Dark Shadows

A creaky, atmospheric gothic soap where supernatural melodrama unfolds at a leisurely daytime pace, full of brooding stares and theatrical chills.

Created by

Dan Curtis

Genres

Drama, Sci-fi & fantasy, Soap

Starring

Jonathan Frid, Mitchell Ryan, Frank Schofield

Tagline

Necking in the afternoon.

Overview

Dark Shadows is an American gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements. It was unprecedented in daytime television when ghosts were introduced about six months after it began. The series became hugely popular when vampire Barnabas Collins appeared a year into its run. Dark Shadows also featured werewolves, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel, and a parallel universe. A small company of actors each played many roles; indeed, as actors came and went, some characters were played by more than one actor. Major writers besides Art Wallace included Malcolm Marmorstein, Sam Hall, Gordon Russell, and Violet Welles.

How it feels

Eerie, melancholic, campy and romantic. Slow-burning and fine in the background.

About

Family, love, obsession, betrayal

Content

Mild violence, gore and sexual content. No swearing.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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Watch the trailer on YouTube (opens in a new tab)