Dark Shadows is an American Gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The series depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport, Maine, where a number of supernatural occurrences take place. It was created and executive-produced by Dan Curtis, and developed by Art Wallace. The ensemble cast featured Joan Bennett, Louis Edmonds, Denise Nickerson, Kathryn Leigh Scott, David Selby, Nancy Barrett, Thayer David, Clarice Blackburn, John Karlen, Jonathan Frid, Grayson Hall, Jerry Lacy and Lara Parker. Actors often portrayed multiple roles; as cast members came and went, some characters were played by more than one actor.
Initially framed as a mixture of family saga and gothic romance, the series introduced progressively more supernatural elements during its first year, culminating in the debut of the vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid), who quickly became Dark Shadows breakout character and main protagonist. The show would go on to feature ghosts, werewolves, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel, and parallel universes. Critics and scholars have credited the series with pioneering a more nuanced characterization of supernatural creatures that had previously been depicted as one-dimensional villains or inhuman monsters, and influencing subsequent horror and paranormal-themed TV shows.
During its initial run, Dark Shadows developed a large teenage audience and a dedicated cult following; by 1969, it had become ABC's highest-rated daytime series. The original network run of the show amassed 1,225 episodes over six seasons. The success of the series spawned a media franchise that has included two feature films (House of Dark Shadows in 1970 and Night of Dark Shadows in 1971), a 1991 TV remake, an unsprouted 2004 remake pilot, a 2012 film adaptation directed by Tim Burton, and several spin-off novels and comics. Since 2006, the series has continued as a range of audio dramas produced by Big Finish Productions, featuring members of the original cast including David Selby, Lara Parker, and Kathryn Leigh Scott.
TV Guides list of all-time Top Cult Shows ranked the series #19 in 2004,TV Guide's 25 Top Cult Shows — TannerWorld Junction TannerWorld Junction: May 26, 2004 and #23 in 2007.TV Guide Names the Top Cult Shows Ever — Today's News: Our Take TV Guide: June 29, 2007.
History Creator Dan Curtis claimed he had a dream in 1965 of a mysterious young woman on a train. The following day Curtis told his wife Norma Mae Curtis of the dream and pitched the idea as a TV series to ABC. Network officials greenlit production and Curtis began hiring crew members.
Art Wallace was hired to create a story from Curtis's dream sequence. Wallace wrote the story bible Shadows on the Wall, the proposed title for the show, later changed to Dark Shadows. Robert Costello was added as a line producer, and Curtis took on the creator and executive producer roles. Lela Swift, John Sedwick, and Henry Kaplan all agreed to be directors for the new series. Robert Cobert created the musical score and Sy Tomashoff designed the set.
Broadcast history Perhaps one of ABC's first truly popular daytime series, along with the game show Let's Make a Deal (which had moved from its original home NBC in 1968), Dark Shadows found its demographic niche in teenagers coming home from school in time to watch the show at 4 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Central, where it aired for almost all of its network run, the exception being a 15-month stretch between April 1967 and July 1968, when it aired a half-hour earlier. Originally, it was aired in black-and-white, but the show went into color starting with the episode broadcast on August 11, 1967. It became one of ABC's first daytime shows to win the rating for its timeslot, leading to the demise of NBC's original Match Game and Art Linkletter's long-running House Party on CBS, both in 1969.
Dark Shadows began with a 4.1 rating in the 1965–66 TV season, tying for thirteenth place out of eighteen daytime dramas. The audience figures only improved slightly, to 4.3, in 1966–67. 1966 was a volatile year for soaps, and many ended their runs between the premiere date of Dark Shadows in June and the month of December. By that time, six months had passed, and Dark Shadows had failed to gain major traction. In June, it ranked #13 out of 18 soaps, and by December, the lower-rated offerings were gone and the show officially ranked #13 out of 13 soaps. "The show was limping along, really limping", head writer Sam Hall remembered, "and ABC said, 'We're canceling it. Unless you pick up in 26 weeks, you're finished.' [Series creator Dan Curtis] had always wanted to do a vampire picture, so he decided to bring a vampire — Barnabas Collins — to the series."
Barnabas (Jonathan Frid) was introduced in April 1967. With a time slot change to 3:30 Eastern/2:30 Central, many more teenagers found the program. By May 1968, the series was still in last place (out of 12 offerings), but rose to a 7.3 rating, the rough equivalent of gaining the viewership of three million households in the span of one year. Dark Shadows returned to its 4 p.m. Eastern/3 p.m. Central time slot in July 1968, without losing much of its audience. One Life to Live, which was launched by ABC in July 1968 in the 3:30 slot, also sought to reach the newfound young demographic.
The series reached its peak in popularity during a storyline set in the year 1897, broadcast from March 1969. By the end of May, Dark Shadows was ABC's most popular soap opera, and by late 1969 it was reaching between 7 and 9 million viewers on any given day, and ranking 11th out of a total 15 daytime dramas in that time period.Leigh Scott, Kathryn (ed.) (2012). The Dark Shadows Companion: 25th Anniversary Collection. Pomegranate Press, 1990. pg. 151; .List of US daytime soap opera ratings#1960s
In November 1969, the 1897 storyline came to an end. With ratings at an all-time high, the writers were under pressure to hold the audience.Leigh Scott, Kathryn (ed.), The Dark Shadows Companion: 25th Anniversary Collection. Pomegranate Press, 1990. pg. 157; . Fans tended to dislike the portrayal of Barnabas as the pawn of some greater power in the next storyline, known as "The Leviathans". They were more interested in the archetypes of classic horror—the vampire, the witch, the werewolf—than in off-camera suggestion.Thompson, Jeff, The Television Horrors of Dan Curtis: "Dark Shadows," "The Night Stalker" and Other Productions, McFarland & Co Inc, 2009. pp. 65. . The launch of Somerset in March 1970, a much-publicized spin-off of NBC's Another World, also hurt the series considerably.
