I started doing a full watch of the series a few years ago, and I'm about halfway through. And your experience of the first 54 episodes is indicative of the whole series. Yes, the show changes. But one thing that remains the same is that you'll like some storylines more than other. And almost all of them take too long to tell. I especially got bogged down in the 1795 storyline. It starts great. But I struggled to get through the last chunk. On the other hand, this pace allows you really get invested in the characters. And the actors too. Who get to play multiple characters throughout the series. Still, "Dark Shadows" is a great show. And it's well worth the ups and downs of a full series watch.
Dude I thought I was the only one playing that drinking game! Take a sip every time someone says Burke Devlin, anytime Roger pours a brandy, and anytime someone messes up a line. So....so fun! The dude who plays Burke Devlin, Mitch Ryan...he's actually really good almost carries the show in certain episodes.
As you probably know, he was fired from the show after the first year. He had a major drinking problem, would arrive in the morning with a hangover, not knowing his lines. After he had attained sobriety, he admitted that back in those days he was so far gone, he could barely remember what the series was about.
I grew up watching Dark Shadows. It was on ABC and was on at 3:00. I was one of those who ran home to watch the show. I'm currently rewatching the series on Tubi.
Your Burke Devlin comment was hilarious! Just watched the first 4 episodes for the first time on Tubi, figuring, "I like soap operas, it's October and there's been a lot of reboots, so how bad could it be?" It's very creepy, very sloooooowwww, but entertaining.
Glad that you enjoy seeking out the classic TV Shows! The original "Supermarket Sweep" ran from 1965-1967 on the ABC Network, and was hosted by Bill Malone...It later got a "revamping" during the 1990's...Hope that helps a little, and have a terrific Tuesday! Let the good shows play on, and take care! Ms. Elizabeth 📺📼📀📺📼📀
@@samuraigeorge71 ....potential spoilers ahoy.... Makes you wonder if the show would have even stayed on if Dan Curtis had not introduced a mysterious vampire into the story. I understand that Barnabas made the show popular once he came on the scene ... and they also added a witch and mad doctor and time travel and werewolf and seances, etc.
@@2006bbbb1 Oh, I see, so the immortal blood-sucker with the pointy shards for bangs was something of a Hail Mary, to use a sports reference. Interesting. Curtis was fortunate that he had the chance and time to inject some life (albeit the undead, haha) into DS before the network became a serial killer. Sometimes a show is given the kibosh suddenly and has no opportunity for survival. And those are the worst puns I've ever done on a YT comment! 😆
Really enjoyed your take on these early episodes. I watched the mpi collection DVDs when as they came out years ago, and I’m currently rewatching them on streaming sites. One thing , I don’t believe they had teleprompters - when the actors looked off camera , I think they were just waiting for someone behind the scenes to whisper the next line. That’s the impression I got from the “master of dark shadows” documentary.
The strangest thing about Dark Shadows is the ending. The network basically told them, "Oh, BTW.. Your last day is Friday." Dan Curtis had a whole new seasons worth of material lined up, and it all got scrapped in favor of a voiceover narration.. It definitely deserved a better sendoff than it got.
We now know that Jonathan Frid was leaving the show. He did not want to play Barnabas anymore. He also would not agree to do the second Dark Shadows movie and Dan Curtis was upset that Jonathan would not do it. So it would have a completely different show, if had not been canceled.
As much as I love the post-Barnabas episodes when the show goes full on supernatural, the beginning has a lot of great stuff. I think it's important in making emotional connections with Collinsport as a whole bc once Barnabas comes in, the show forgets to really do that. Also there's an upcoming storyline that I actually like more than Barnabas's first story, don't wanna give spoilers though.
Oh and also wanted to add I love that you're doing these reviews, too few people are even willing to give it a shot (for many understandable reasons). Excited for you to get to post-400ish
Believe it or not I've never seen an episode of Dark Shadows as it wasn't broadcasted where I lived! I knew about it because of Fangoria but besides that I knew nothing about it. Well from what I've heard it's a soap opera with some suspense. I would've liked to see a few chapters just out of curiosity only. Thanks for your review of the beginning of the series and cool video Heath!👍
Unfortunately, Mitch Ryan who played Burke Devlin passed away just a few months ago. I'm an original 1960s running home from school to see Dark Shadows kid. Sometime in the late 90s when the Sci-Fi channel started rebroadcasting Dark Shadows I discovered the pre Barnabas episodes for the first time. For the sake of keeping this short, Burke Devlin and that entire storyline I found to be fantastic and overshadowed the whole Barnabas and Gothic horror Story lines. Don't get me wrong I loved the whole series but to me, the very first pre Barnabas episode where Bert Devlin appears at the train station all the way until Mitch Ryan left the show, those were the absolute best of the series!
