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Current Talk '17 I / Re: An Odd Day for DS Fans
« on: April 05, 2017, 01:27:40 PM »
This article was originally posted last year on Wallace McBride's DS blog, but I don't recall having seen it. It was reposted earlier this week on a DS Facebook page that's on my roster:
http://www.collinsporthistoricalsociety.com/2016/04/who-killed-dark-shadows.html
Interesting that the author found an interview with Jay Duffy where the latter took credit for axing our show. That was new to me, though doubtless others are long familiar with this material.
Credit or no, it's been my personal belief for many years now that Dan Curtis took the initiative to get the show off the air. A number of the lead actors also wanted to move on. Curtis wanted to move into directing movies and, as we know, he was extremely possessive about DS. "If I can't have you, nobody can!" He did designate Lela Swift as Producer during the final months, and apparently she also took over his unofficial role as story consultant if not actually dictating how the plot went (I am not sure how this all played out--it was stated in one of the fan newsletters towards the end that Lela came up with the idea of the big reveal at the end of 1840 where Barnabas made a certain controversial declaration regarding another major character).
G.
http://www.collinsporthistoricalsociety.com/2016/04/who-killed-dark-shadows.html
Interesting that the author found an interview with Jay Duffy where the latter took credit for axing our show. That was new to me, though doubtless others are long familiar with this material.
Credit or no, it's been my personal belief for many years now that Dan Curtis took the initiative to get the show off the air. A number of the lead actors also wanted to move on. Curtis wanted to move into directing movies and, as we know, he was extremely possessive about DS. "If I can't have you, nobody can!" He did designate Lela Swift as Producer during the final months, and apparently she also took over his unofficial role as story consultant if not actually dictating how the plot went (I am not sure how this all played out--it was stated in one of the fan newsletters towards the end that Lela came up with the idea of the big reveal at the end of 1840 where Barnabas made a certain controversial declaration regarding another major character).
G.