Dark Shadows Discussion Thread

[DRW50]

Imagine Rhoda working at Collinwood.

Barnabas would probably inspire endless "I knew this office was full of blood-suckers, but you're taking this too literally" jokes from Barnabas.

Barnabas being chased around by a horny Sue Ann...

Barnabas making Phyllis his vampire slave, and no one noticing, as she always acted weird anyway.

[robbwolff]

Dark Shadows didn't last long on WNBC. I think the show was shifted to 4:30 p.m. before it was dropped.

[amybrickwallace]

Carl, I like the way you think. ROFL!!

[jam6242]

Dark Shadows is coming back to broadcast tv in May on a CBS sub-channel called "DECADES." The network is airing a 68-hour marathon at that time.

https://willmckinley.wordpress.com/2015/01/24/original-dark-shadows-rises-from-the-dead-on-cbs-decades-tv-network/

[amybrickwallace]

Thanks for the news, jam!!!

[Classicsoap]

It is a co-deal with Weigel, who are the owners of ME TV and Hero's and Icons, so it could also show up on those channels. In 2013 ME TV commented that Barnabas may show up

[amybrickwallace]

That would be awesome. Maybe some of these subchannels are taking note of Retro TV's success with The Doctors.

[DRW50]

RIP Elizabeth Wilson.

http://www.collinsporthistoricalsociety.com/2015/05/obituary-elizabeth-wilson.html

[DRW50]

Decades, a new cable channel, is starting Dark Shadows today at 6 PM EST.

[amybrickwallace]

Virginia Vestoff should be showing up soon in the reruns of The Doctors on Retro TV. Right now they are in the April 1969 episodes, and with two episodes a day, we're rapidly approaching the end of Liz Hubbard's first stint as Dr. Althea Davis Bellini, at which point Ms. Vestoff took over for about a year. Then Liz Hubbard came back in 1970 and Ms. Vestoff joined DS. What exactly was the arc of VV's character Samantha Collins? I admit I don't know a lot about the last year of DS.

[DRW50]

Samantha was basically running Collinwood (as Justin Collins was insane) after her husband Quentin had been lost at sea. Gabriel, her jealous brother-in-law, and his scheming wife Edith wanted her out of the way. Gerard Stiles, Quentin's old friend, came to town to charm her. He was soon possessed by the head of Judah Zachary, a figure of pure evil. Complicating matters was Quentin's return from the dead. Samantha and Gerard married.

All of this was riveting stuff, but once they brought in the 1840 version of Daphne (Kate Jackson, who'd previously appeared as the reluctant ghost of Daphne haunting Collinwood with Gerard/Judah in 1970 and leading to its ruin), she was severely sidelined, appearing just enough to wrap up her story (Daphne's sister appeared [the ethereal Lee Berry], whom Samantha had fought with in the past. She led Samantha to her death over a cliff [she herself had fallen off a cliff the last time they'd met], and we then learned she was a ghost).

I'm not really sure what to expect out of her as Althea, because she's so different from Liz, but I'm looking forward to seeing it.

Edited May 22, 2015 by DRW50

[robbwolff]

My PBS affiliate stopped airing DS just as the parallel time plot was heating up. (Canceling the show caused quite an uproar since the station had just raised a boat load of money to finance airing the last year of DS.) As a result, I never got to see the final year. I've read synopses and shocked to read that Edith Collins died in the 1840 storyline. A bit odd since she was alive at the story of the 1897 plot. Did they ever reveal the identity of her son who sired Judith, Carl, Quentin, and Edward?

[DRW50]

I don't remember.

It is regarded as a ridiculous continuity error by many fans. I think by that point the show was just too exhausted to care about those things, sadly.

[danfling]

Virginia Vestoff was wonderful in the 1840 storyline, and I think that this was one of the best-written eras of the show.

I have been wondering ever since I was a teenager and a viewer on the show on its original ABC run why the show hired so many new people and then did not use them during the final months. They even brought a few new people in for the 1840 storyline (for which I never cared).

I am speculating that the contracts of Louis Edmonds and David Henesey had lasped and expired. Kathryn Leigh Scott left the show (and has since said that if she had known that the show was going to end when it did that she would have remained for the final months). Denise Nickerson had also left the show. Michael Sroka had also eveidently left the show.

New people hired following the parallel time story included Kathleen Cody, Donna Wandrey, James Storm, Kate Jackson, Virginia Vestoff, Tom Happer, and Gene Lindsey. Also brought back to the show after absences were Clarice Blackburn (for at least one episode after she had played a character on The Secret Storm), Jerry Lacy (after he had played Simon on As the World Turns), Terry Crawford, and Humbert Allen Astredo.

I understand that the show nearly got Alexandra Moltke to return, but that did not happen. My guess is that she would have played the role that Lee Beery played.

I also understand that the show was bringing back Dianna Millay, but, before she was on, the cancellation came.

Then, after the storyline changed to 1849 Parallel Time, Ms. Wandrey, Mr. Storm, Ms. Vestoff, Mr. Happer, and Mr. Lindsey were not used. But the show hired another new actor, Keith Prentiss. (Mr. Astredo, Mr. Lacy, and Ms. Crawford were not used for that storyline.)

Ms. Vestoff was seen very briefly at the 1840 Parrallel Time storyline, but her character died.

I had never cared for the acting of Christopher Pennock until he was seen in 1840.

[Vee]

I know they'd apparently intended for Katie Scott to play Samantha before she quit. I think she would've done very well in the role - she was a much tougher, smarter actress than people at DS gave her credit for, and her early portrayal of Kitty Soames shows that side of her abilities. That being said, Virginia Vestoff was wonderful and had great chemistry with both her leading men.

I thought 1840 got off to a great start, but once they moved away from Gerard, Samantha, Quentin, etc. it loses a lot. They also were foolish to lose David Henesy - I vaguely remember that lunkhead they brought in to be the new teen heartthrob, who was on maybe two days. But I haven't seen any of this since I was a kid.

I don't remember any rumor about Alex Moltke returning for the 1840 storyline; I thought it was back in 1969. If there was another opportunity I'm not familiar with it. I haven't been anywhere near the DS fandom in over a decade.