Nice article, Phil.
Personally, I (and I will try not to use the words "us" or "we" when referring to just my own opinion) don't feel in the slightest bit betrayed. I was drawn to TOS in 1966 (my first exposure was the Dr. Guthrie period), and have loved every minute of it. The only time I have felt disappointed by an incarnation of DS is when it was cancelled or failed to catch on. As a creative person, I have always understood that storytelling is open to change, just as our lives must be. DS is an amalgam of classic stories, created by DC and others out of the very sense of novelty and change that Burton and Depp are known for in many of their film treatments.
Dan Curtis had said that Barnabas Collins was originally intended to be "a Dracula" with nothing but evil to motivate his (intended) brief stay on DS. That original vision was changed ("betrayed?") to accommodate JF's popular interpretation of the role. Creative visions are changed all the time. Fans have expressed their very different visions of the show in fanfic, videos, mash-ups, and even musical compositions!
I agree that change can be upsetting, off-putting and even scary. It can also be exhilarating and liberating. I choose to live in the latter vein as much as I can, and even if I were upset with the changes that the Depp/Burton film will bring (I'm not), I realize that I don't have the power to "control" these things, nor would I want to. As an entertainment, Dark Shadows belongs in my heart (and it will always stay there for me), as a creative entity, it belongs to the Estate of Dan Curtis (that's his living, breathing daughters, not just some corporate monolith) and anyone they choose to allow to interpret it. That's fair, folks. Even though it doesn't always feel that way.
It's great for me that TOS ( and I find it amazing that we can call it that because of other reboots brought on by its enduring qualities), the phenomenon that drew me in to this lifetime interest in all things dramatic, gothic, and historical (and sometimes even hysterical, lol), will always be there no matter what. By the way, whatever else you or I may think of him, Jim Pierson is in no small way responsible for the availability of that original franchise to all of us. And I have to admit, he's got my dream job (except for the criticisms he has to catch)- he spends a good deal of time immersed in the business of DS! Thanks for the hard work Jim! (and, no, I don't know him or have any financial arrangement with him, lol)
One of the creative impulses is an address of the question, "what if . . ?" It opens the mind and heart to the possibilities waiting both in the imagination and the World At Large. Dan Curtis asked this when he awoke from his Dream and began to set in motion the meetings, etc. that would make DS a reality(in the production sense). Burton and Depp have addressed a different "what if..?", different, but no less novel and creative than the first, asked way back in '66.
I have been involved in the theatre (yes, I spell it that funny way) for 30 years now, and though I didn't like or appreciate every one of the scores of productions I have seen or been involved with, I have always respected the honest efforts of those who were intrepid enough to "put on a show." Maybe it's a professional obligation for me, but I try to keep an open mind.
Just my two cents- I respect everyone's opinion here, and I am always heartened by the overwhelmingly civil discourse that goes on on this board, as opposed to some other venues. "We" should all be proud of that accomplishment, no matter what our views.
Petofi