Afton Has Arrived In Collinsport...

[Garrison]

but its remembered fondly by of americans as being a must see show when they were growing up

I don't think most of those people remember it being anything other than highly watchable crap, though. It's reputation, insomuch as I was aware of it before half this forum started talking about it, was of some Ed Wood style so bad it's good kind of thing. Like Passions, but without the self awareness. And that was coming from people who, like Burton, watched it when they were younger. When my mother talked about the show after seeing it promoted somewhere, she couldn't stop laughing and yet she was one of those girls who ran home every day to see it. Whatever brilliance and ambition there was has long since lost out to the camp in the public imagination and that seems to be what Burton and Depp were trying to portray... hell, the actors Daniel named might now believe that's how it really was at this point, too.

I think an interesting comparison might be Doctor Who, on a much smaller scale. Pre-nuWho, it was considered a mostly considered a campy, mostly awful children's show, was it not? It was, in fact, considered to be so camp that it was almost exclusively thought to be a gay thing, like Britain's answer to The Wizard of Oz. Nevermind that it was often groundbreaking, high minded TV... all anyone outside of the fanbase remembered were cheap sets and jelly babies.

[sunshineboyuk]

How dare you Garrison, DOCTOR WHO is considered to be absolutely brilliant in all and every way possible by everyone in this country !!


You're right of course. I haven't got to the so awful it's good stuff yet. Barnabus has just rocked up and so far the first 230 eps have been pretty dammn good considering the budget and the live tv format. Yes, it's crap but it's good crap. I'm sort of dreading the so awful its good stuff but also looking forward to it too. And then of course I'm slightly worried that I can really get into these crap shows and think they're absolutely brilliant not for being crap but for being brilliant!


I suppose I don't really care about wobbly sets, hell i've watched and loved PRISONER CELL BLOCK H . If i beleive the world of the show then I'm in .


So yeah perhaps it's inevitable that thhis show was gonna be a parody, but how much better would have been to try and do it seriously and actually make it good!? Commercially that would seem like a bettter option...

[Afton]

God, Sunny, just reading your re-cap of Jason and Willie's arrival made me remember how intense that whole thing was. Wasn't that shift unexpected and extreme? Absolutely breathtaking though. The attempted rape of Carolyn was a fantastic scene in terms of realism. Both James Hall and Nancy Barrett were spot on in every possible way. The follow-up scene where Carolyn explains to Elizabeth how she nearly killed him and would do it again without remorse was equally brilliant. In terms of Falcon Crest S9, just wait. It gets even more similar very soon if you can imagine that. James does a lovely comparison in his thread on it that you should check out once you are further in.

How far are you into Barnabas now? It does quite a shift on that end too that will consume you. That is possibly the best period of the entire show. It begins with Jason and Willie and ends with the 1795 storyline. Oh, how I miss it. I may re-watch it right away, haha.

Speaking of, less than a hundred episodes to go on my end! I've been marathoning something fierce.

[sunshineboyuk]

Oh brilliant, thanks Afton i'll check out James FFC s9 comparison, it all feels very season 9 ! I will get back on the DS train now after a break for SOUTHLAND and AMERICAN HORROR STORY ( influenced by DS apparently)

[Afton]

*GASP* You get back on that train or you'll find yourself falling off Widow's Hill like so many others

[sunshineboyuk]

I'm back on the train !!!!!

What a fabulously high stakes run of eps i've just watched ( all night) . Deliciously, there were 3 eps in a run that didn't feature the Collins house at all . My fave being the ep all set in the hospital, where a seemingly dying Maggie says goodbye to everyone and Burke runs around like a lunatic doing his " I'll run around Widows Hill in the middle of the night trying to save everyone" thing. Now Maggie's seemingly a vampire and Sam Evans still hasn't gotten any firther with that portrait of Barney. I love it whenever Sam has to paint, he's so enjoyably rubbish at pretending to paint. Sam also has the unfortunate role of the being the character who's given the worst lines. He's constantly given endless repated questions, asking epople " wait a minute, what did you say?" or " I think that you think that...." and " I just don't see how that could be possible. Tell me again what you think?"
There were some Sam conversations that seemed to be taking place in three different parrallel universes.

Big shout to the lighting and sound guys though... how amazing was the Hounds Of Love night, where hoowling wolves descended on the Evans cottage, all done brilliantly through lighting and sound, with Vicky suitable hysterical, pounding on locked doors and screaming down telephones. I was genuinley thrilled by it all.