I’m glad I came upon your comment, even if a year late. I too prefer the b&w gothic suspense episodes to the full-throttle horror, color episodes. I don’t dislike the latter, but even as a teenager watching the series after school in the ‘60s, I thought a lot of the horror was a bit hokey. It never stopped me from watching, however. I’m currently watching the entire series on Prime and find I appreciate it more now than I did as a teenager. I also feel a bit of sadness, knowing how many of the cast are now deceased. Too bad that some in the cast (like Joel Crothers, Grayson Hall, and David Ford) never lived long enough to experience the series’ newfound popularity when it started being shown in reruns.
Preface this by saying I was an original fan of the show in the 1960's and I would "run home to watch Dark Shadows" as cliched as that sounds. Dark Shadows originally aired at 3:30PM EST, but because it was getting popular with school kids, and these kids asked for it to be put on at a later time, it was moved to 4:00PM EST. The announcer on Dark Shadows was not Gary Owens, by the way, it was an ABC announcer Bob Lloyd, but only for the first year or so. Have you gotten to the announcer plugging "Where the Action Is". It was a teen music show which Paul Revere and the Raiders appeared on, among others. I'm sure you just misspoke, but the house is called Collinwood, with no "s" in it. Even some of the actors messed up the house, mostly by adding a "g" calling it Collingwood! I am so glad you are going on the full Dark Shadows journey and are sharing it with us. We I was a kid I never noticed the goof ups. It was a lovely escape into another world, away from the insanity of the world. Jonathan Frid once referred to it as its own world, like Brigadoon. I think that is why it is a timeless show and stands up well even today.
I'm just starting the second case 54-105 episodes. You're right , they were trying to find there footing going along with the other soap operas at the time. I'm thinking they wanted to do something along line of stuff happens in the shadows and as the production went on someone said, let's try this and see what happens.
My husband and I laughed so hard at the first chunk of episodes. We were like "is she ever going to make it from the front door to the library door" lmfao NOTHING HAPPENS lol (If you know, you know) Barnabas doesn't come in until later. (Edited bc I had the episode number and you might categorize that as a spoiler) I can't stop laughing bc you are 100000% correct... my husband and I "Burke Devlin'd" for a while after watching it.
Literally nothing happens! I'm on episode 78 and absolutely nothing has happened so far. There's been a lot of talking, but almost no development or progress. It feels like they're making it up as they go. It's not unenjoyable, but it is a bit frustrating.
@@CerealAtMidnight So years ago....like the late 90s, I took my mom (who is the reason that I am a fan bc she grew up with it) to a DARK SHADOWS CONVENTION in NYC. Now this was back before conventions were more main stream and considered cool.. There were no hot girls dressed up and cosplaying....no corporate sponsors or networks. It was a REAL con...dirty, smelly, full of actual fans (not people wanting an IG moment or FOMO)...serious geek stuff. I miss those to be honest. This con was so ........🌟 special 🌟. Everyone who was still alive from the cast was there. There were panels. The fans were DEDICATED to each and EVERY moment in the episodes (which, as you know, aren't exactly action packed lol). Imagine panel doscussions about the episodes that you have already seen. PASSIONATE and heated discussions about.....those episodes. It was glorious in its fan love and its absurdity. We loved it. The thing we noticed was that there were A LOT of people who were EXTREMELY disabled. I am not saying this for any other reason than that it was a staggeringly noticeable amount. When at least 50% (or more) of a crowd is in the kind of assistance chair that has the additional air compressor for breathing, or some other specific assistance, it stands out. We had two takes on it. One was a loving joke at the expense of Dark Shadows as a show, and one was a real observation. 1. The joke: It occurred to us that maybe this demographic of the fandom watched the show and became fans simply because it wasn't easy for them to get to the tv to change the channel (it being on in the late 60s there would be a turn dial and no remote). So, they just figured they may as well get into the show! (I am not AT ALL making fun of anyone in this situation,..... joking that they just ended up fans by default bc of inconvenience......because those pre-Barnabas episodes are DRY....hilariously so in my opinion.) 2. Our REAL observation: Since the show was on daily, and since it was/is sort of slice of life (albeit gothic) , maybe it actually filled a need, in that it gave a slow paced "feel like you are there" kind of vibe for people who otherwise couldn't be out and social easily. It is SO "slice if life", that if you were constrained by physical limitations, it could provide you a sort of fantasy escape... on a day to day basis...like visiting a friend one day and then picking up the conversation the next day. Maybe it was a REALLY important show for people who couldn't got out easily, bc it offered a kind of day to day, substitute,. in the way that all soaps do., because to be a fan is a daily COMMITMENT, so by default you would either have to be a kid after school (like my mom), or someone who had a non-traditional job/daily schedule/pattern. It was an interesting observation and I still think about it today. Most of us love our tv/movie pop culture hobby, but also have other things that we like to go out and do....but what if all you *can* do is watch something, if all you have is your ability to observe.....then it becomes that much more important to you. So either way (unable to change the channel, or important social fantasy escape) it made me think outside of myself, and put myself in someone else's shoes.....and I wasn't expecting THAT kind of empathic revelation from a Dark Shadows convention! Lol
Well this is just great, and very astutely observed. I know exactly what you're talking about, and I notice that a significant portion of my own audience is disabled, which may explain why they're such fans of movies and TV in the first place. A good reminder for all of us. Also, I still don't miss Con Funk, but maybe one day!
