Dark Shadows

1966

Seasons & Episodes

  • 12
  • 11
  • 10
  • 9
  • 8
  • 7
  • 6
  • 5
  • 4
  • 3
  • 2
  • 1
  • 0

8.1| 0h30m| TV-PG| en
Synopsis

Dark Shadows is an American gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements. It was unprecedented in daytime television when ghosts were introduced about six months after it began. The series became hugely popular when vampire Barnabas Collins appeared a year into its run. Dark Shadows also featured werewolves, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel, and a parallel universe. A small company of actors each played many roles; indeed, as actors came and went, some characters were played by more than one actor. Major writers besides Art Wallace included Malcolm Marmorstein, Sam Hall, Gordon Russell, and Violet Welles.

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Trailers & Clips

Reviews

Micitype Pretty Good
Lawbolisted Powerful
Chirphymium It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional
Voxitype Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.
shoshaunna I have always been a fan of the ORIGINAL Dark Shadows series and movies! So when I saw that they were coming out with a "new" version of the DS film (which started Fri. in theaters),and I saw the previews - I just shook my head at how ridiculous they have turned a campy, cult-favorite horror series/movie and turned it into a goof-spoof. Johnny Depp plays Barnabas Collins makes Collin's character no longer the romantic, Gothic-love-lost-revenge-seeking vampire that Jonathan Frid played so well. Instead, Depp makes Collins look like a bumbling, buck-toothed Nosferatu-turned-Not-for-a-lot-clue nerd, only made worse by the living folks who bring him "up-to-date" with the new world. If you are into good, classic "Gothic Horror" from the 1950-70's, then this Dark Shadows movie is a great place to start! All the cast from the show are in the movie, and the house where they filmed the movie & show is in Tarrytown NY called "Lynnhurst Castle" - and is filled with paranormal activity! Ghosthunters "TAPS" of SciFyTV did an investigation there even! This is a fun movie - not too scary or gory, but a nice little horror story that may leave you sleeping with a light on or a crucifix pendant....just in case! ;o)
hellraiser7 Personally I hate soap operas from their crappy and overlong story lines, unrelatable and unbelievable characters, and just simply being boring as hell at least that's my opinion. However this show is the only exception I make because it is what most to all of them aren't actually good. This wasn't just a show back them it was a phenomenon that was a huge influence for TV shows "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", "Angel", and a little of "Once Upon a Time". But most importantly the show was revolutionary for it's time because it helped bring monsters from the horror genre we know and love translated to our modern times.I got into this show when I was about 11, one day decided out of boredom to give it a shot and of course I watched more and more and soon it grew to become a show I really like. I'm just going to present at least five reasons why I like this show.1. It's funny well uninterionally: Yeah this show had a lot of hiccups from it's budget and technological limitations it has some of the worst special effects I've seen or non existent effects, it was hilalrous. But that to me is part of the shows charm it's like those amateur films from independent production companies like "Dead Gentlemen" and "Zombie Oupaus" despite the limitations they are entertaining all the same because you can see they really try and it's the same with this show. The limitations of the show were to it's advantage because it gave the show an almost lighthearted sensibility about it which re enforced the fun of the show. 2. The use of progressing story arcs: What I love about these story arcs are each of them are used the right way because they are actually interesting and do add up to something. From this and what goes on I actually found myself caring and it really felt like what happened next mattered. 3. 1790 episode arc: Alright this is really more opinion of episode but it's a good enough reason. This arc is my favorite of the entire show and I personally is is what most Pre Sequels fail to be. What made this intriguing is even though we have been given some info on the past we really don't know all of the details, and as Victoria Winters discovered the hard way most of what we've known is false which gives the story it's mystery element. But also from how much you invest emotional in the love stories with Josette and Barnabas as well as Peter and Victoria it was all the more suspenseful and sad because we know what's going to happen and I wished to God it wouldn't but their was nothing I could do about it.4. Sense of participation: Throughout what happens in the episode and the knowledge we hold, there are time I couldn't help but at times say out loud "No don't do it Barnabas, don't bite her" or even "Don't go over there your going to die." This is all because of how much emotional investment and time we have spent on the show, and that is a good feeling I don't get often.5. The colorful characters: Yeah this show had tons of characters and usually that's not always a good idea but here it works because of the characters in the show were actually fully developed which was something most shows back then lacked. They really felt human at times because the characters make good and bad choices which puts them in a gray area at times, or even do things that can at times put us at odds with how we feel. But most importantly we actually cared about them what happened with them mattered. I'll just say four characters I really like since there is no room.Barnabas Collins: He's a great character due to how dark and complex he is and yet at times is capable of warmth. I like the fact that his character is one like the protagonists in the "Elmare Lennard" stories is crippled both psychologically and physically with his vampirism. He is capable of heroism as well as viciousness necessary or unnecessary. He's also a person plagued by great loss of his lover Josette and is struggling to move on.Angelique du Pres: She is one of my favorite fictional villains because she is one that you love to hate. From the amount of menace she displays she is someone you wouldn't want to be alone in a room with. However what makes her the most interest is that fact she is somewhat sympathetic, there are times you feel bad for her because her feelings of love for Barnabas are genuine. However she does cross the line which at times makes you plain hate her.Dr. Julia Hoffman: I like how she is a person of science but she is also open minded to the realm of the supernatural. She is dark and gutsy which made her a great sidekick for Barnabas and personally I felt both of them as a romance couple are a better match. It's true she's not the most beautiful but from her persona she's almost even more attractive that the other women. Maggie Evans: I remember when I was a kid(I said I was a kid) I had a crush on Kathern Leigh Scott she was just so fraking hot and with the persona to boot. The naivety, vibrancy, even charisma of her character perfectly reflected her beauty. It's always great seeing her happy and whenever she was in trouble or depressed you really felt sad, it was times like that I almost wanted to just come to her rescue.Well I've said enough, so visit Collinwood but beware there are creatures lurking in the shadows.Rating: 4 stars
