If you look at the history of Dark Shadows it has had an amazing run TOS, the early 70's movies, 1991 revival, and attempt in 2004 for WB and finally the film.

With that said I truly believe it's used up its nine lives because of the film. Because the film was this bizarre hybrid between a drama and dark comedy I think it probably failed to please both camps. I can't imagine you would ever be able to get more than half of the viewers back for any type of sequel.

Sometype of TV revival is most likely the only hope and that would have to be a ways off to try and get people to gradually forget the film...probably the best place for a new DS would be on the AMC network. They choose their shows carefully and are generally very well crafted. It would be an excellent companion piece for The Walking Dead. Even so I think the mistep of the film has probably killed any chance for a resurrection for all time.

A lot of people mark the 1795 storyline as the highwater mark of the series (I know I do) it was near perfection...the only problem I have is the notion that Joshua escapes dying from Angelique's curse that anyone who loves Barnabas shall die.

At the end of the storyline they present the notion that Joshua doesn't love his son but c'mon his actions don't add up to that idea. All he did to try and help Barnabas...summoning Bathia Mapes (poor woman...I felt sorry for her) and ultimately chaining Barnabas up rather than destroying him. Sounds like love to me.

Funny you should post this because I was thinking of posting pretty much the same question as I got a kick out of Ben telling Barnabas he buried so and so's body in the woods-making me too wonder exactly how many bodies there are "out there".

Here is one from me: [spoiler]Jason McGuire's body is buried in the secret room...only refered to once indirectly when Barnabas and Julie are in the secret room and he threatens Julie that perhaps she would like to stay here along with....and his voice trails off[/spoiler]

It's been a while since I've watched my VHS tapes so I am wondering from any fans who have
recently viewed the show how these threats were resolved-

Before the 1795 flashback David knows Barnabas's secret and is terrified. Does he still know
afterwards and how does he relate to Barnabas.

Barnabas was cured by Lang shortly after the 1795 episodes-Does Carolyn forget about knowing Barnabas's secret?

Why does Elizabeth allow Julia to stay at Collinwood after revealing that she was a Doctor all along?

Is there ever any mention of Sarah again as the whole seance was to contact her?

At what point do Barnabas and Julie actually become friends? Pre 1795 he was out to get her and she was hiding a diary with Tony in case of her death.

Speaking of  Tony-did he ever have a substantial storyline in present time again like he did in the episodes just before the flashback?

Thanks in advance to any cousins who know these answers!

(edited by mod: + spoiler icon)

iit's true that during the first year all of the characters(the collins family,vicki,burke,the folks down at the evans' cottage)have their own storylines and subplots.
...

it makes one wonder what the writers had mapped out for the other characters has barnabas not taken off the way he did.what would have been next for liz after the jason storyline has she not been sidelined?

as for joan and louis i think that in general they did better in the historical time periods(god bless naomi and judith!).the writers seemed a bit unsure about how to use liz and roger in the "present" once the show went into supernatural overdrive.that said they did provide some much-needed normalcy and continuity to the otherwise nutty situations.

That's a great question as to what exactly lie ahead if Barnabas had been staked. I really wonder what the writers had in mind?

Agreed about the inability on knowing what to do with Liz & Roger in present day sequences-there was nothing "meaty" for them at all.

Another sad thing about the end of the Jason storyline (aside from the loss of the fantastic Dennis Patrick) was that Jason dropped a major bomb that he was in the vicinity 18 years ago and seemed to know something about Vicki's parentage...and then wham...there was never any chance for that thread to be followed up and perhaps provide answers to who was Vicki Winters!

Hi, new to the board...just  found the site recently and love it. A lot of great topics...

I just want to say that the Jason storyline kind of got short shrift...especially with the early VHS release trimming it down.

In 1982 when DS was syndicated I tuned in its first week but got an episode set at the Blue Whale with Maggie, Joe ect and was dissapointed. The next day I gave it one more chance and it was the Jason storyline that hooked me in, and then Barnabas showed up like on that Friday and the show kept getting better and better.

I really think DS was better for having the Jason/Barnabas storyline alternating-the Jason story during the daylight hours and Barnabas at night. I even believe that some of the Jason shows were more interesting during the lengthy time Maggie was held captive.

What is most striking to me was that with the end of the  Jason storyline was really, truly, the last time that Collins that dwelled in Collinwood atually had a storyline "all to their own" for the rest of the run they were basically there to prop up whatever Barnabas or Quinton storyline was running and I thought that was unfair to Joan, Louis, Nancy and Alexandra.

Perhaps the show should have tried to keep two concurrent storylines going...