@@CerealAtMidnight Well it's not the *funk* that I miss lol....just the more raw, organic fan-driven style of con, as opposed to the glossy corporate version.
I was 10 living in the Boston area watching Star Trek and Dark Shadows loving both. This Soap Opera is working...let's add a werewolf, a vampire and a witch( I love me some Angelique 😍) Who does'nt love that creepy opening theme music
I chuckled while watching this because I was there. When that book flipped on its own, I think I cried out. At this rate, you'll overtake me because in the pre-Barnabas episodes, I'm only one box ahead of you (though I'm deep in the Barnabas years too). One warning without spoiling: the show really was finding its footing and sometimes they just dropped story lines. So one of the mysteries you've encountered is just going to peter out without a real conclusion. Others will be wrapped up ad nauseam. But it really is addicting. That's why I got the coffin set while it was still MSRP. I got hooked from Instant Netflix and "had to" buy it for the rest of the story.
That abrupt storyline resolves will happen throughout the series. Eventually the show will become novella like with a contained number of episodes. When storylines are transitioning the resolutions can get very messy. But I loved all of it.
It's true. When I was on a run of watching and wanted to take a break, I often thought "when this story line is finished, I'll break," but of course (like all soap operas and comic books) as story A wraps, subplot B takes front and center and ends with a cliff hanger and you're hooked again.
I remember when the "coffin" set first came out: I died from sticker shock and decided to wait to get it, and...here we are, and I still haven't gotten it. It was in excess of 400 USD, I believe, and that's a big investment when all I've watched thus far is eps 1-40.
Don't allow the non-supernatural aspect of the early episodes throw you off too much. The mystery of why Elizabeth Stoddard never left the house is, to me, one of the best shocks in the show. There are more supernatural things besides ghosts that show up before Barnabas. Trivia: The "second painter" actor David Ford was married to the actress that played Carolyn.
My wife and I started watching the show from the very very beginning; OMG, you have a while to go before Barnabas shows up (LOL). Yeah, in the beginning you are getting more Old Gothic Mystery in the vein of REBECCA or DRAGONWYCK or JANE EYRE. It doesn't help that the 'seasons' here are soap seasons, you you have tons of episodes; the grand total for the show is well over 1000. Since you tend towards the movie classics, I'm sure you'll recognize Joan Bennett, the WOMAN IN THE WINDOW (w/ Edward G Robinson). I always refer to young David as The Omen. The real fun is In watching Roger and his perpetual irascible behavior, as often as not with a drink in his hand. Pretty sure you will have a great time with these, but don't be in hurry for anything to happen, as you have clearly noticed. But double that for the arrival of Barnabas.
Part of the charm of this show is its clunky style that's often rife with boo-boos and flubs that remain in the version that was broadcast. It's fascinating how fast they taped episodes. It was done almost live, with re-takes being something very rare, apparently. It was rushed, so it suffered. (An actress accidentally drops the phone prop? Keep going.) And that's a shame because it could have been better. I feel for actors who have to work in circumstances like this; I imagine there weren't many rehearsal or blocking opportunities, and that cue cards where always required. RUclips is a font of goodies for DS fans. Loads of videos are available that collect bloopers and mishaps, or fan favorite moments. If you want to see Barnabas tell another character about "my cousin, Uncle Jeremiah" then YT is the place. Also, there are videos of the show's cool music soundtrack available too, by Bob Cobert ... the eerie score as well as tunes like "Number One at The Blue Whale". I've noticed that Pluto TV has a DS channel, at least in my neck of the woods. I like that app because it has few commercials. Oh, and "The Beginning" _aka Pre-Vampire story_ is free on Prime; the rest can be rented or bought, and is on Freevee (formerly IMDbTV) which seems to have become a Pluto TV wannabe in look and selection.
The first time I started to watch this was when it was on Netflix and the first episode was the introduction of Barnabas. I was so confused at first cuz It felt like I had missed something. Turns out I has missed 209 episodes lol So i went back and found those episodes It was a slight shock but it was worth it. Though it did make me loath the Tim Burton movie even more.
The Tim Burton movie is such a slap in the face of the show and its fans. Tone deaf and ironic. Yet another TV show adapted into a movie which feels as if nobody involved ever saw the original.
