Snowflake Challenge #8

[pronker]

" alt='jonathan frid from 1969' />

Thanks to the ever-gracious royalblue31, I gained a glimmer of how to manifesto, so here goes:

Why I like Dark Shadows:

Dark Shadows is a soap opera with Gothic touches aplenty. Sure, there are love triangles which are the staple of daytime drama, but golems, vampires, witches, phoenixes, and ghosts enliven the mix. DS has about the only time travel I'll stomach as described here. A plus is that the series aired from 1966-1971, so bring on sheath dresses, Edwardian lapels for men's suits, and shag haircuts. That's when time travel isn't in the current plotline; when we travel in time, be prepared for 1795, 1840, and even the 1600s's exquisite costumes and approximations of old timey speech patterns.

What sparks the joy?

About 1100 episodes detailing the Collins family of Collinsport, Maine, old money hiding old secrets with folks upholding Family ~Honor. This series was taped live, part of its charm IMHO, with flubbed lines, wavery special effects, and yes, juicy, plummy acting. Barnabas Collins chews the scenery among other things, and as seen in the above photo, smiles on the outside while scheming on the inside. (That last was just a guess, because in the public appearance the fam and I attended, Jonathan Frid couldn't have been more accommodating to his fans.)

"In this essay, I shall prove ... "

... that soaps contain enough fun to warrant thirty minutes of your time to taste the rich, dark crimson of a Gothic romance spanning the centuries; just a sample and you'll be hooked. EAD: Barnabas Collins enters the story about episode 210, with previous episodes setting the scene firmly within a small fishing village replete with gossips and the occasional phoenix. I've not seen these episodes. Also, I apologize for the inexpert posting of the photo. Alsoalso, Here is an article describing a very personal relationship with the show.

Comments

[muccamukk]

Okay! So! This is the first time anyone's describe what this show is, and also I'm having a hard time believing it's a real thing (especially reading the time travel page, which is fabulous), because it seems like a show within a show, it's so entirely extra. What a fantastic thing to exist.

[pronker]

Ahah, the interest begins! Yes, it plunged happily away from its earliest trope 'ingenue in danger' to 'entire family in danger from one of its most tormented 200 year old members.' :D

[royalblue31]

I'd heard about Dark Shadows before, but never found a way to see it. I checked YouTube now and looks like 1,022 episodes are available! I have to add I gasped at the idea that 1,100 episodes of a show actually happened when nowadays hitting even a 100 is considered a feat. You made it sound really interesting. I will say the time travel concept intrigued me and I will definitely be checking the show out. :D

That's great to hear!

[pronker]

May you gather spooky vibes, tingles and titillation from DS. I'm watching a bunch on Tubi, at the moment when the epochal switch to color occurred. YouTube is more universally received, I believe.