Does anyone remember ABC’s soap Dark Shadows, the gothic vampire saga that ran from 1966-1971? If so, you’ll be happy to know a reboot is in the works, and if not, you’re in for a soaptastic blast from the past.
The CW and Warner Bros. TV are working on a venture titled Dark Shadows: Reincarnation, a one-hour drama based on the original Dark Shadows soap.
The original Dark Shadows followed the creepy yet strangely alluring Collins family of Collinsport, Maine. The family was influential yet held onto a hundreds-year old secret which brought turmoil and angst to their lives. The clan was cursed and subsequently bedeviled by supernatural weirdness and terrifying psychos.
Jonathan Frid starred as vampire Barnabas Collins, and the short-lived show went on to enjoy cult status.
If the new show stays relatively true to its roots, fans will have a fun and entertaining romp watching plenty of time-travel exploits, seances, ghosts, witches, warlocks, and zombies. The original even featured a parallel universe.
Back in the day, Dark Shadows was singularly unique with over-the-top, enthralling acting, moody and atmospheric sets and outlandish storylines.
The vintage half-hour show notched just over 1,200 episodes, with tantalizing episode titles such as Angelique Bouchard’s Vampire Curse on Barnabas, Nicholas Blair’s Scheme to Create A Master Race, and Count Petofi Body Swaps with Quentin. The show, first filmed in black and white and then migrating to color, also starred, Joan Bennett, Grayson Hall, Louis Edmonds, Nancy Barrett, Alexandra Moltke, David Selby, and Kathryn Leigh Scott.
There are no details about how true to the original the new series will be or any news about storylines or casting. One thing’s for certain, there’s always room for another soapy drama!
Will you be watching when the new and maybe improved Dark Shadows debuts? Do you have any favorite memories about the original series?