69 Fun Facts About Dark Shadows

On which American television network did Dark Shadows originally air on weekdays from 1966 to 1971?

Dark Shadows ran on ABC from June 1966 to April 1971 in a late-afternoon slot, where it found its audience among teenagers getting home from school.

The fictional town of Collinsport, home of the Collins family, is set in which US state?

The seaside town's exteriors were actually filmed in Connecticut, not on the coast that the show claimed as home.

Who created and executive-produced Dark Shadows?

Dan Curtis created and executive-produced Dark Shadows; he later directed both spin-off films and the 1983 World War II miniseries The Winds of War.

The creator said the show came from a 1965 dream of a mysterious young woman travelling on what?

The creator dreamed of a dark-haired young woman on a train bound for a mysterious mansion; the first episode duly opens with governess Victoria Winters arriving in Collinsport by train.

Which actor played the vampire Barnabas Collins in the original series?

Jonathan Frid played Barnabas for the rest of the series' run; he had been about to leave New York for a California university teaching job when the short-term vampire role came up.

Barnabas Collins was originally written in for a run of how many weeks?

Barnabas was written in for a 13-week run, but the short contract stretched into four years once ratings spiked and the reluctant vampire became the show's protagonist.

In which year was Barnabas Collins first introduced to the show?

Barnabas first appeared in April 1967, introduced as a bid to rescue the low-rated soap; ratings climbed and the vampire became its star.

Which handyman accidentally freed Barnabas from the mausoleum while hunting the Collins jewels?

Willie Loomis, played by John Karlen, opened Barnabas's chained coffin while searching for the Collins jewels and became the vampire's unwilling servant.

According to the show's flashback storyline, in what year was Barnabas Collins born?

Barnabas was born in 1770 to Joshua and Naomi Collins; the 1795 flashback shows him mortally wounding his uncle Jeremiah in a duel before Angelique's curse.

Josette du Pres, the heiress Barnabas intended to marry, came from which Caribbean island?

Josette du Pres came from Martinique, where her family owned a plantation; Angelique arrived in Collinsport as her maidservant, which is how the fatal love triangle began.

Barnabas' young sister Sarah died of what after a cold night hiding in the woods from her undead brother?

Sarah Collins caught a chill hiding in the woods and died of pneumonia; her ghost later appeared to the modern-day family in the episodes before the 1795 flashback.

Which actress played the witch Angelique Bouchard in the original series?

Lara Parker played Angelique from the 1795 flashback onward; she later wrote four Dark Shadows novels, beginning with Angelique's Descent in 1998.

In the 1968 storyline, Angelique married Roger Collins under which alias?

Angelique returned in 1968 under the alias Cassandra Blair and married the portrait-obsessed Roger Collins; Barnabas recognised his former wife at once.

Which actress played Dr. Julia Hoffman, the vampire's loyal confidante?

Grayson Hall played Dr. Julia Hoffman for four years; she also played Countess Natalie du Pres and the Gypsy Magda Rakosi, and appeared in both feature films.

The actress who played Dr. Julia Hoffman earned an Oscar nod for which 1964 John Huston film?

She earned a Best Supporting Actress nomination for The Night of the Iguana, playing the domineering chaperone Judith Fellowes in Huston's Tennessee Williams adaptation shot in Puerto Vallarta.

Which actress played Josette du Pres, Barnabas' lost love, in the original series?

Kathryn Leigh Scott played Josette du Pres and four other roles, and later founded Pomegranate Press, which published a shelf of books about the show.

Josette's actress later wrote a 1998 memoir about her years working for which company?

She had worked as a Playboy Bunny at the New York club while a drama student; The Bunny Years (1998) gathered former Bunnies' memories and became an A&E television special.

Which veteran Hollywood film star was cast as the family matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard?

Joan Bennett, best known for Fritz Lang's 1940s noirs such as Scarlet Street, played Elizabeth Collins Stoddard and earned a 1968 Emmy nomination for the role.

When the series began, Elizabeth Collins Stoddard had not left Collinwood for how long?

Elizabeth had not set foot outside Collinwood for over eighteen years, a self-imposed exile tied to the disappearance of her husband Paul Stoddard.

The character of governess Victoria Winters was inspired by the title character of which Gothic novel?

Victoria Winters, an orphan hired as governess at a brooding mansion, was modelled on Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre, and the writers mined classic literature relentlessly for later plots.

The man-made monster Adam, created in the 1968 storyline, was inspired by which novel?

Adam, stitched together from corpses by Dr. Lang and Dr. Hoffman and brought to life in 1968, was a direct homage to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; Robert Rodan played him.

Quentin Collins' ageing portrait storyline borrowed from which Gothic novel?

Quentin's portrait, painted by Charles Delaware Tate, aged and bore his werewolf curse while he stayed young, a homage to Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray.

The Leviathans storyline of 1969-70 drew on the shared universe of which horror writer?

The Leviathans were ancient tentacled beings awaiting rebirth, a lift from H. P. Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythos; fans disliked Barnabas being reduced to their pawn and ratings slid.