@@CerealAtMidnight What's sad is that everyone involved said they were fans of the show. I would love to see a modern retelling of the show but I dont think its ever gonna happen.
Burton missed a good opportunity to either make a straight-up atmospheric, scary melodrama based on some story elements in the original series, or to do a wacky comedy in the vein of the movie "Noises Off" ... about the *making* of the show and how fast they'd tape it.
@@hailhydra2296 The 1991 network miniseries ("The Revival") was cool to look at. Watched it in the 2000s. I don't know how fans reacted to it in '91. I am a casual Dark Shadows admirer at best. I can't seem to find "The Revival" on a streaming platform. And the DVD may be OOP.
Once Barnabas comes in the show just comes alive. Johnathan Frid is amazing. If you like it at all now just wait, man it gets crazy and so much fun. As you can tell from my you tube name this is my favorite show of all time. Please follow up after you get into Barnabas
@@JB-hl1qx I would start with Barnabas coming in episode 200 I believe. The older ones before him were ok but the show was close to being cancelled when Dan Curtis said I'll bring in a vampire and the show blew up and became a huge success from there.
So far, mostly just Joan Bennett. Burke Devlin is played by character actor Mitchell Ryan, who TV fans will recognize from many other projects like Dharma and Greg. MacGuyver actor Dana Elcar just popped up in episode 55 as a cop!
Joan Bennett (1940s Hollywood actress who played the lead role of Elizabeth Stoddard) and Jonathan Frid (who played Barnabas Collins) were the two biggest stars of the series, but they were IMO the least professional members of the entire cast, mainly because they constantly blew their lines in a way that was distracting and annoying. There were other cast members who NEVER blew their lines (including the series' two child actors) mainly because they took their jobs seriously. BTW, I always wondered how Elizabeth Stoddard still had any teeth left since she hadn't left the house to see a dentist in 18 years. My favorite cast member will always be Louis Edmonds, who played Elizabeth Stoddard's brother Roger Collins. I always loved his flamboyant, almost campy acting style. Incidentally, the mystery of Victoria Winters' parentage was never resolved by the end of the series, which is strange since it was the main plot driver in the early episodes. There have been some excellent books written about the series over the years. I collected them all.
Not sure that is totally fair. The two you mention are stage actors and would have been used to being given months to remember their lines and multiple rehearsals to boot. TV soap would have been a shock to them as they probably got scripts a few days before and zero rehearsal time. Where as the others were probably in their comfort zone. So it's not really a fair comparison in my opinion. Also, people in theatre land probably do fluff their lines often - it's never captured on video though as every night is different.
@@tinblueGood response. A play often is in rehearsal for six weeks, then it’s basically the same thing night after night. On soap operas, it’s a new script each day, usually only a day to rehearse, and the show is taped on the same day. Budget and time don’t allow multiple takes if an actor blows a line, unlike movies or primetime TV, where multiple takes can be done.
I'm stalled out at episode 94. I need to get back into it, but it's like the Burke Devlin show, not Dark Shadows. Now I know why people told me to start with the first Barnabas episode!
The show was dreadful till the spooky 👻 stuff and Barnabas Collins came in. The first season was on the verge of being canceled when they came up with the idea to bring in the supernatural and that saved the show. Also there was a Dark Shadows documentary on Tubi TV that explains a whole lot. The Gulf War killed the 90's reboot cause it kept interrupting the show, so they canceled it!
![Quando Rondo - Life Goes On [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/eIf3fhMXAow/mqdefault.jpg)
I started doing a full watch of the series a few years ago, and I'm about halfway through. And your experience of the first 54 episodes is indicative of the whole series. Yes, the show changes. But one thing that remains the same is that you'll like some storylines more than other. And almost all of them take too long to tell. I especially got bogged down in the 1795 storyline. It starts great. But I struggled to get through the last chunk. On the other hand, this pace allows you really get invested in the characters. And the actors too. Who get to play multiple characters throughout the series. Still, "Dark Shadows" is a great show. And it's well worth the ups and downs of a full series watch.
Dude I thought I was the only one playing that drinking game! Take a sip every time someone says Burke Devlin, anytime Roger pours a brandy, and anytime someone messes up a line. So....so fun! The dude who plays Burke Devlin, Mitch Ryan...he's actually really good almost carries the show in certain episodes.
As you probably know, he was fired from the show after the first year. He had a major drinking problem, would arrive in the morning with a hangover, not knowing his lines. After he had attained sobriety, he admitted that back in those days he was so far gone, he could barely remember what the series was about.
I grew up watching Dark Shadows. It was on ABC and was on at 3:00. I was one of those who ran home to watch the show. I'm currently rewatching the series on Tubi.
Your Burke Devlin comment was hilarious! Just watched the first 4 episodes for the first time on Tubi, figuring, "I like soap operas, it's October and there's been a lot of reboots, so how bad could it be?" It's very creepy, very sloooooowwww, but entertaining.
