Dark Shadows Theme

Dark Shadows is one of my favorite TV shows of all time. This page is for other fans like me to enjoy.

With it's alluring tales of Gothic mystery and supernatural intrigue, Dark Shadows became one of the most popular daytime series of all time. The program ran from June 27, 1966 and ended in April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story centered on a young woman who became the governess of a teenage boy in Collinsport, ME, a small fishing village. She was employed by the wealthy Collins family who lived in a mysterious old mansion overlooking the ocean. Veteran screen actress Joan Bennett, was featured in the role of Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, mystress of the great house called Collinwood. After several months on the air, it appeared the show was not attracting a large enough audience with a tradional Gothic suspense formula. Dan Curtis then decided what the show needed was a vampire! In april of 1967, a shakepearean actor named Jonathan Frid, joined the cast as Barnabas Collins a 175-year old vampire. Frid's portrayal of Barnabas was an instant sucess. he added humanity to his characterization and made Barnabas a tragic figure. All though he could have been a primarily menacing creature in the tradition of Dracula, Frid portrayed Barnabas as a sympathethic man who is guilt-ridden by his need for blood and desires to be a normal human again. More supernatural aspects were added to Dark Shadows as it became the most popular daytime series on ABC-TV. Ghosts, witches, and werewolves appeared as the show altinated its stories, between the present day Collins family and their ancesters of the past. David Selby made his debeut as Quentin Collins, in the elaborate 1897 storyline. On april 2, 1971, while still a popular attraction, Dark Shadows ended its five year run. You can now purchase the series on video from MPI Home Video and can also watch the series on the Sci-fi Channel when it returns back. Now to start your jouney into Dark Shadows, click on the Collinwood mansion to see some of the scenes and cast of the great show.

Click on Collinwood below, to start your jouney

Collinwood is also know today as the Carey mansion in Newport, RI

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