The release of the film House of Dark Shadows in October 1970 is also thought to have caused TV ratings to fall, possibly due to parents, attending the film with their children, discouraging their choice of television viewing material due to the amount of blood spilled on screen in the film.Leigh Scott, Kathyrn (ed.), The Dark Shadows Companion: 25th Anniversary Collection. Pomegranate Press, 1990. pp. 177. . Beginning in the fall of 1970, several ABC stations across the country dropped the show due to falling viewership. Within six months, ratings dropped from 7.3 to 5.3., though the ratings improved in its final weeks.Leigh Scott, Kathyrn; Jim Pierson (ed.), Dark Shadows Almanac. Pomegranate Press, 1995. pp. 104. . The series was canceled on April 2, 1971, and replaced the following Monday with a new version of the game show Password. The last minute of the final episode included a voiceover by actor Thayer David wrapping up many of the plotlines on the show.
The original cast reunited in 2003 for a special reunion play recorded for MPI, and in 2004 resumed production of Dark Shadows audio dramas for Big Finish. These dramas have been ongoing for 10 seasons.
Storylines
1966/7 Victoria Winters' Parentage, episode 1 to 97 Victoria Winters and her role as governess is inspired by title character in Charlotte Brontë's Gothic novel Jane Eyre.Leigh Scott, Kathryn; Jim Pierson (ed.), Dark Shadows Almanac. Pomegranate Press, 1995. pp. 134. .
Burke Devlin's Revenge For His Manslaughter Conviction, episode 1 to 201 Burke Devlin and his motivation for returning is reminiscent of Alexandre Dumas' novel The Count of Monte Cristo.In episode 28, Burke Devlin is seen reading this novel. It similarity to events is commented upon, i.e. a man returning to his home town to wreak revenge.
Roger Collins' Mysterious Car Crash, episode 13 to 32
The Murder of Bill Malloy, episode 46 to 126
Laura Collins the Phoenix, episode 123 to 194
Jason McGuire Blackmails Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, episode 193 to 276
The Arrival of the Vampire Barnabas Collins, episode 211 to 220 Elements of this storyline are inspired by the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker.
The Kidnapping of Maggie Evans, episode 221 to 261
Julia Hoffman's Attempt to Cure Barnabas, episode 288 to 351
Barnabas Terrorizing Julia Hoffman, episode 352 to 365
1795 Angelique Bouchard's Vampire Curse on Barnabas, episode 366 to 426
Victoria Winters's Witchcraft Trial, episode 400 to 461 The witchcraft trial involving Victoria Winters is inspired by Arthur Miller's play The Crucible. Reverend Trask's fate is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado."
Nathan Forbes' Manipulation of Millicent Collins, episode 419 to 460 Nathan Forbes's manipulation of Millicent Collins is reminiscent of the 1938 play and the 1944 film Gaslight.
1968/9 The Mystery of Jeff Clark, episode 461 to 665
The Creation of Adam, episode 466 to 636 The character of Adam is inspired by Mary Shelley's horror novel Frankenstein.
The Dream Curse, episode 477 to 548
Elizabeth's Fear of Being Buried Alive, episode 513 to 672 This storyline is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Premature Burial."
Nicholas Blair's Scheme to Create A Master Race, episode 549 to 633/634
Chris Jennings' Werewolf Curse, episode 627 to 700
The Ghosts of Quentin Collins and Beth Chavez Haunt Collinwood, episode 639 to 700 The character of Quentin Collins and his role is inspired by Peter Quint in Henry James's Gothic novel The Turn of the Screw.
1897 Barnabas’ Mission to Save David Collins, episode 700 to 839 The heartbeat that tortures Quentin is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Tell-Tale Heart."
Jenny Collins, the Mad Woman in the Attic, episode 707 to 748 Jenny Collins is inspired by the character of Bertha Mason from Charlotte Brontë's gothic novel Jane Eyre.
Laura Collins the Phoenix, episode 728 to 761 Worthington Hall and Gregory Trask's running of it is inspired by Charles Dickens's novel Nicholas Nickleby.
Magda Rakosi's Werewolf Curse on Quentin, episode 749 to 834 The portrait of Quentin Collins is inspired by Oscar Wilde's Gothic novel The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Gregory Trask's Manipulation of Judith Collins, episode 762 to 884 Gregory Trask's fate is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Cask of Amontillado". Minerva Trask's murder is inspired by The Manchurian Candidate.
The Hand of Count Petofi, episode 778 to 814 The hand of Count Andreas Petofi is inspired by William Fryer Harvey's short story "The Beast with Five Fingers". Quentin's torture is inspired by Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Pit and the Pendulum."
The Creation of Amanda Harris, episode 812 to 850 The theme of an artist's falling in love with his own creation who is brought to life by supernatural forces is reminiscent of the classic Greek myth of Pygmalion.
Josette's Return, episode 844 to 885
Count Petofi Body Swaps with Quentin, episode 849 to 883