Glad that you enjoy seeking out the classic TV Shows! The original "Supermarket Sweep" ran from 1965-1967 on the ABC Network, and was hosted by Bill Malone...It later got a "revamping" during the 1990's...Hope that helps a little, and have a terrific Tuesday! Let the good shows play on, and take care! Ms. Elizabeth 📺📼📀📺📼📀
Glad you're enjoying it!
I have that coffin set and I love it! Just wait until Barnabas Collins makes an appearance, that's when the action starts.
The show was good before that scene but the show became a hit after adding the vampire. I'm still mad they fired Mitchell Ryan though.
@@samuraigeorge71 ....potential spoilers ahoy....
Makes you wonder if the show would have even stayed on if Dan Curtis had not introduced a mysterious vampire into the story. I understand that Barnabas made the show popular once he came on the scene ... and they also added a witch and mad doctor and time travel and werewolf and seances, etc.
@@eduardo_corrochio Dark Shadows was going to be canceled. That is why Dan Curtis went for the Barnabas Collins arc.
@@2006bbbb1 Oh, I see, so the immortal blood-sucker with the pointy shards for bangs was something of a Hail Mary, to use a sports reference. Interesting. Curtis was fortunate that he had the chance and time to inject some life (albeit the undead, haha) into DS before the network became a serial killer. Sometimes a show is given the kibosh suddenly and has no opportunity for survival.
And those are the worst puns I've ever done on a YT comment! 😆
@@samuraigeorge71interesting, why was he fired?
Really enjoyed your take on these early episodes. I watched the mpi collection DVDs when as they came out years ago, and I’m currently rewatching them on streaming sites. One thing , I don’t believe they had teleprompters - when the actors looked off camera , I think they were just waiting for someone behind the scenes to whisper the next line. That’s the impression I got from the “master of dark shadows” documentary.
The strangest thing about Dark Shadows is the ending. The network basically told them, "Oh, BTW.. Your last day is Friday." Dan Curtis had a whole new seasons worth of material lined up, and it all got scrapped in favor of a voiceover narration..
It definitely deserved a better sendoff than it got.
We now know that Jonathan Frid was leaving the show. He did not want to play Barnabas anymore. He also would not agree to do the second Dark Shadows movie and Dan Curtis was upset that Jonathan would not do it. So it would have a completely different show, if had not been canceled.
Watched some dark shadows re-runs in 90s and was always great fun.
I remember it came on the Sci-Fi channel around that time, but I never watched it. I'd like to check it out now.
As much as I love the post-Barnabas episodes when the show goes full on supernatural, the beginning has a lot of great stuff. I think it's important in making emotional connections with Collinsport as a whole bc once Barnabas comes in, the show forgets to really do that. Also there's an upcoming storyline that I actually like more than Barnabas's first story, don't wanna give spoilers though.
Oh and also wanted to add I love that you're doing these reviews, too few people are even willing to give it a shot (for many understandable reasons). Excited for you to get to post-400ish
Gary Owens is well known for his voice acting as Space Ghost for the Hanna Barbera animated tv series Space Ghost.
Believe it or not I've never seen an episode of Dark Shadows as it wasn't broadcasted where I lived! I knew about it because of Fangoria but besides that I knew nothing about it. Well from what I've heard it's a soap opera with some suspense. I would've liked to see a few chapters just out of curiosity only. Thanks for your review of the beginning of the series and cool video Heath!👍
I just got Nash bridges complete on DVD 📀 such good writing. And filmed on location. Rarely seen in today's market. 🎥
That Packaging and artwork 🔥🔥
"I'd like to see more dead bodies" ...got me🤣🤣
Unfortunately, Mitch Ryan who played Burke Devlin passed away just a few months ago. I'm an original 1960s running home from school to see Dark Shadows kid. Sometime in the late 90s when the Sci-Fi channel started rebroadcasting Dark Shadows I discovered the pre Barnabas episodes for the first time. For the sake of keeping this short, Burke Devlin and that entire storyline I found to be fantastic and overshadowed the whole Barnabas and Gothic horror Story lines. Don't get me wrong I loved the whole series but to me, the very first pre Barnabas episode where Bert Devlin appears at the train station all the way until Mitch Ryan left the show, those were the absolute best of the series!
I’m glad I came upon your comment, even if a year late. I too prefer the b&w gothic suspense episodes to the full-throttle horror, color episodes. I don’t dislike the latter, but even as a teenager watching the series after school in the ‘60s, I thought a lot of the horror was a bit hokey. It never stopped me from watching, however. I’m currently watching the entire series on Prime and find I appreciate it more now than I did as a teenager. I also feel a bit of sadness, knowing how many of the cast are now deceased. Too bad that some in the cast (like Joel Crothers, Grayson Hall, and David Ford) never lived long enough to experience the series’ newfound popularity when it started being shown in reruns.