Which actor played Quentin Collins, and later starred as Richard Channing on Falcon Crest?

David Selby joined as the ghost of Quentin Collins in 1968 and later played Richard Channing on Falcon Crest from 1982 to 1990.

The instrumental "Quentin's Theme" earned a Grammy nomination for which composer?

Robert Cobert, the show's composer, was nominated for 'Quentin's Theme' but lost to John Barry's Midnight Cowboy; he later wrote the theme for The $10,000 Pyramid.

The show's original soundtrack album peaked at what position on the Billboard 200 in September 1969?

The Original Music from Dark Shadows LP peaked at No. 18 on the Billboard 200; a single of 'Quentin's Theme' by the Charles Randolph Grean Sounde reached No. 13 on the Hot 100.

The series reached its peak popularity during a flashback storyline set in which year?

The 1897 flashback, which ran through most of 1969 and told Quentin Collins's backstory, took Dark Shadows to its ratings peak.

For most of its run, at what time did Dark Shadows air in the Eastern time zone?

Dark Shadows aired at 4 p.m. Eastern for most of its 1966-1971 run, a slot that let teenagers catch it after school and drove its ratings surge.

Which soap, launched in July 1968 in the slot right before Dark Shadows, also chased its young audience?

One Life to Live debuted on ABC on 15 July 1968 in the 3:30 slot ahead of Dark Shadows and ran until 2012, some 43 years.

How many episodes did the original network run of Dark Shadows amass?

Dark Shadows amassed 1,225 episodes between June 1966 and April 1971; all survive, though one exists only as audio and some colour episodes only as black-and-white kinescopes.

Which game show replaced Dark Shadows in its time slot after the final episode aired in April 1971?

Password, revived by ABC on 5 April 1971, took over the slot the Monday after the finale, whose last minute used a Thayer David voiceover to tie off the remaining plotlines.

At its peak, roughly how many weekly fan letters did the studio get for Barnabas's actor?

At the show's peak Barnabas's actor drew roughly 5,000 fan letters a week; screaming teenagers mobbed his personal appearances and his face appeared on comics, gum cards and a board game.

During the Second World War, the actor who played Barnabas served in which country's navy?

Born in Hamilton, Ontario, he interrupted his studies at McMaster University to serve in Canada's Royal Canadian Navy during the war.

The original Barnabas actor's 1974 horror film Seizure was the directorial debut of which filmmaker?

Seizure (1974) was Oliver Stone's directorial debut; it was the actor's last screen role for 38 years, until his cameo in the 2012 remake.

Which studio released the first feature film, House of Dark Shadows, in October 1970?

MGM released House of Dark Shadows in October 1970, at the height of the show's popularity; the show's creator directed it with most of the television cast.

House of Dark Shadows was shot in six weeks on what budget?

House of Dark Shadows was made for about $750,000 and shot in spring 1970, with the crew working around scheduled public tours of the estate where most of it was filmed.

Both 1970s feature films were shot primarily at which historic estate in Tarrytown, New York?

Lyndhurst, the Gothic Revival mansion of railroad baron Jay Gould, stood in for Collinwood in both films; the mausoleum scenes were filmed nearby in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery.

Which Connecticut town stood in for Collinsport in the television series' location shots?

Essex, Connecticut supplied the show's 1966 location footage; its Griswold Inn doubled as the Collinsport Inn.

Which Newport, Rhode Island building served as the exterior of Collinwood in the TV series?

Carey Mansion, also known as Seaview Terrace, provided the exterior of Collinwood; Salve Regina University used the building for decades until 2009.

In House of Dark Shadows, what finally kills Barnabas in the climax?

Jeff Clark kills Barnabas with a crossbow bolt in the film's climax, as the vampire prepares to make Maggie his bride.

Why does Barnabas not appear in the 1971 sequel Night of Dark Shadows?

The film was originally announced as Curse of Dark Shadows and was reworked around Quentin Collins instead.

Night of Dark Shadows marked the feature film debut of which future Charlie's Angels star?

Kate Jackson made her film debut as Tracy Collins after joining the soap in 1970 as the silent ghost Daphne Harridge, having worked as an NBC page and tour guide.

Roughly how much running time did the studio force the director to cut from Night of Dark Shadows in 24 hours?

The studio gave the director 24 hours to cut about 35 minutes, shrinking the film from around 129 minutes to 94; much of the lost footage was not recovered until 1999.

Which cable network acquired the entire run of episodes in 1992 and aired the show until 2003?

The Sci-Fi Channel, launched in September 1992, picked up the entire run and aired it until 2003, after PBS stations had kept the show alive with 1980s reruns.

The 2012 limited-edition complete-series DVD box set was shaped like what?

MPI's 131-disc complete-series set came packaged in a coffin-shaped box as a numbered limited edition, each with a card signed by the original Barnabas actor.

How many issues did Gold Key Comics' regular Dark Shadows comic book run?