kevin wade Smith I'm glad I bought the Fan-Favorites DVD before I bought the whole series. I was going to buy it just on its reputation alone, dark Shadows is not the show for me. I love a lot of the older series: Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, The Wild Wild West, Invaders, Tarzan; staring Ron Ely, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., Barnaby Jones, Harry-O, Mission Impossible, UFO, Space 1999, Emergency, Columbo, Ellery Queen; with Tim Hutton, The A-Team, Hawaii 5-O, The Hardy Boys; even Monk; perhaps it was the old-style English-like Dinner-Theatre format--surveillance-quality cameras, big-heads, and only two-folks in each frame; or, the fact that soap-opera in general has always made me feel queasy? Perhaps if I followed the series from start-to-finish I'd be a better devote; I've always believed that if enough people like something then there must be something to like about it--I'm just not getting it in this series.It relied heavily on posers; and to a lot of them I found myself say, "So-What!" As George Peppared might say, "I just couldn't get into the Jazz!" There's a peculiar frame of mind this might become enticing to; I just couldn't find the concerted efforts to be bothered with it.I found Dark Shadows uninteresting and solely designed just to set off your emotions; there is merit here, but not enough for me--I will not be purchasing the complete series.I would not detract from those who know more about it. I've loved things myself that others have found as nonsensical.It is a show for those who have had some tradition of watching it; but what do I know, one of my friends loves Coronation Street?
rcj5365 "DARK SHADOWS"-Produced by Dan Curtis Productions for ABC Television. The series ran for five seasons on ABC-TV from its premiere episode on June 27,1966 and ended its sensational run on April 2, 1971. A record of 1,225 episodes were produced. Season one episodes of the series were shown and telecast in black and white from June 27,1966 through March 31,1967. Seasons Two through Five were telecast in color and ran from April 2,1967 until April 2,1971. Executive Producer: Dan Curtis.**Even viewers who claim to despise soap operas will find a soft spot in their hearts for "Dark Shadows",which was television's first,unequaled great "gothic" soap opera and one of the most unusual shows ever to grace daytime television. In part,this soap had the others beat because if a character did die,there was no need to concoct a lengthy explanation to justify his or her return-he or she came back as a ghoul,zombie,vampire,or whatever creature the writers wanted. The series took full advantage of its supernatural milieu during its five year run,having werewolves,a monstrous couple,supernatural that came outta nowhere,and characters traveling back in time or "parallel time" at various periods. Along the way,it spawned a hit song(the 1968 light notable instrumental recording of "Quentin's Theme" by the Charles Randolph Greane Sound was a top ten hit cracking the Billboard's Top 20 singles chart,the first for a song ever from a soap opera),a successful line of books and comic books,two theatrical features based on the show("House Of Dark Shadows" in 1970,and "Night Of Dark Shadows", in 1971 by released theatricallly through Dan Curtis' production company and MGM),and a huge cult following which was still holding conventions with original members of the cast some 40 years after the show began. And during its successful five-year run on ABC,the show was a huge hit on television with the college circuit and older teenagers(which tuned in every weekday afternoon to watch). How many soap operas that are on daytime television can claim such distinctions? Only Dark Shadows. And it pulled it off brilliantly. Also noted,the show also became the first daytime serial to be revived for prime-time(nighttime)when NBC tried a belated recreation with the same title from January 13 through March 22,1991.Despite later claims to the contrary,ABC and Dan Curtis knew upfront that the show was going to be about ghost and goblins and other things that dealt with the supernatural from the start,and promoted it that way among the trade press. The eerie mood certainly was set in the premiere episode. The series itself gave viewers one of the fascinating and monstrous characters ever to grace daytime TV....Barnabas Collins-Vampire!-played to the hilt by Jonathan Frid. During some of the episodes as in some sequences,the actors on "Dark Shadows" usually played the ancestors of there characters,their ghosts,or whatever the plot required of them with terrifying results. However Dark Shadows was videotaped while many others were live and this was in part due to an array of special effects added in with some of the scenes to give it that eerie and spooky look for the show. Other actors that starred in the series were just starting out and went on to bigger and better things because of this show....actors like Dana Elcar,Louis Edmonds(later on for All My Children),John Karlen,and not to mention Kate Jackson(who also starred in one of the theatrical sequels to Dark Shadows and also went on elsewhere as one of the actresses of the Aaron Spelling variety of shows that emerge in the 1970's with shows like "The Rookies",and "Charlie's Angels" and etc.)The mystique of Dark Shadows that attracted so many dedicated viewers remained powerful right up to the end,even though the show's younger viewers were showing a preference for repeated episodes of "Gomer Pyle","Family Affair",or "The Beverly Hillbillies" on CBS or whatever was basically on NBC,which led to the soap's replacement by a revival of the game show "Password" not to mention repeated episodes of "Bewitched" during the 1971-1972 season for ABC Daytime which killed it. After its cancellation in 1971,repeated episodes aired of Dark Shadows aired sporadically in syndicated reruns during the 1970's and 1980's,the first network soap opera to air in that format. On September 25,1992 cable's the Sci-Fi Channel purchased the series and also begin airing episodes and to this day,repeated episodes of Dark Shadows are still running on the network.