Preface this by saying I was an original fan of the show in the 1960's and I would "run home to watch Dark Shadows" as cliched as that sounds. Dark Shadows originally aired at 3:30PM EST, but because it was getting popular with school kids, and these kids asked for it to be put on at a later time, it was moved to 4:00PM EST.
The announcer on Dark Shadows was not Gary Owens, by the way, it was an ABC announcer Bob Lloyd, but only for the first year or so. Have you gotten to the announcer plugging "Where the Action Is". It was a teen music show which Paul Revere and the Raiders appeared on, among others.
I'm sure you just misspoke, but the house is called Collinwood, with no "s" in it. Even some of the actors messed up the house, mostly by adding a "g" calling it Collingwood! I am so glad you are going on the full Dark Shadows journey and are sharing it with us. We I was a kid I never noticed the goof ups. It was a lovely escape into another world, away from the insanity of the world. Jonathan Frid once referred to it as its own world, like Brigadoon. I think that is why it is a timeless show and stands up well even today.
I'm just starting the second case 54-105 episodes. You're right , they were trying to find there footing going along with the other soap operas at the time. I'm thinking they wanted to do something along line of stuff happens in the shadows and as the production went on someone said, let's try this and see what happens.
My husband and I laughed so hard at the first chunk of episodes. We were like "is she ever going to make it from the front door to the library door" lmfao
NOTHING HAPPENS lol
(If you know, you know)
Barnabas doesn't come in until later. (Edited bc I had the episode number and you might categorize that as a spoiler)
I can't stop laughing bc you are 100000% correct... my husband and I "Burke Devlin'd" for a while after watching it.
Literally nothing happens! I'm on episode 78 and absolutely nothing has happened so far. There's been a lot of talking, but almost no development or progress. It feels like they're making it up as they go. It's not unenjoyable, but it is a bit frustrating.
@@CerealAtMidnight So years ago....like the late 90s, I took my mom (who is the reason that I am a fan bc she grew up with it) to a DARK SHADOWS CONVENTION in NYC. Now this was back before conventions were more main stream and considered cool.. There were no hot girls dressed up and cosplaying....no corporate sponsors or networks. It was a REAL con...dirty, smelly, full of actual fans (not people wanting an IG moment or FOMO)...serious geek stuff. I miss those to be honest.
This con was so ........🌟 special 🌟.
Everyone who was still alive from the cast was there. There were panels. The fans were DEDICATED to each and EVERY moment in the episodes (which, as you know, aren't exactly action packed lol).
Imagine panel doscussions about the episodes that you have already seen. PASSIONATE and heated discussions about.....those episodes. It was glorious in its fan love and its absurdity. We loved it.
The thing we noticed was that there were A LOT of people who were EXTREMELY disabled. I am not saying this for any other reason than that it was a staggeringly noticeable amount. When at least 50% (or more) of a crowd is in the kind of assistance chair that has the additional air compressor for breathing, or some other specific assistance, it stands out.
We had two takes on it. One was a loving joke at the expense of Dark Shadows as a show, and one was a real observation.
1. The joke: It occurred to us that maybe this demographic of the fandom watched the show and became fans simply because it wasn't easy for them to get to the tv to change the channel (it being on in the late 60s there would be a turn dial and no remote). So, they just figured they may as well get into the show!
(I am not AT ALL making fun of anyone in this situation,..... joking that they just ended up fans by default bc of inconvenience......because those pre-Barnabas episodes are DRY....hilariously so in my opinion.)
2. Our REAL observation: Since the show was on daily, and since it was/is sort of slice of life (albeit gothic) , maybe it actually filled a need, in that it gave a slow paced "feel like you are there" kind of vibe for people who otherwise couldn't be out and social easily.
It is SO "slice if life", that if you were constrained by physical limitations, it could provide you a sort of fantasy escape... on a day to day basis...like visiting a friend one day and then picking up the conversation the next day. Maybe it was a REALLY important show for people who couldn't got out easily, bc it offered a kind of day to day, substitute,. in the way that all soaps do., because to be a fan is a daily COMMITMENT, so by default you would either have to be a kid after school (like my mom), or someone who had a non-traditional job/daily schedule/pattern.
It was an interesting observation and I still think about it today. Most of us love our tv/movie pop culture hobby, but also have other things that we like to go out and do....but what if all you *can* do is watch something, if all you have is your ability to observe.....then it becomes that much more important to you.
So either way (unable to change the channel, or important social fantasy escape) it made me think outside of myself, and put myself in someone else's shoes.....and I wasn't expecting THAT kind of empathic revelation from a Dark Shadows convention! Lol
Well this is just great, and very astutely observed. I know exactly what you're talking about, and I notice that a significant portion of my own audience is disabled, which may explain why they're such fans of movies and TV in the first place. A good reminder for all of us.