[sunshineboyuk]

Good gosh!!

A 3 hander - a tv play takes place in DS. Suddenly - and quite emotionally violently - the show stops and re focuses on a story i'd completely forgotten. It's a testament to how powerful the Barney/Maggie story has been that i'd totally forgotten the " what's in the beasement" story. In fact, i had assumed that Barnabus was in the basement and sort of put the question out of my mind even though Barnabus was in the cemetary crypt.

So, there's a delicious three hand episode with just Liz, Jason and Carolyn. It see's Liz call Jason's bluff as she attempts to reveal the truth to Carolyn , that she in fact killed her father. What's so fascinating about this ep is that there is nothing supernatural about it. It's a completely self contained , emotionally rich and yet simple plot which all the actors rise to, i was gobsmacked there were no fluffed lines or dodgy moments, the whole thing was electric. Especiallly Joan Bennett, when she's good , she's really good.

During a later episode , I fell about laughing when Burke uttered the fabulous line about examining blood under a microphone! I love it how Burke is getting involved and being the resident hero, what exactly has this storyline got to do with him? Why on earth would be interested? I mean it's great but Burke has a very fluid existence, he spends half the time saving people he's vowed to destroy.

[Daniel Avery]

Little did Burke know that DS worked a lot better without the resident Dudley Do-Right trying to play hero. What DS needed was an anti-hero with a little more bite. Oh, and of course a drag queen sidekick handing out sedatives like candy.

[sunshineboyuk]

Ok .


STOP THE WORLD!!!!



Can we pls discuss the jaw dropping brilliantness of Carolyn rampaging through the house in a drugged up drunken funk , screaming at her mother " Mrs McGuire!!! Mrs McGuire!!! Mrs McGuire!!"

Wow. I was totally falling off the sofa going " oh my god this is Karen and Diana from KNOTS LANDING season 3"


Karen- What use is wife without her husband?
Diana- STOP IT
Karen- Or kids without their father
Diana- STOP IT
karen - Or me without my husband?
Diana- STOP IT
karen - where is his lousy morality now?
Diana - STOP IT

That scene with Carolyn was again violently smashing up the paramaters of what we think the show can deliver. Kitchen sink hysteria and raw hurt? Dark Shadows? No? Well.... actually yes.

Oh and juust to throw something else into the ever changing, unpredicatble mix... Barnabus is now saying he is going to kill people. Kill them.

[Afton]

Big shout to the lighting and sound guys though... how amazing was the Hounds Of Love night, where hoowling wolves descended on the Evans cottage, all done brilliantly through lighting and sound, with Vicky suitable hysterical, pounding on locked doors and screaming down telephones. I was genuinley thrilled by it all.

I absoultely loved that episode. It was genuinely terrifying. Even Alexandra Moltke was spot on for once. Her hysteria at the end was nothing short of insanity. The hounds at the door...so well done.

So, there's a delicious three hand episode with just Liz, Jason and Carolyn. It see's Liz call Jason's bluff as she attempts to reveal the truth to Carolyn , that she in fact killed her father. What's so fascinating about this ep is that there is nothing supernatural about it. It's a completely self contained , emotionally rich and yet simple plot which all the actors rise to, i was gobsmacked there were no fluffed lines or dodgy moments, the whole thing was electric. Especiallly Joan Bennett, when she's good , she's really good.

Yes, Joan is so on point throughout this entire storyline it almosts hurts to watch. Ugh, I so need to rewatch this again!

Ok .


STOP THE WORLD!!!!



Can we pls discuss the jaw dropping brilliantness of Carolyn rampaging through the house in a drugged up drunken funk , screaming at her mother " Mrs McGuire!!! Mrs McGuire!!! Mrs McGuire!!"

Wow. I was totally falling off the sofa going " oh my god this is Karen and Diana from KNOTS LANDING season 3"


Karen- What use is wife without her husband?
Diana- STOP IT
Karen- Or kids without their father
Diana- STOP IT
karen - Or me without my husband?
Diana- STOP IT
karen - where is his lousy morality now?
Diana - STOP IT

That scene with Carolyn was again violently smashing up the paramaters of what we think the show can deliver. Kitchen sink hysteria and raw hurt? Dark Shadows? No? Well.... actually yes.

