Dark Shadows premiered this day June 27, 1966

The first year or so was actually not all that mysterious and spooky, but more like a regular soap opera.

I had such a crush on Dirk.

I didn't watch, of course, as I hadn't been born. But I have watched those early episodes, I wouldn't agree with R1, that it was like a regular soap, it was still Gothic and mysterious, just not the fantasy campfest that it would become. But, I wish I had a hundred dollars for every time Alexandra Moltke, said "I am Victoria Winters" during those early episodes.

I loved the first year of Dark Shadows. Very film noir. But I also loved when Laura the Phoenix from Phoenix showed up. That's when all hell broke loose, but it was so damned good.

Yes, I did. I turned 14 that summer and prior to Dark Shadows I'd been watching ABC's youth-oriented soap, Never Too Young, which was canceled. I watched DS from the first episode to the last, when I was in my first year of college.

Recently discovered that the entire series, including the first, Barnabas-free, year, is available on Amazon Prime. I've been binge-watching it and actually really enjoying it. Jonathan Frid is a really shitty actor, though - he blows his lines more than everyone else on the show put together, and he's pretty hard to look at, too. Can't fathom how he became a teen idol.

I was just a little kid, and forbidden from watching it.

So, of course, we'd sneak it at a friends house.

R5 it’s interesting to watch Frid in films where they have more rehearsal and retakes. His and everyone else’s acting appears so much better. Watch Grayson Hall in Night of the Iguana. She was nominated for an Oscar for that. Her acting Julia on Dark Shadows is so bad.

I loved her as Magda!

The show was in danger of being cancelled until they added a vampire to the mix, the unforgettable Barnabas Collins, the reluctant vampire. Jonathan Frid really didn't like playing a vampire, which enhanced his performance. With the appearance of Barnabas the show became a sensation and is a cult favorite to this day. The show did a nice wrap up in its final episode. Too bad there was that execrable Tim Burton movie with Johnny Depp playing a very silly looking version of the brooding Barnabas. That movie really sucked, so to speak.

I can't remember if he said it - or somebody else - but another thing that contributed to Frid's performance was that he had trouble remembering his lines, which added a feeling of anxiety, angst, or trying to hide something to his performance. And Joan Bennett said she was near-sighted, couldn't wear her glasses, so she couldn't see the cue cards (and there were some other cast members like that - she even said she thought they made that one of the requirements for the cast, that they be near-sighted. - could have been bullshit though)

I know I saw Jonathan Frid reading off cue cards - can't remember who else did. I remember a delicious early scene with Joan Bennett and Louis Edmonds just chatting - it may have been the scene that introduced them as sister and brother, discussing some kind of shady family business? Anyway, so cool. Like a Hollywood film noir.

R7, the first time I saw Night of the Iguana (maybe 6 or 7 years ago), I was surprised to see Grayson Hall was in it. I thought she was good but still reminiscent of Julia Hoffman.

R9/10, I never enjoyed the character of Barnabas way back when, and I'm not enjoying him any more now, unlike some other characters. Frid's acting seems amateurish and hammy. His hair is a terrible combover, and he looks 20 years older than Frid's supposed age at the time. I know he was popular and all that, but I didn't and don't understand it to this day. I'm nervous watching him, just waiting for him to blow his next line.

They only had the actual video camera for about one hour - so they had to leave all sorts of mistakes and flubs in. I think they rehearsed twice, earlier in the day, and did the practically "live" run of the show late in the day, when they had their turn for the camera. No wonder Frid (and others) were shook.

One day, Edmonds thought he was finished but there was one more scene, so he ran down and filmed in his underpants, standing behind a sofa the whole time.

I saw a few episodes a couple of years ago.

That's interesting R11. I see what you mean, but I was enchanted with him - at the age of 10. He had a certain vulnerability that I think was what drew me in - though I didn't really analyze it back then lol. And the show had gotten a bit boring with the Burke-Victoria romance and Maggie and Sam at the cafe - and David's mother, the phoenix, story had run its course, and it looked like they were running out of ideas. Then "cousin" Barnabas showed up, and it was clear he was a pretty extreme weirdo, who was nervous as hell, and it made you want to find out wtf was going on. Then Willie fell under his command - and I think those scenes were pretty good, maybe because of John Karlin (sp?) but Barnabas turned wicked and it was a shock, compared to his hyper-gentle/elegant/meek self with Liz and Roger.

I was in the studio where they filmed it in New York. It was a nightclub at the time. Red something. I can’t remember the name.

R14, the problem for me was Barnabas took over the whole fucking show - DS became The Barnabas Collins Show. I hated how he corrupted everything - he even bit Vicky Winters! He beat, threatened, and killed people without a second thought, whether he bit them or not. He was only angsty about himself. He was capable of putting on an act with Liz, Roger, et al, but it was only to cover for himself. The way he terrorized Maggie made me loathe Barnabas for all time.

What a fun discussion, though!

Barnabas was tormented. Turned into a blood sucking vampire, forever pining over his lost love, who killed herself rather than be his vampire bride...of course he was going to act crazy and irrational.

DS ended its run before I was born, but I started watching it years ago on the Sci-fi Channel (as it was then called) and am currently rewatching on Amazon Prime. We've just started the Quentin and Beth storyline.

I watched every episode. I would come home from school and watch the show. Amazon Prime carries Dark Shadows to those that want to watch the whole series. I did watch many episodes on Syfy when it used to be there but don't have Prime yet to see it there.

Dark Shadows was a reality show. It all really happened

I loved David Selby and Don Briscoe.

The exterior of Collinswood Mansion used a Newport mansion's exterior. Seaview Terrace is privately owned and will not allow people to check the place out.

Are all the episodes on Prime? They also show it on Decades every night at 12:00.

Lots of the show is on youtube in bits and pieces. I've been watching a lot of them lately. It is amazingly interesting and weird, and to think it was on television every weekday afternoon back then. I remember I had an English teacher in the 9th grade who was fond of saying that "only drug addicts watch that show". The kids in the class just laughed. I watched it as a kid, after school. There are also a lot of filmed interviews on youtube with the surviving actors and they are worth watching, too. It hasn't lost its interest, that's for sure. Don't miss the clip, a little Grayson Hall acting tutorial:

I was 5 when the show premiered and remember watching the first ep. Vicki! Carolyn! Such great actresses on this show. Joan Bennett was so regal, very much a Queen Elizabeth. Barnabas was so scary in his early eps. I own every ep and try to watch the whole run. Kids today would never get this show!

R24 That is funny, because I had an English teacher in the late 1990s who said she wished people would watch the old episodes of Dark Shadows because so many of their stories were adapted from classic English literature and were therefore a great introduction to literature.