You know, I was just watching a pre-Barnabas episode the other night. It was during the Bill Malloy murder mystery, and Elizabeth was very upset with Victoria for supposedly abandoning her duties as governess. Liz was so upset she even mentioned to Carolyn that she was going to fire Victoria.

This just doesn't strike me as the actions of a long-lost mother who has finally reunited with her secret daughter. I agree with those who say the writing of the earlier episodes tends more towards Elizabeth not being Victoria's mother, but knowing a good deal about the girl's origins.

Emotionally I'm very attracted to the idea of Elizabeth as Vicki's mother, but intellectually, I just can't make that leap, despite Joan Bennett's belief in the relationship. Clues in the early episodes just seem to point elsewhere (like the Betty Hanscomb portrait), though I still believe Victoria almost HAD to have some relationship to the Collins family, and that Elizabeth was the one behind those monthly checks to the foundling home. So count me as one of the few undecided voters.

That's really fascinating, MB! There really doesn't seem to be any hint that Victoria might be a Collins, at least thus far in the series. It might be fun to take a look at those comics, if they're still available anywhere.

I too really wish there was more character development. But I don't have a real problem with them not explaining why the Collins family is rich - since we know they've had money for years, I'm not sure it would come up naturally so early in the series. Maybe it's just my imagination, but didn't Carolyn mention to Vicki (maybe in the first episode) that nobody knows how many rooms Collinwood has, and most of them are shut up anyway? While I think it's a bit weird for the family to be so incurious about how many rooms their own ancestral home has, most of them being closed up might explain why there aren't many servants.

Agreed with all, Carolyn is weird, and her teeth-sucking, hip-swinging performance certainly does send mixed signals about what the actress is trying to portray. Elizabeth isn't given enough to do, and we really don't know why Victoria Winters is there, what's up with Roger or why David is so hostile. It's all a bit frustrating, but I find it also makes me curious as to what might be revealed.

Barnabas (or maybe a Barnabas/Victoria relationship) is clearly meant to be at the center of the series, and I have to think that if they'd continued, the writers (particularly if they'd had DC breathing down their necks) would have found a way to keep Barnabas (or the B/V 'ship) as the focus of the show. They do seem to have chemistry, and the portrait of Josette looking like Victoria raises lots of questions that they could've taken a long time to answer. Maybe Victoria was drawn to Collinwood because it's where she lived her past life; maybe she could sense that her lover from the 18th century was returning home. That's what I tend to read into it.

Does anyone else think it's strange that the Old House is just sitting there on the property, mouldering? Or that David would be allowed to play in an old wreck like that? And whoever mentioned that it's hard to tell the Old House from Collinwood? I get them confused too - they look like the same place.

Only a week now until we get started! I'm excited to get a chance to chat with old DS friends like Philippe Cordier (hi, formerly Vlad!) as well as the newer, enthusiastic forum members like Taeylor Collins. And I know Mysterious Benefactor is a big fan of the revival as well, and he always has great knowledge and comments about the show.

It will be a little challenging not to compare to the old series - but it will be fun, I think, to look at the show on its own merits.

My husband and I watched DS 1991 a couple years ago and we really liked the story and most of the actors. Some of the production aspects were troubling (esp. the day for night shots that were apparently not properly remastered for the dvd release). But we were able to overlook those flaws because it was a good production overall.

I have such fond memories of the original airing of the 1991 show. I was just finishing up college and watched Dark Shadows with my roomie and usually a whole crew of friends - there was lots of beer and popcorn. Everyone would be on edge when the show would end on a cliffhanger, and I remember thinking the Barnabas/Victoria-Josette romance was swoony. Did it air on Sunday nights? I seem to remember that, for some reason.

The revival series really sparked my interest in the original show, and well, here I am now - huge fan of both versions. Now if I could just make it to the fest one year.

BTW, out of curiosity, does anyone know if there was ever a fest specifically geared to the 1991 series? Seems like I've heard some of the folks from the revival showed up to original series fests, back in the 90's.

The 80's synth-pop band Book of Love had a song called "Witchcraft" that has always reminded me of DS. It's a song about casting a spell on an unrequited love. There's even a direct reference in the lyrics: "Angelique takes Barnabas/From Josette/With spiders ten".

Guess I can't really claim that it reminds me of Dark Shadows for some unknown reason. 

OK. Two DS actresses who have been very good friends for years are at completely opposite ends of the political spectrum.

At the risk of appearing deliberately obtuse, I must say that your comment piqued my curiousity, MB. You aren't by any chance talking about two actresses who onscreen shared a mistress and servant relationship, are you? And if so, do their political views correspond somewhat to those roles?

Yay! It really warms the cockles of my heart (whatever those are) to learn that an intelligent, articulate 14-year-old is way into Dark Shadows! Glad to know that the show will live on. It's great to hear what you think about the show, Goober!

I guess I'm a second generation fan (45 yrs old); although I saw a bit of the show as a kid, really got into it during the Sci-Fi run. Oh, and btw - the head of Judah Zachery ruined me when I was 7 or 8. Still scared of disembodied heads. 

A few friends (and my husband) have been known to watch it with me, but it's more of a curiousity to them than anything else. Oh, they enjoy it and everything, and will sometimes ask to watch it when we're hanging out, but they're not seeking it out on their own.

I do have two friends who are into Dark Shadows, but both of them are a little older than I and are actually first generation run-home-from-school fans. Each of them has a couple dvd sets, and when we see each other (we live in different cities), we watch. Always trying to convince them to get more of the dvd's. Maybe now I know what to get them for Xmas! 

I've always thought Roxanne was kind of a knock-out, not at all plain, but more of a stealth beauty - she grows on you. The shag hairdo suited her, and I've always loved red hair.

True, PT Roxanne was dull as dishwater in the personality department, but RT (vampire) Roxanne had quite a bit of spark, IMHO.

The Roxanne of 1840 had an interesting and independent personality before she fell afoul of Angelique. And she really looked lovely the way they dressed her and fixed her hair - like a flame-haired porcelain doll.

I've always wished that if they would have found a way to bring Donna Wandrey back as Roxanne or some other character if the show had ever returned to real time.