Dark Shadows

I will certainly join the critics who complain that there wasn't enough about this show that was original. I will forever wonder why Dan Curtis keeps thinking that telling the same story over again will satisfy the audience that couldn't get enough of the original series; we were hoping for some new stories.

That having been said, the revisions made to the original character relationships were a definite improvement and the program was very well cast. Jonathan Frid is a tough act to follow as Barnabas, but Ben Cross did an excellent job. As for Adrian Paul, the moment I laid eyes on him I knew he was star material. I will admit to having been disappointed that certain female characters, especially Angelique, were inadequately developed.

Another thing about this program that could have been adjusted was allowing the Collins family to have had some earlier generations in the U.S. I suspect that one of the reasons the original series ran out of ideas was the need to keep the time-traveling to discrete generations of the family and, with Barnabas having been born in the second half of the 18th century, they ran out of those rather quickly. This, of course, assumes that he could only go back as far as his original mortal life...

If you enjoyed this show anyway, check out HIGHLANDER [the series, that is]. It gives us Adrian Paul at his best with lots of historical flashbacks.

This series is AMAZING. Ben Cross and Joanna Going are both superb. I remember this on TV when I was 10 years old. I never saw the ending and all these years I never forgot about it and always wanted to see the outcome of the show. Now, 16 years later, remembering how good it was, I found the 3 disc series on my online rental database and watched it all over again. I wish this show would have been bigger and gotten more awards. It certainly deserves it and the story hooks you from the first second to the last episode. My only complaint is the last episode doesn't really leave you with closure but instead leaves questions unanswered and the outcome of the story very vague. But still, it's so worth watching.

As far as one of the actors, after watching her performance, Joanna Going should be a Hollywood Leading Lady on the big screen. She's so beautiful and talented and has an amazing presence on film.

NBC started their track record for horrible mistakes and cancelling great shows against viewer demand with this one. Killed by Gulf War footage, this show filled in the vaccum on Friday with the excellant idea of remaking America's favorite series with the budget and location shootings it deserved. Ben Cross made an excellant, if not, more seductive Barnabus,and Joanna Going made an exquisitely beautiful and virginal ingenue as Victoria Winters. The whole cast was perfect, except for the new Carolyn, and the mysterious mansion that served as Collinwood had the right amount of Gothic atmosphere for the series. Much of the series original concept was altered to more modernize the story and previous storylines were altered for a cleaner and easier to follow flow. If allowed to continue, this show would have been a hit, but NBC realized it far too late.

I watched this series recently, in order to compare it to the film with the same name that was released in 2012. The first thing I noticed was the difference in tone: if the film is clearly a black comedy, this little series (a revival of an extensive TV series of the sixties) is drama with supernatural contours and some Gothic touch. Another thing I quickly noticed is that, sadly, it has never been finished. I am against television serials that extend indefinitely, just as I am against the abrupt cut of these by audience concerns. They're matters of respect for the viewer, the actors and the team engaged in the whole project. A quality series must finish before it becomes decadent, with a rational conclusion. However, when a series is interrupted or canceled, the best is to give a logical end to the work begun, even if one has to write and run one or two more episodes. I think its a matter of respect, but its just my opinion about that.

I really enjoyed the gloomy atmosphere surrounding the show and the work of the general cast, where the sounding names of Ben Cross, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Barbara Steele and Jean Simmons promise us commitment and quality. The special effects and soundtrack are also good. I think that if the series had been launched at the moment, it would have been more successful than it ended up, but it was a successful environment anyway, which only regrets the lack of conclusion.

A stunning remake of the original series, this was considerably more sensual & more fully realized the erotic power of the vampire figure. (This is understandable when you consider the years that the original was taped, & that it was a daytime series.) I had waited for this remake for years & was never let down by it. Still have a bit of a grudge against NBC for canceling it before it really had a chance. Ben Cross & Joanna Going were wonderfully cast as Barnabas & Victoria/Josette, w/ a strong contribution by Lysette Anthony as Angelique. I wish that they would make a movie version, but realize that the time may have passed for same. Strongly urge any Gothic fans to purchase the video or DVDs of this series.