| 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 depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport, Maine, where a number of supernatural occurrences take place.
This series became popular when vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) appeared ten months into its run. It would also feature ghosts, werewolves, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel, and a parallel universe. A small company of actors each played many roles; as actors came and went, some characters were played by more than one actor.
This soap opera was distinguished by its vividly melodramatic performances, atmospheric interiors, memorable storylines, numerous dramatic plot twists, adventurous music score, broad cosmos of characters, and heroic adventures. The original network run of the show lasted for nearly five years to amass 1,225 episodes. 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, a failed 2004 remake pilot, a 2012 film reboot directed by Tim Burton, and numerous spin-off novels.
TV Guide's list of all-time Top Cult Shows ranked the series #19 in 2004, and #23 in 2007.Since 2006, the series has continued as a range of audio dramas produced by Big Finish Productions, featuring such surviving members of the original cast as David Selby, Lara Parker, and Kathryn Leigh Scott. |