Also, I still don't miss Con Funk, but maybe one day!
@@CerealAtMidnight Well it's not the *funk* that I miss lol....just the more raw, organic fan-driven style of con, as opposed to the glossy corporate version.
@@CerealAtMidnight dont worry it really picks up from episode 123 and its got lots of supernatural from there.
And a brilliant storyline.
Part 2 review yet?
It gets so good when Laura Collins arrives.
Not yet! I'm on episode 82, I think. I slowed down because it really feels like nothing is happening.
@@CerealAtMidnight try persevere youre so close to when it starts getting exciting on episode 123.
@@CerealAtMidnight there's also a good storyline involving Matthew in the early 100s episodes.
Loving the Burke Devlin drinking game...
Howtallheisheburkedevilindianekiley
I was 10 living in the Boston area watching Star Trek and Dark Shadows loving both. This Soap Opera is working...let's add a werewolf, a vampire and a witch( I love me some Angelique 😍) Who does'nt love that creepy opening theme music
I started streaming this one because I need to know if I'm going to enjoy it before investing quite that much money.
1,225 episodes, wowzers
I chuckled while watching this because I was there. When that book flipped on its own, I think I cried out. At this rate, you'll overtake me because in the pre-Barnabas episodes, I'm only one box ahead of you (though I'm deep in the Barnabas years too). One warning without spoiling: the show really was finding its footing and sometimes they just dropped story lines. So one of the mysteries you've encountered is just going to peter out without a real conclusion. Others will be wrapped up ad nauseam. But it really is addicting. That's why I got the coffin set while it was still MSRP. I got hooked from Instant Netflix and "had to" buy it for the rest of the story.
That abrupt storyline resolves will happen throughout the series. Eventually the show will become novella like with a contained number of episodes. When storylines are transitioning the resolutions can get very messy. But I loved all of it.
It's true. When I was on a run of watching and wanted to take a break, I often thought "when this story line is finished, I'll break," but of course (like all soap operas and comic books) as story A wraps, subplot B takes front and center and ends with a cliff hanger and you're hooked again.
It's a show I've wanted to dive into but it has alot of episodes and deep hole to dive into.
I remember when the "coffin" set first came out: I died from sticker shock and decided to wait to get it, and...here we are, and I still haven't gotten it. It was in excess of 400 USD, I believe, and that's a big investment when all I've watched thus far is eps 1-40.
I'm just here for a Burke Devlin discussion. Barnabas who?
Don't allow the non-supernatural aspect of the early episodes throw you off too much. The mystery of why Elizabeth Stoddard never left the house is, to me, one of the best shocks in the show. There are more supernatural things besides ghosts that show up before Barnabas. Trivia: The "second painter" actor David Ford was married to the actress that played Carolyn.
When do you find out about Elizabeth's reason to stay in the house?
Im up to episode 90.
@@dollyrawlins5470 270
My wife and I started watching the show from the very very beginning; OMG, you have a while to go before Barnabas shows up (LOL). Yeah, in the beginning you are getting more Old Gothic Mystery in the vein of REBECCA or DRAGONWYCK or JANE EYRE. It doesn't help that the 'seasons' here are soap seasons, you you have tons of episodes; the grand total for the show is well over 1000.
Since you tend towards the movie classics, I'm sure you'll recognize Joan Bennett, the WOMAN IN THE WINDOW (w/ Edward G Robinson). I always refer to young David as The Omen. The real fun is In watching Roger and his perpetual irascible behavior, as often as not with a drink in his hand.
Pretty sure you will have a great time with these, but don't be in hurry for anything to happen, as you have clearly noticed. But double that for the arrival of Barnabas.
Part of the charm of this show is its clunky style that's often rife with boo-boos and flubs that remain in the version that was broadcast. It's fascinating how fast they taped episodes. It was done almost live, with re-takes being something very rare, apparently. It was rushed, so it suffered. (An actress accidentally drops the phone prop? Keep going.) And that's a shame because it could have been better. I feel for actors who have to work in circumstances like this; I imagine there weren't many rehearsal or blocking opportunities, and that cue cards where always required.
RUclips is a font of goodies for DS fans. Loads of videos are available that collect bloopers and mishaps, or fan favorite moments. If you want to see Barnabas tell another character about "my cousin, Uncle Jeremiah" then YT is the place. Also, there are videos of the show's cool music soundtrack available too, by Bob Cobert ... the eerie score as well as tunes like "Number One at The Blue Whale".
I've noticed that Pluto TV has a DS channel, at least in my neck of the woods. I like that app because it has few commercials. Oh, and "The Beginning" _aka Pre-Vampire story_ is free on Prime; the rest can be rented or bought, and is on Freevee (formerly IMDbTV) which seems to have become a Pluto TV wannabe in look and selection.
