Nathan Forbes started out a good-hearted cad and ended up something rather different. I think his change in behavior had more to do with the rest of what was going on than with any interest the writers had in Nathan. Nathan Forbes was essentially used as a prop and tool to accomodate the more central Barnabas/Collins family/Duprey/Angelique storylines. That's why his whole personality is so confusing. All-in-all though JC managed to give a credible performance throughout the character's changes and really memorable at that. Nathan Forbes is one of DS's more memorable and charming monsters that they excel in. Nicholas Blair is another example of the type. Angelique as well.

I would have liked to have seen Barnabas make his way back to 1794 or 1793, correct or battle the wrongs that were done with Angelique, and then marry Josette and stay in his own time where he belongs

I would have backburned Barnabas for months but have him come back sometimes as a ghost, or when someone - maybe Julia, contacts him for support on something. Example: maybe Barnabas left some "vampire legacy" in 1968 and the dynamic duo of Julia and Vickie fight them off.  I'd keep Barnabas and Julia friends througout time, with Josette's permission, of course.

I'd pair Julia Hoffman with another cool guy and maybe marry her to a local Collinsport businessman.

I'd keep the Collins family going. Put Carolyn in college, give her a good job and a first tier story.

I guess I'd have Maggie and Joe finally marry and create a new major family group unit. Not sure what I'd do with Maggie's development ...

David would need upgrading

I'd try to focus on the human element but still keep the vampire thing going with some new and interesting victims trying to escape the curse that originated with Angelique

Angelique will continue to be the demon female warrior who makes a frigtening appearance so often but I'd keep her away from Barnabas and Josette

Have some alternative time stories where Julia visits Barnabas. Barnabas and Josette are happy, raise a family and lead a relatively normal life - but Barnabas remembers all that happened to him as a vampire and never forgets. This clouds his personality. He never quite confides his experiences with Josette but she suspects something terrible happened to him.

I have to disagree. Frid was a phenomenal actor, and you've given him some credit for that. However, he was a classically-trained stage actor, and this was a new genre for him. Soap actors will tell you that they virtually have to do a play a day, a pretty daunting challenge for any actor.

The "ad-libbing" comments are interesting. I'm not sure if the ability to ad-lib has all that much to do with acting talent. Obviously, as a soap actor, it's very helpful. I've read that Tony Geary from General Hospital ad-libs all over the place. However, I was also reading how Art Carney, the great TV and movie actor from "The Honeymooners" could not ad-lib and hated that when he was on stage for the original "Odd Couple" Walter Matthau (who played Oscar to Carney's Felix) tended to ad-lib which that would really throw him off balance with his own acting. Apparently, it was this reason he wasn't too keen on playing with Matthau in the movie version. Jack Lemmon got that project. I totally respect and admire Art Carney's talent, he's the best. So, can't really say that ad-libbing is a sign of credible acting ability. It's just a quirk some people can do and some can't.

It's worth noting that in an interview somewhere or other (I have read so many, I honestly can't recall the source), Jonathan Frid praised Clarice Blackburn and basically said that it was entirely thanks to her solid support that he got through "that first day"!

You know what! I think Jonathan Frid was talking about Joan Bennett and NOT Clarice Blackburn and I was majorly dissapointed in hearing it!  I also felt CB was superb and deserved high praise. Not that Joan Bennett wasn't fine, but CB added something quite special to that classic scene.

I adore Frid most of the time but he's pretty darn awful in 1968. I've been glancing at one of those tapes and am astounded just how lost and baffled Frid looks. Normally his line-flubbing doesn't bother me a bit, but in 1968 he barely seems to be cognizant of his surroundings. Maybe it was sheer exhaustion by that point.

In comparison, Humbert Astredo is marvelous as the oily Nicholas Blair and definately the high-point of 1968 but, then again, he was fresh on the scene and probably didn't have the pressures Frid had. Also, in all fairness .. Barnabas must have been a trying and difficult role to play, both physically and emotionally. Maybe the brilliance of his 1795 performances took everything out of him. I mean, it couldn't have been easy.

I find 1968 spotty and unpleasant because Frid's not at his best. Though I can get into Nicholas Blair and his relationship with Maggie and his devilish bantering with the even more lethal Angelique (still think she's the real monster of DS). Robert Rodan is a fine actor and I like Adam's relationship with Carolyn. NOT into warewolf stuff or experiments but there is some good casting in Don B. and his sister Amy but I agree that the guy who played Dr. Lang is terrible.

I know that scene well. Just wait what happens next ... One thing that is truly remarkable about 1795 is how Frid was able to express these powerful emotions and a gothic-type sensibility without appearing silly or overly theatrical, and it holds true today. I've often stated on this board that TV will probably never see the likes of it again. DS/1795 was a minor TV romantic fable classic and Frid rightly deserves a large chunk of that credit. He outdid himself and I don't care how many lines he flubbed throughout the series, Frid could soar.

I feel like a broken record here, but definately Josette's fate and Barnabas' fate as well. Awful what happened to the both of them ... and, now that I'm on the subject - the whole fate of the 1795 Collins crown including poor good-hearted Jeremiah. He certainly never deserved what he got, neither did Sarah.

I remember seeing LP on a Nightstalker episode as a witch type person. She must have been typecast to some extent. KLS would have been perfect in another soap. I wonder why she didn't go that route?