Acting natural

[Barnabas'sBride]

I don't think DS was ever intended to be camp, and I've never thought of it as campy. I'm not much of a fan of the Adam storyline (too many outside characters from the Collins family, don't care for the take on Frankenstein....) and a lover of the Barnabas B&W-1795 episodes. I do think there was a significant change in tone/direction after 1795 with the Adam storyline, and I don't care for it. I don't think of it as a "camp" thing though.

If I had started watching the show during the Adam storyline...I'd have probably stuck with it (and would've been pleased when 1897 rolled around), but I'm not sure if I would've developed the same love for the show and the characters as I did upon seeing the earlier episodes.

[Nancy]

But almost any article written that I have read that refers to Dark Shadows as being Campy conveys this point clearly. They aren't referring to the storylines. They are referring to the actors and actresses and how they portrayed their parts on the show in those storylines. So when I hear the term camp. That is what comes to mind and I think that is so unfair.

Great point.  With one or two possible exceptions, I believe the DS actors played their respective roles very seriously.

But now here's a question:  If Dark Shadows had been written in any other way using different stories than the Vampire, Frankenstein, Warlock, Werewolf and the Witch story. Would it have still been the same show and would we still be interested in watching it almost 40 years later?

I know I wouldn't have watched it but for the spooky element.  I don't care for soaps in general now and I didn't back then either though I tried watching a few with some older friends.  I didn't develop interest in that genre at all.

Nancy

[Barnabas'sBride]

I'm not a soap opera fan either. It was definitely the difference in DS (the gothic mood, the supernatural aspects) that continued to draw me in (Barnabas played the biggest role in that though), and this is coming from someone who prefers pre-Adam DS to post-Adam DS - with exceptions like the 1897 storyline.

I could never watch regular soaps. Too ordinary.

[AndreDuPres]

I could never watch regular soaps. Too ordinary.

I know what you mean:  I've seen General Hospital and Days of Our Lives on Soapnet when nothing better was on, but they're so...bland.  I can't tell the difference amongst the characters; they all seem so similar, whereas DS has so many wonderfully unique personas.  DS just has a certain flair or ambience to it, and I think all the various characters (along with their actors), not the crazy storylines, played a big role in its success.

[PennyDreadful]

  I don't have any interest in soap operas either.  I could never get into them.  Although I did try watching 'All My Children' years ago, in hopes of catching a glimpse of Louis Edmonds! 

[michael c]

i don't do "straight" soaps either but i thought early d.s. had enough of a sense of mystery and gothic feel that it would have probably held my attention even without the overt supernatural stuff.

i did watch 'all my children' though when i was a kid(before i'd ever heard of d.s.)and from what i remember louis edmonds played some sort of traveling-carnival riff-raff who manages to snag the town's grande dame pheobe wallingford.

[Patti Feinberg]

from what i remember louis edmonds played some sort of traveling-carnival riff-raff who manages to snag the town's grande dame pheobe wallingford.

lolololol....thanks for the fond memory mscbryk....who remembers the lout, the scoundrel??

I had mentioned recently on a different topic how, it seems to me, soaps are trying to pick up on the popularity of 'horror' shows (like Charmed, BtVS, etc). Soaps like Port Charles and Passions....so, it's not just you

Patti

[Barnabas'sBride]

I watched Port Charles very briefly when Caleb was on, but never maintained any long term interest in it. I watched it out of curiosity. I never cared to watch Passions. It does seem that soaps have tried out the supernatural because of more successful supernatural primetime shows, like Buffy.

[BuzzH]

This show is great with an audience that appreciates the camp as much as you do.

This is so true!  And why I love watching DS w/other fans, and why it's fun to watch them at Festivals too.  Nothing quite beats an entire hotel ballroom erupting w/laughter at a scene that wasn't intended to be funny!  

[BuzzH]

I have to admit, one of the reasons I absolutely adore this show is the "camp". I don't think it was ever written to be camp, definitely not. But the absolute silliness of some scenes is highly endearing, you can't help but love the actors for being able to carry the show with such seriousness. I have never laughed at the show for being stupid, I have always laughed with affection.

I totally agree w/you Arashi.  Everyone knows the show was *meant* to be serious, but often it does, albeit, accidentally, come off as campy!  I laugh uproariously at every episode-there's always *something* that's hilarious, whether intentional or not.  But, like Arashi, I laugh w/affection, not derision.  You could say I laugh WITH the show, not AT it.  

[BuzzH]

The Bramwell/Catherine story was OK too.

Finally!  Someone *else* who liked this plotline!  I *loved* 1841 PT!  I'm definately in the minority about it too.  Most ppl's beef w/it is that a) all the characters were new and b) the show ended w/this plotline, leaving us wondering what happened to Barnabas, Julia and company, but I like that it didn't end w/any clearly defined direction for any of the "regular" characters.  Just think of all that wonderful fan fiction out there!

But getting back to 1841, one of my favorite books is Wuthering Heights, so of course this story would appeal to me.  Plus, it was an interesting twist to see Jonathan pining for and chasing Lara for a change, LOL!  And he looked *so* good as Bramwell too, long flowing hair etc...and what *passion* those two had.  I could go on and on and on....

[IluvBarnabas]

The supernatural aspect of the show is what drew me to the show (along with my favorite vampire  .

Watching Dark Shadows is like watching live theater....we all know it was shot live on tape. The actors would make mistakes with their lines, sets would fall down, or wiggle but you never lost interest in the stories.

Dark Shadows was unique, it's a show in my opinion, full of supernatural fairy tells. It's so mysterious, so gothic which sets it apart from the soaps of today.

(Bit off-topic I have heard Passions is somewhat like Dark Shadows, minus the bloopers....it this true? Does it measure up to my favorite show? Maybe I should give it a try...)

[rainingwolf]

You mentioned Passions, IluvBarnabus---I used to watch it. In the beginning it was pretty good-different than DS, but fun. I quit watching a few months back because it got so mysoginistic; women seting other women up to be raped, women cutting on themselves because "their man" didn't love them, physical abuse of women by men, etc. Just got too creepy-sick for me. I think they changed writers though, and I haven't watched recently. Hopefully Tabitha (Juliet Mills) and her toddler-daughter Endora are back making mischief and giving the show a lighter touch again. Does't come close to DS, though, IMHO.

[IluvBarnabas]

You mentioned Passions, IluvBarnabus---I used to watch it. In the beginning it was pretty good-different than DS, but fun. I quit watching a few months back because it got so mysoginistic; women seting other women up to be raped, women cutting on themselves because "their man" didn't love them, physical abuse of women by men, etc. Just got too creepy-sick for me. I think they changed writers though, and I haven't watched recently. Hopefully Tabitha (Juliet Mills) and her toddler-daughter Endora are back making mischief and giving the show a lighter touch again. Does't come close to DS, though, IMHO.

Thanks for the info, rainingwolf. Sounds like it's become no different than any other soaps of today. Think I'll pass on it.