Ok, here's one to give everyone even MORE of a calculation headache
(Norman, Coordinate, anyone?). Not only are there generations of fans, but there are generations of when one became involved in FANDOM.
For instance, I started watching the show as a kid with the Chris Jennings werewolf/beginning of the Ghosts of Quentin and Beth storylines. That makes me an original "run home from school to watch" fan. BUT, I got involved in Science Fiction and Media fandom startiing with discovering Star Trek zines in 1975 -- but didn't rediscover Dark Shadows until many years later. In 2001 I was jobhunting and caught the show from the last ep, knowing that the next day would be the first episode. By the time 1897 rolled around I had gone from "it'll be nice to see this from the beginning and see what I missed" to, at a certain point in the 1897 storyline, getting on line after watching the timeshifted eps, desperate to fiind more fanfiction and discussion groups.
Hmm, that might be an idea for its own thread.....
Jeannie