Any Dark Shadows Fans Out There?

In 1966, a television series premiered that had a large impact on the world of daytime entertainment. The producer of a little known "soap opera," (best referred to as a daytime drama but originally these kinds of shows were sponsored by companies that sold cleaning products to housewives who watched daytime tv) dividend a possible way to save his series from what seemed to be imminent cancellation. It was set in a large gothic mansion so what better place could you wish for to find ghost, phoenixes, and other creatures that would attract more of an audience. Surprisingly the audience it attracted was kids and teen agers for the most part and some adults to. After all, the casting director new what he or she was doing when such beautiful women and handsome me were chosen to be on the series.
After a while it became obvious the show was still waning.  So producer Dan Curtis came up with another idea: Why not bring a vampire on to the show? They managed to get in touch with stage actor Jonathon Frid's agent. Apparently someone in the casting department had seem him perform before somewhere.
But when Frid was told of the part by his agent he was reluctant. He was in the process of moving to Florida. But the agent told him that the show only expected him to be on the series for about five weeks and since Frid needed the money he accepted the audition offer.
To shorten a long story, the ratings of the show soared with Frid's Barnabas Collins on it. A sympathetic vampire? That was a new gimmick to make fans feel sorry for Barnabas because he had be thrown into his curse, he did not volunteer for it.

Now, almost 50 years lattter, what is left of the original fans and actor continue to enjoy the show. It is available in home video, audio books of new stories dramatized by actors from the original cast continue. A remake movie featuring actor Johnny Depp's has been made too. So interest continues. It would be nice if the cast could get together to do a video and post it on YouTube, the way the remaining cast of the original Star Trek did last year. That was a fan paid fiction sponsored by Kickstarter.  We will just have to wait and see.