Oh and juust to throw something else into the ever changing, unpredicatble mix... Barnabus is now saying he is going to kill people. Kill them.

Firstly, love the comparison. But, Carolyn was no where near as annoying as Diana. Let's make that clear,

Secondly, this DESERVES another watch. I even favourited it on YouTube. Also, if you missed it, Sunny, watch Joan Bennett at the end of this clip. The damn door at the top of the stairs is stuck! TOO funny!

"It's MUUUUMMY!"

[ChrisSumnerMatheson]

Terrible news! Jonathan Frid, the one and only Barnabas Collins, has passed away at age 87. http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/04/jonathanfrid.html

I'm happy he was able to participate in the new movie, regardless of how the quality may be. He created a damn good character and he's a big reason people still remember Dark Shadows. He seemed like such a pleasant older man and I LOVED his website. For those who don't know, he recently came out of retirement and started appearing at the Dark Shadows Festival's and his website was sort of like a diary where he'd post about his life and little videos. It was really cute and not what you expect from someone his age. Here's the link: http://www.jonathanfrid.com

[SnarkyOracle!]

Appropriately, Barnabas died on Friday the Thirteenth.

Terrible news! Jonathan Frid, the one and only Barnabas Collins, has passed away at age 87. http://www.welovesoaps.net/2012/04/jonathanfrid.html

I'm happy he was able to participate in the new movie, regardless of how the quality may be. He created a damn good character and he's a big reason people still remember Dark Shadows. He seemed like such a pleasant older man and I LOVED his website. For those who don't know, he recently came out of retirement and started appearing at the Dark Shadows Festival's and his website was sort of like a diary where he'd post about his life and little videos. It was really cute and not what you expect from someone his age. Here's the link: http://www.jonathanfrid.com

[Afton]

Such sad news.

I like to think he and Grayson Hall can now continue their adventures wherever they might be.

[Canon]

Aww but a good age.

It may just be worth sitting through the movie to see Barnabas, Maggie & Richard Channing show up.

I like to think he and Grayson Hall can now continue their adventures wherever they might be.

Afton, she's fab. Forget Barnabas, the show should be all about Julia.

[Daniel Avery]

Next on ABC Daytime: The Awesome, Pill-Pushing Adventures of Julia Hoffman, MD--now in color!

[sunshineboyuk]

Good old age though! He's being rather brilliant at the moment, he's had Maggie imprisoned for about 45 episodes, she's finally escaped and it seems strange to see her anywhere but in a locked room.

[Canon]

Next on ABC Daytime: The Awesome, Pill-Pushing Adventures of Julia Hoffman, MD--now in color!

Well you have me sold on it!

Speaking of color/colour...

"Good news! This program, Dark Shadows, is now being presented in color!"

Can it really be called Dark Shadows anymore?

[Daniel Avery]

It is worth noting that DS worked quite well in black and white. Too bad modern tastes basically dictated they begin broadcasting in color like everyone else did. I can imagine the show continuing in B&W and retaining even more of that "atmosphere" of the early episodes.

It's similar to the whole debate over how expanding half-hour soaps to an hour (and even 90 minutes in one instance) was a mistake, since the half-hour length was/is (to many) an ideal program length.

The only people who benfitted from DS being shown in color was Ohrbach's, since it allowed their riotously loud fashions to be showcased even further.

[Afton]

Well you have me sold on it!

Speaking of color/colour...

"Good news! This program, Dark Shadows, is now being presented in color!"

Can it really be called Dark Shadows anymore?

Oh wow, you're much further than the last time you checked in, haha. What is happening on your end now?

I'm so sad. 40 episodes to go and I can see the end drawing nearer and nearer. So depressing.

[Canon]

Oh wow, you're much further than the last time you checked in, haha. What is happening on your end now?

I'm so sad. 40 episodes to go and I can see the end drawing nearer and nearer. So depressing.

Is it really possible to be ever further on with Dark Shadows? Oh Afton, so many tears of frustration over this show, how did people watch one episode a day in the 60's? I think I would have had a mental breakdown.

Julia makes it all worthwhile, she really is the best thing the show has done so far. She has just hypnotised Maggie into forgetting about Barnabas. And Barnabas has vowed to kill her tomorrow night. I've heard that before!

I'm going to be strong, I'm not going to allow the slowness to get to me. As it will all be worthwhile, isn't that right Afton? ? ?