The first time I started to watch this was when it was on Netflix and the first episode was the introduction of Barnabas. I was so confused at first cuz It felt like I had missed something. Turns out I has missed 209 episodes lol So i went back and found those episodes It was a slight shock but it was worth it. Though it did make me loath the Tim Burton movie even more.
Tim Burton movie was an epic fail... it put the nail in the coffin of the franchise, so to speak.
The Tim Burton movie is such a slap in the face of the show and its fans. Tone deaf and ironic. Yet another TV show adapted into a movie which feels as if nobody involved ever saw the original.
@@CerealAtMidnight What's sad is that everyone involved said they were fans of the show. I would love to see a modern retelling of the show but I dont think its ever gonna happen.
Burton missed a good opportunity to either make a straight-up atmospheric, scary melodrama based on some story elements in the original series, or to do a wacky comedy in the vein of the movie "Noises Off" ... about the *making* of the show and how fast they'd tape it.
@@hailhydra2296 The 1991 network miniseries ("The Revival") was cool to look at. Watched it in the 2000s. I don't know how fans reacted to it in '91. I am a casual Dark Shadows admirer at best.
I can't seem to find "The Revival" on a streaming platform. And the DVD may be OOP.
As of late 2022, where can one stream the whole show?
Answering in May ‘24, but the entire series, beginning with the first episode broadcast on 6/27/66, is available on Amazon Prime.
Once Barnabas comes in the show just comes alive. Johnathan Frid is amazing. If you like it at all now just wait, man it gets crazy and so much fun. As you can tell from my you tube name this is my favorite show of all time. Please follow up after you get into Barnabas
Do you recommend starting the show from scratch or when Barnabas shows up ?
@@JB-hl1qx I would start with Barnabas coming in episode 200 I believe. The older ones before him were ok but the show was close to being cancelled when Dan Curtis said I'll bring in a vampire and the show blew up and became a huge success from there.
Fun overview. Are there any actors of note in the series so far?
So far, mostly just Joan Bennett. Burke Devlin is played by character actor Mitchell Ryan, who TV fans will recognize from many other projects like Dharma and Greg. MacGuyver actor Dana Elcar just popped up in episode 55 as a cop!
@@CerealAtMidnight Joan Bennett is pretty cool. Mitchell Ryan was in a lot of tv over the decades.
@@SnakeNel Joan Bennett was part of the faculty in the colorful 1977 giallo style thriller Suspiria.
@@CerealAtMidnight Mitchell Ryan just passed away two months ago at the age of 88!
So what's happened to part 2?
I took a break because I got tired of nothing happening! I'm stalled out around episode 92, but part 2 will happen eventually.
Joan Bennett (1940s Hollywood actress who played the lead role of Elizabeth Stoddard) and Jonathan Frid (who played Barnabas Collins) were the two biggest stars of the series, but they were IMO the least professional members of the entire cast, mainly because they constantly blew their lines in a way that was distracting and annoying. There were other cast members who NEVER blew their lines (including the series' two child actors) mainly because they took their jobs seriously. BTW, I always wondered how Elizabeth Stoddard still had any teeth left since she hadn't left the house to see a dentist in 18 years. My favorite cast member will always be Louis Edmonds, who played Elizabeth Stoddard's brother Roger Collins. I always loved his flamboyant, almost campy acting style. Incidentally, the mystery of Victoria Winters' parentage was never resolved by the end of the series, which is strange since it was the main plot driver in the early episodes. There have been some excellent books written about the series over the years. I collected them all.
Not sure that is totally fair. The two you mention are stage actors and would have been used to being given months to remember their lines and multiple rehearsals to boot. TV soap would have been a shock to them as they probably got scripts a few days before and zero rehearsal time. Where as the others were probably in their comfort zone. So it's not really a fair comparison in my opinion. Also, people in theatre land probably do fluff their lines often - it's never captured on video though as every night is different.
@@tinblueGood response. A play often is in rehearsal for six weeks, then it’s basically the same thing night after night. On soap operas, it’s a new script each day, usually only a day to rehearse, and the show is taped on the same day. Budget and time don’t allow multiple takes if an actor blows a line, unlike movies or primetime TV, where multiple takes can be done.
Where’s part 2 it’s been over a year
I'm stalled out at episode 94. I need to get back into it, but it's like the Burke Devlin show, not Dark Shadows. Now I know why people told me to start with the first Barnabas episode!
The show was dreadful till the spooky 👻 stuff and Barnabas Collins came in. The first season was on the verge of being canceled when they came up with the idea to bring in the supernatural and that saved the show. Also there was a Dark Shadows documentary on Tubi TV that explains a whole lot. The Gulf War killed the 90's reboot cause it kept interrupting the show, so they canceled it!
Burke Devlin and his cousin Ben Traymer. 😅😂