Collinswood… a home haunted by ghosts, witches, warlocks, werewolves, monsters, zombies, and the infamous vampire Barnabas Collins. From 1966 to 1971, Dark Shadows haunted thousands of television sets during the day (when it originally aired) as a show with the perfect mixture of the macabre and a soap opera. So let’s dive into this show on the shores of CollinsPort.

Growing up I would watch this series about the cursed vampire Barnabas Collins with my grandmother. Enjoying the spooky tales of this series when they were rebroadcast on late night television, which actually made it more fun I think.  Late at night we would watch all the melodrama revolving  around Barnabas and the Collins family. How he was cursed by the witch Angelique in the 1800’s and awakens in the 1960’s to return to Collinswood. The wonderfully cheesy effects, the dramatic music and the time travel from the past to the present really make the show what it is. One of my favorite effects is when a bat would fly in and attack. It is so wonderfully practical, you can see the string and the rod that operates the bat. I guess the campy effect just gives me the giggles even though it is supposed to be terrifying. In the video down below, which is from season 4, Barnabas turns into a bat to terrorize David because David was becoming too curious about him.

I don’t know why but whenever they end an episode with the credits over the empty set it gives me the creeps. *shivers* But with every season there are different story lines and different foes the Collins family has to face. The episodes also fluctuated from black and white to color per episode.

I love the theme song of Dark Shadows so much, I believe it’s a wonderfully creepy tune that is perfect for the month of October.  Many people loved this show when it was on the air during the ’60s and ’70s. They would tune in every day to see the latest spooky happenings with the Collins family. The melodramatic situations give it a touch of comedy, especially Dr. Julia Hoffman. Whenever she would stare off into the distance and recite her lines like a shakesperian actress it gave her a quirkiness we all love. Despite knowing Barnabas’ love for another, Dr. Julia is attracted to him and does whatever she can to help him to “cure” his vampirism. She is a wonderfully strong character that will live on in the hearts of fans.

Also amongst the large cast, David Collins and Sarah Collins are two very interesting characters. Sarah is the dead little sister of Barnabas, she haunts Collinswood and helps people whenever she can. She is the most adorable character and a tragic story as she died so young. When David was living in the house she would be his friend and play with him. As time went on and she knew the danger that he would get into with Barnabas, she would do her best to help him. Throughout the series whenever we hear the flute it is the tune of Sarah. The effects of her disappearing and reappearing are also my favorite along with the bat attacks. Even though she is his sister, she does not materialize in front of him because she is angry that he harms so many people by being a vampire. Down below is a clip of Dr.Julia telling Barnabas about Sarah.

The  show is so vast and extensive, it rallied up to 1,225 episodes with a variety of story lines. But the gist of it would be Barnabas is cursed by a witch named Angelique to never love again and to become a vampire. Being woken up by Willie many centuries after being in his coffin, he goes back home to Collinswood and lives with his “cousins”. In the meantime, he helps the Collins family with the supernatural happening, helps Dr. Julia figure out a cure for his vampirism and even falls in love. Unlike the Tim Burton film, he does not reveal to the family that he is a vampire. He keeps it a secret… a secret that David wants to debunk. To be honest if you want to see a film adaptation do not go to Tim Burton, but instead watch the films that the creators of Dark Shadows created with MGM called, HOUSE OF DARK SHADOWS (1970) and NIGHT OF DARK SHADOWS (1971). House Of Dark Shadows stays true to the series and has the majority of the original actors and actresses. While Night of Dark Shadows has differences in cast and story.

Overall Dark Shadows is one of my favorite horror television series and it will always hold a special place in my heart. It is a perfect show to watch in the dark… late at night and even better to watch it with others who love the macabre. Thank you for joining me on this journey to Collinsport and I hope you have a wonderfully spooky day. See you soon In the Dark!