Going is great and I think a little better than the original because she a bit more agreesive. I remember as a kid having a crush on this actress because she's hot. I even loved it when she played the Jossette role, it was just beautiful.

    And Adrian Paul as Jebadah even though it was a small role he was great, let alone the fact I'm a Highlander fan

    And of course the story telling style was still intact but it wasn't as lenthy and has improved in pacing which is a great thing cause in the original sometimes it dragged it's own foot. There was a non linar storytelling style sometimes with the flashbacks that add more depth to characters much like with "Highlander" or Alan Moore's "Watchman".
    And there were story arcs which were all the more intreging and made me want to know more whenever it ended on a cliff hanger. I really loved it when the retold my favorate arc in the original series 1790 which of course was the origin and tragic story of how Collinwood and Barnabas came to be. Most of what happened in the arc was emotional and sad; I knew what was going to happen but at the same time I didn't want it to happen.

    I really have nothing bad at all to say about this show, well this is just a minor complant and it's just my opinion. I didn't like how Maggie Evans was handled, she lacks that vibrant, naeive, charasmatic quality which to me was always the best thing about her, the lack of it make her almost a bit wooden. Don't get me wrong in the revival she's not a bad character but she's not the Maggie Evans I know and love.

    Well, I have nothing left to say so I highly recomend the Dark Shadows revial, I just hope the upcoming silver screen film will be just as great. Collinwood is still that dark and beautiful place I want to revisit again and again.moreless

  • It wasn't as good as the original, but still not too bad.

    6.5
    "Fair"
    By CrimsonFlame42, Mar 31, 2009
    Ben Cross was slightly lacking in his Barnabas, but he did get better as the series progressed; who knows where he would have been had the series continued.
    I do not remember Angelique being quite so...French in the origial, but Lysette Anthony did a respectable job.
    Carolyn was not quite as much of a... what's the word that I'm looking for? spoiled brat (to put it nicely).
    I loved Michael T. Weiss in this, he is a really underappreciated actor.
    Jean Simmons was brilliant as Elizabeth Collins Stoddard.
    I wish we'd gotten to see more of Josef Gordon-Levitt as David.
    I don't remember an affair between Maggie Evans and Roger Collins.moreless

  • One of my favorite shows

    10
    "Perfect"
    By ilhbk923, Jul 12, 2008
    I was a teenager when the show was on and knew nothing of the original and let me just say, I LOVED this show. It might be what got me started on my fondness for this genre. The vampires, witches, flashbacks, the love story! I was completely engrossed in this show, would wait for it anxiously every week, and would be sad when the hour was up. When the season ended, with so many things left unresolved it made me anxious for its return. I did not like it one bit when NBC cancelled the show. So many questions left un-answered. It would have been nice if they had done a TV movie on it to tie up the loose ends. But we'll never know what happened.moreless

  • Love this show

    9.0
    "Superb"
    By sweet_em, Oct 08, 2006
    I loved this show back when it was first airing on NBC. It got jerked around and moved around and people couldn't find it to keep watching. Ben Cross was amazing as Barnabas and I love seeing him in other things to this day.
    This show ended on a cliffhanger of Twin Peaks proportions and I really hate that because I still want to find out what happened next. I'm glad that it was back for as long as it was. Haven't ever watched the original series though.
    Too bad they wouldn't let them do a 2 hour TV movie after it was cancelled to let them tie up all the loose ends.moreless
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