DULL SHADOWS

[michael c]

have you guys seen this?i found a new book today called "what were they thinking?the 100 dumbest events in televsion history"by david hofstede.it just came out i think.

taking pride of place along such gems as "supertrain" and "pink lady and jeff" at #61 is the dark shadow's leviathan story.
the chapter is actually quite praiseworthy of the show itself.it comments on strong writing and specifically the performances of johnathan,nancy,kathryn and lara.it notes the show's enduring popularity and goes so far as to say that when the show was right it was "as good as anything on television"(i get the feeling mr.hofstede might be a fan).
but then goes on to say that after the "triumphant 1897 flashback" the show gambles on a plot that spelled the beginning of the end.it calls the story "dull,poorly-paced even by soap standards" and complains that popular characters like quentin and angelique were relegated to the sidelines.it took several confusing turns before "ending as an afterthought".yikes!
it ends by saying that the show had a few late bursts of creativity(1970PT)but never really recovered in the ratings and was cancelled a year later "though thankfully it never really went away".

it always amazes me when the show comes up in a mainstream publication...and not just the show itself but specific characters and plot-twists.there might be more of "us" out there than we think.
anyhow,the book is a hoot with or without the d.s. chapter.give it a look.

[Maybellique]

...
the chapter is actually quite praiseworthy of the show itself.it comments on strong writing and specifically the performances of johnathan,nancy,kathryn and lara.

Then the man must be blind. He forgot to mention Karlen. :-p

    I still don't get that leviathan storyline... what exactly happened during that time? ~DJ

[Raineypark]

what exactly happened during that time? ~DJ

Nothing even remotely worthy of being included among the dumbest things ever done on television.

It was a loopy dip into the waters of Lovecraftian Sci Fi that never should have happened.....but did.  Eventually someone at DS woke up, looked around, and said "What the hell....?"....and it all went away again.

 

[Midnite]

Thanks, mscbryk!

(i get the feeling mr.hofstede might be a fan).

LOL.  He made an appearance at the L.A. Fest in 2000.  While he was plugging his "Charlie's Angels Casebook" at KLS' table, his reviews of the DS tapes (the early eps in the '97 TWODS and the rest plus the specialty videos in his book "DS Video Reviews") were on sale in the dealer's room.  I recommend the Reviews book; talk about a hoot!  He's a very funny guy.

Perhaps someday the book will be revised to coincide with the DVD numbers. 

[MsCriseyde]

I still don't get that leviathan storyline... what exactly happened during that time? ~DJ

That's precisely what those of us who've actually seen it wonder. 

I couldn't summarize it if my life depended on it.

[Sandor]

I agree with Midnite: Hofstede's "Dark Shadows Video Reviews" is quite entertaining (he rates each of the 200 MPI videotapes - 1/2 to 4 stars, including witty recaps of the storylines). He seems to favor the 1795 period, scoffs at much of the Leviathan period, but his prose is so knowing and wry, it's a fun read, even if you disagree with some of his ratings (i.e., he gave MPI Volumes 67 & 68 only 2 stars respectively - the "Tom Jennings luvs Julia Hoffman but Barnabas won't have it" segments. Grrrr! They deserved 3 stars, just for the presence of Briscoe).

Yeah, as a kid, those Leviathan episodes were quite disturbing (I used to play with my own version of the Naga box...) and as an adult they seemed campy and forced. But I stuck with the show until Hallie Stokes showed up. I always blamed her for replacing Amy, who subsequently turned into a giant blueberry in "Willie Wonka."

[Heather]

(i.e., he gave MPI Volumes 67 & 68 only 2 stars respectively - the "Tom Jennings luvs Julia Hoffman but Barnabas won't have it" segments. Grrrr! They deserved 3 stars, just for the presence of Briscoe).

 

Honestly...you tell 'em, Sandor!     Really...    lol

-Heather (unapologetically obsessed with that particular time period... The intriguing triangle featuring that kinky vampire and the reluctant yet titilated redheaded doctor - OH YEAH, baby!)

 

[Stuart]

The Leviathan story should have been a lot more interesting than it was.  Jonathan Frid, for instance, was turning in his best performances in ages, the stuff with the kid is deeply creepy, and some of the long-term links with 1897 were fascinating, particularly Julia tracking down Tate.

Problem is, we don't really get that story.  It starts, then the writers seem to lose confidence, and begin wildly changing track, with the result being a very random bunch of half-stories that don't really deliver what the early episodes promise.

I think also the writers didn't do much to ease the transition after spending *way* too long in 1897.  The show had hit its peak viewing figures during that time, so there were segments of the audience who had never experienced DS in the present day.  They make very few concessions for the casual audience - after nine months away, they really needed to restart the present day story afresh and reintroduce the characters properly.

