Every now and then there comes a series that is so well done and so beautiful, it's abrupt cancellation causes me unending grief no matter how much time has passed. 1991's revival of "Dark Shadows" is one such case. Airing on NBC, it was produced and written by the late, great Dan Curtis, creator of the original "Dark Shadows". It all begins with the opening monologue of Ms. Victoria Winters (The exceptionally lovely Joanna Going), who is on her way to Collin's Port, Maine to be the school mistress to young Daniel Collins (A very young Joseph Gordon-Levitt!).
However, when he sees Ms. Winters, he is instantly captivated by her, for she is the reincarnation of his long lost love, Josette. It isn't long, though, before mysterious murders on the part of Barnabas's bloodlust begin happening in town and that's when Dr. Julia Hoffman, played to the hilt by horror legend and (even at the age of 53 or4) stunning Barbara Steele, enters the picture. Things only get more complicated when the doctor discovers Barnabas's vampirism but ends up falling in love with him! But there are other supernatural forces at work in town besides Barnabas, such as vengeful and powerful spirit Angelique (The beautiful Lysette Anthony) who will do anything in her power to destroy Barnabas's chance of a better life. All of this means Victoria must discover the secrets of Collin's Port more than ever, for her life depends on it!
Barnabas, the perfect gentle-
-men at left. At right, Barnabas the blood-sucking monster!
The show was and is nothing short of captivating to watch through its twelve episodes because of its grand and Gothic look and its opening creepy music theme. The Collins' mansion in particular is both beautiful and imposing at the same time with its Gothic architecture and immense size. The Pilot (directed by Dan Curtis himself) has the look and feel of theatrical movie and is probably one of the best productions made for TV I've ever seen. But above all it is the caliber of the actors and characters that makes the show enjoyable to watch. Ben Cross more than fills the shoes of the late Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins, being able to play him as a monster but one with a soul. Despite being a reprehensible creature at times, Cross is able to make you feel Barnabas' agony and anguish over being what he is and what made him that way. Joanna Going is stunning in her looks but more importantly her acting. She's able to convey a certain sense of innocence throughout the show, which only makes the viewer all the more wishing to jump in and protect her from the danger she has no idea she's in. But Barnabas and Victoria are not the only characters in town. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the young, arrogant and slightly disturbed Daniel perfectly, so much so you'll wonder how he turned out to be such a stud (It's implied that his mother is a witch locked up in a mental institution but due to the show's short life we never get to meet her). Jim Fyfe adds a little comical touch as Barnabas' servant and eventual friend Willie. Lysette Anthony adds tension in her role as the revenge seeking Angelique.
And who can forget the stunning and talented Ms. Barbara Steele as Dr. Hoffman. Like I said, she may have been in her fifties by then but don't let that fool you; she still had it!
Then there are the supporting actors and characters, such as legendary leading lady Jean Simmons as matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard (Pictured below),
"The Invaders" star Roy Thinnes as Roger Collins, Juliana McCarthy as housekeeper Mrs. Johnson, Ely Pouget as town psyche Maggie Evans, Barbara Blackburn as Carolyn Stoddard, a pre-"Highlander"(1992-98) Adrian Paul, and Michael Cavanaugh who, as town sheriff Patterson, does a particularly good job of playing someone who would probably never dream of believing in the things he now confronts! Yet despite all of this, the show was canceled by NBC after only twelve episodes. Why you ask? Well, in '91 the Gulf War happened and because the news wanted to cover it day and night, "Dark Shadows" kept getting pushed around to different nights, which meant people didn't know what night it would be on and as a result, ratings declined (Damn you Saddam!). NBC did receive something like 7,000 letters and had its headquarters picketed by fans, all to no avail. It's all very sad. Even a two hour special to properly end the series would be better than what we got. But that's unlikely now that everyone has aged and moved on and especially so with Curtis's death in 2006. Perhaps if Curtis and co. had focused more on the present setting of the story rather than having half the season devoted to the time traveling story arch the show wouldn't have had so many unresolved elements. Then again, they probably didn't realize that their time would be so short. For what it is though, if you can bear having your heart broken, I recommend "Dark Shadows" (1991) to anyone who wishes to see a beautiful, Gothic series done well. And while I'm at it, here's hoping that maybe, in another time, another place or some parallel universe, "Dark Shadows" (1991) became the hit it should have been. One can dream, can't he?
P.S. Thanks for the memories cast and crew, while it lasted.
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