Oh man, I loved that show. I was just a kid, but it was definitely scary sexy (although I didn't couldn't really understand what that feeling meant). I totally had a crush on Grayson Hall.
I was a surly teen living in a group foster home when the show was fresh. I had no interest in TV at the time, and I've never considered watching it later on in my life. Maybe I should rethink my choices.
Gonna show my age but we literally ran home from elementary school to watch this show at 3pm every day. All the kids did. We were enthralled. Haven’t rewatched any so wonder what my 65 yr old self would think of my 9 year old self being fixated on this crazy unusual show.
Which one of the characters comes back from the grave and is all supermonstro ugly? And she blames Barnabas for bringing her back from the dead? Now, I'd like you to imagine a pair of little girls in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, watching that reveal in the way they watched the scarier episodes, from the safety of their kitchen, looking at a tv set that was 15 feet away. And here comes the reveal, the shroud falls: "LOOK AT ME!"---my future wife and my sister in law shrieked in terror, and my mother in law to be comes roaring out of the sewing room: "NO MORE DARK SHADOWS!"
Also would like a mention of Joan Bennett, who may have looked hungover a lot, but in her day an exemplar of noir (awesomely trampy in 1945's Scarlet Street. Fritz Lang, who directed her in that and in Woman in the Window was a devotee of Dark Shadows, watching it with his good eye up close to the screen).
I remember rushing home from school to watch "Dark Shadows," and have been delighted to see that it's available streaming. Tubi has the pre-Barnabas episodes, which surprised me, because I had no idea that "Dark Shadows" existed before Barnabas. I like watching them, which gives the background to the characters. For instance, when Victoria goes back to 1795 (the story of how Barnabas became a vampire and introduces us to Lara Parker as Angelique), she encounters Ben Stokes, who she is afraid of because he looks like Matthew Morgan, who had killed Bill Malloy and kidnapped her during those pre-Barnabas episodes. If you hadn't seen those, it would be confusing why she's afraid of him. It also illustrates just how talented and actor Thayer David, who played Ben and Matthew among many other characters was. Grayson Hall, Lara Parker, and the other regular actors showed off their acting chops by playing multiple characters as well.
ETA: Today is International Bat Appreciation Day. Coincidence?
Wonderful essay, Stephen!
Oh man, I loved that show. I was just a kid, but it was definitely scary sexy (although I didn't couldn't really understand what that feeling meant). I totally had a crush on Grayson Hall.
Had a crush on him in the late 60s. Sitting in our trailer off an army base in Texas…
I was a surly teen living in a group foster home when the show was fresh. I had no interest in TV at the time, and I've never considered watching it later on in my life. Maybe I should rethink my choices.
I would describe as dated but fun. And Barnabas was The Guy, as in cool.
I’m obviously old AF, so I’m rather dated myself!
The less said about the movie, the better.
There were two. And a reboot.
Gonna show my age but we literally ran home from elementary school to watch this show at 3pm every day. All the kids did. We were enthralled. Haven’t rewatched any so wonder what my 65 yr old self would think of my 9 year old self being fixated on this crazy unusual show.
Absolutely same! We literally *did* rush to get home and watch that show. I'm 65 too, but I have no regrets about being a fan.
Which one of the characters comes back from the grave and is all supermonstro ugly? And she blames Barnabas for bringing her back from the dead? Now, I'd like you to imagine a pair of little girls in the Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, watching that reveal in the way they watched the scarier episodes, from the safety of their kitchen, looking at a tv set that was 15 feet away. And here comes the reveal, the shroud falls: "LOOK AT ME!"---my future wife and my sister in law shrieked in terror, and my mother in law to be comes roaring out of the sewing room: "NO MORE DARK SHADOWS!"
Also would like a mention of Joan Bennett, who may have looked hungover a lot, but in her day an exemplar of noir (awesomely trampy in 1945's Scarlet Street. Fritz Lang, who directed her in that and in Woman in the Window was a devotee of Dark Shadows, watching it with his good eye up close to the screen).
Josette, idiot! Josette! "Look at me now!" AROOOOGAH!
I remember rushing home from school to watch "Dark Shadows," and have been delighted to see that it's available streaming. Tubi has the pre-Barnabas episodes, which surprised me, because I had no idea that "Dark Shadows" existed before Barnabas. I like watching them, which gives the background to the characters. For instance, when Victoria goes back to 1795 (the story of how Barnabas became a vampire and introduces us to Lara Parker as Angelique), she encounters Ben Stokes, who she is afraid of because he looks like Matthew Morgan, who had killed Bill Malloy and kidnapped her during those pre-Barnabas episodes. If you hadn't seen those, it would be confusing why she's afraid of him. It also illustrates just how talented and actor Thayer David, who played Ben and Matthew among many other characters was. Grayson Hall, Lara Parker, and the other regular actors showed off their acting chops by playing multiple characters as well.
ETA: Today is International Bat Appreciation Day. Coincidence?
Count Petofi remains my favorite Thayer David DS role!
I take it that it’s not bats used in baseball. 😂
Correct! It's the flying mammals.