Pity - it was a nice opportunity to get back-to-basics and try a fresh angle.  It could have worked great with some subtle tweaks and a little more long-term investment.

[michael c]

when i posted this i had no idea that mr.hofstede had any other history with the show.i thought it was just a random thing.
so he wrote a book reviewing the show?he's quite funny,i'd be interested to read it.does anyone know where it can be purchased(other than at the fest)?

b.t.w...when i mentioned the classic clunker "supertrain"(#20)i hadn't yet read its chapter.one of the co-producers of this disaster was our friend dan curtis!i don't really remember the show(probably on past my bed-time)but apparently dan's opulent vision for the train included a swimming pool and ballroom that drove the cost per episode to a stunning 1 million dollars(in 1978)!

[Midnite]

when i posted this i had no idea that mr.hofstede had any other history with the show.i thought it was just a random thing.
so he wrote a book reviewing the show?he's quite funny,i'd be interested to read it.does anyone know where it can be purchased(other than at the fest)?

mscbryk,

You can order it from Kathy Resch, P.O. Box 1766, Temple City, CA  91780 <Kathleener@aol.com>.  I paid $12 at a Fest but I've misplaced her current price list so you'll need to ask what she charges plus the shipping cost.

Volumes 1 through 42 of the early eps are reviewed in TWoDS #75/76, and if you're interested you can ask if she has any more.  The reviews in this article are frank but with less humor, yet considering the material that's probably not surprising.  Here's an amusing excerpt from "The Dark Shadows Collector's Series" by David Hofstede that I bet will forever alter how you view a certain scene:

VOLUME 38:  ***
... Now that the existence of Josette has become accepted among the Collinwood folk, it was a mistake to not let her speak, except through a seance. Doing so would not break any precedent--Bill Malloy's ghost had no trouble talking, and it would have avoided awkward scenes like the one Alexandra Moltke is saddled with in episode 3. "What is it, Josette?" "David's in trouble?" "Is that what you're trying to tell me?" says a desperate Vicki, who sounds like she's in an episode of Lassie. "What is it, girl? Timmy's trapped in the well?" "Arf! Arf" As a result, one of the pivotal scenes in the phoenix storyline becomes unintentionally funny.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Here's an amusing excerpt from "The Dark Shadows Collector's Series" by David Hofstede that I bet will forever alter how you view a certain scene:

... "What is it, Josette?" "David's in trouble?" "Is that what you're trying to tell me?" says a desperate Vicki, who sounds like she's in an episode of Lassie. "What is it, girl? Timmy's trapped in the well?" "Arf! Arf" As a result, one of the pivotal scenes in the phoenix storyline becomes unintentionally funny.[/i]

I've never once associated that scene with Lassie - but now! Thanks a lot (to both you and David)!! 


 

[michael c]

fire...bird...stone...the stone!

i rather liked vicki's communications with josette in these scenes...you just knew that when vicki smelled jasmine something was up!

[PennyDreadful]

Nothing even remotely worthy of being included among the dumbest things ever done on television.

It was a loopy dip into the waters of Lovecraftian Sci Fi that never should have happened.....but did. 

  I always kind of dug the Leviathan sequence.  I watched it as a teenager and thought it was pretty darn freaky. I had no idea it was so reviled by a lot of the fandom until I started getting fanzines awhile back.  It wasn't my favorite storyline, but there was a lot of creepy, fun stuff going on in that story.  Hey, it''s DS so it's all cool in my book.

  For the record, Lovecraft isn't really sci-fi.  His stories are generally *very* dark gothic horror/fantasy.  The Leviathans are the DS version of Lovecraft's Old Ones (kind of like ancient evil demonic beings, but not exactly in the traditional Christian sense of the word - i.e. the Leviathans/Old Ones are not fallen angels).

 - Penny Dreadful -

[Gothick]

As is well known, I'm a fan of the Leviathans story.  Despite the nay-sayers, I continue to maintain that it had some of the best episodes of the series--or at least some of the best scenes.  Frid's performance is tight as a drum, the character of Julia is better used than she had been since '67, they bring back Nicholas Blair, Leviathan Liz actually brings some zest back to a character that had been reduced to a sham of her former glory, etc. etc.

If Mr. Hofstede thinks all this is one of the "dumbest" things in US television history, he ought to take a cruise through the serried ranks of today's "reality" programming.  I hope he did at least mention the Anna Nicole Show.  That terrorized me more than 5 years of DS ever did!

G.

[Patti Feinberg]

I too have a few fond moments of Leviathan.
I like that it's 'us' against 'them' (us being Julia  , Qman, TLATKLS and Stokes), them being Leviathanized.

I think it was a fairly well played roll for Joan Bennett (as much as she was given).

I personally thought the Chas Delaware Troll thing duffy, but, that's just me .

As usual, towards the end, I thoroughly enjoyed Nancy Barrett.

Patti