Gold Key's Dark Shadows comic ran 35 issues from 1969 to 1976, outliving the show by five years, and has since been reprinted by Hermes Press.

Who actually wrote the show's 32 paperback tie-in novels, credited to a female pseudonym?

W.E.D. Ross wrote all 32 Paperback Library novels as 'Marilyn Ross'; he produced hundreds of novels under various pen names and also novelised House of Dark Shadows.

The 1991 prime-time revival of Dark Shadows aired on which network?

NBC launched the revival on 13 January 1991 as a four-hour two-night event; it was cancelled after a single 12-episode season.

Who played Barnabas Collins in the 1991 revival?

Ben Cross, the British actor best known as sprinter Harold Abrahams in Chariots of Fire, played Barnabas in the 1991 revival.

The 1991 revival was repeatedly preempted because of which news event, sending its ratings into decline?

Coverage of the Gulf War, which began days after the January 1991 premiere, repeatedly preempted the series; its ratings never recovered and the network cancelled it after one season.

Which future star played young David Collins in the 1991 revival?

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, years before 3rd Rock from the Sun, played David Collins; the cast also included Jean Simmons as Elizabeth and horror icon Barbara Steele as Dr. Hoffman.

Who directed the 2012 feature film adaptation of Dark Shadows?

Tim Burton directed Dark Shadows (2012), his eighth feature with the same leading man, following Edward Scissorhands, Sleepy Hollow and Sweeney Todd.

Which actor played Barnabas Collins in the 2012 film?

Johnny Depp, who had been obsessed with the show as a child, called playing Barnabas a dream role and persuaded his frequent director to sign on.

Which actress played the vengeful witch Angelique in the 2012 film?

Eva Green played Angelique Bouchard; in the climax her character's face and body crack like a porcelain doll as her magic fails.

In the 2012 film, Barnabas is freed from his tomb and wakes up in which year?

Construction workers unearth Barnabas's coffin in 1972, and much of the comedy comes from his reactions to lava lamps, television and the era's pop music.

In the 2012 film, the governess calling herself Victoria Winters is really which character?

She is Maggie Evans, institutionalised as a child for seeing ghosts, who adopts the name Victoria Winters on her way to Collinsport.

In the 2012 film, teenage Carolyn Stoddard is revealed to be what kind of creature?

Carolyn reveals she is a werewolf during the climactic battle; Angelique confesses she sent the beast that bit Carolyn as an infant and caused the death of David's mother.

Which rock musician appears as himself, performing at the Collinwood "happening" in the 2012 film?

Alice Cooper performs 'No More Mr. Nice Guy' at the Collinwood ball; Barnabas, baffled by the name, dismisses him as the ugliest woman he has ever seen.

Which veteran British actor plays a Collinsport local whom Barnabas hypnotises in the 2012 film?

Christopher Lee has a cameo as a Collinsport local whom Barnabas hypnotises into serving the Collins family business; it was Lee's fifth film with the director, after Sleepy Hollow.

In the 2012 film, the Collins family fortune was built on which industry?

The Collinses emigrated from Liverpool in 1760, founded Collinsport and built their fortune on fishing through the Collins Canning Company.

What is the name of the rival seafood company Angelique runs in the 2012 film?

Angelique runs Angel Bay Seafood, having posed as successive generations of her own descendants while the Collins cannery withered.

Where was the 2012 film shot in its entirety?

The film was shot entirely in England at Pinewood Studios, where four original cast members, including the first Barnabas, filmed cameos for the ball scene.

Who composed the score for the 2012 film?

Danny Elfman, the director's regular composer, scored the film; his score album came out on 8 May 2012, three days before the film's release.

Which band's cover of the Raspberries' "Go All the Way" plays over the 2012 film's end credits?

The Killers recorded the cover of 'Go All the Way' for the end credits; the soundtrack otherwise leans on early-70s rock, from T. Rex and Black Sabbath to The Carpenters.

What was the 2012 film's worldwide box office gross?

Dark Shadows grossed $245.5 million worldwide on a budget of about $150 million; it underperformed at home, opening behind The Avengers' second weekend, but did well overseas.

Which company began producing Dark Shadows audio dramas with original cast members in 2006?

Big Finish Productions began its Dark Shadows audio dramas in 2006 with original cast members returning; its 2015 serial Bloodlust was released twice weekly to mimic the soap format.

Who played Barnabas in the unaired 2004 pilot shot for The WB?

Alec Newman, the Scottish actor from the 2000 Dune miniseries, played Barnabas opposite Marley Shelton's Victoria Winters; the pilot was never picked up but has been screened at fan conventions.

Which actress played the Collins matriarch Elizabeth in the 2012 film?

Michelle Pfeiffer, reuniting with the director two decades after Batman Returns, played Elizabeth Collins Stoddard and said she hoped for sequels.

In the 2012 film, Helena Bonham Carter plays the family's hard-drinking live-in what?

Dr. Julia Hoffman is the live-in psychiatrist hired to treat young David's trauma over his mother's death; she secretly takes Barnabas's blood hoping to stay young.