"What If..."

[Miles]

Inspired by the Marvel Comic Series of the same name, this thread will attempt to delve into the world of the unknown, a world that should maybe left alone, the world of "what ifs".

In other words, what crazy events that never happened could have changed Dark Shadows as we know it today, and what would be the outcome?  There's a world of possibilities out there...

For example: What if KLS had been cast as Victoria Winters, and Alexandra Moltke as Maggie?  

or...

What if Johnathan Frid became fed up with his role on the show and left after his stint as guest villain?

(Now that everyones making these VAM-style threads, I figured, hey, why not?)

[VAM]

(Now that everyones making these VAM-style threads, I figured, hey, why not?)

I am honored...highest form of flattery...Thank you Miles-23!

[JWGucciEnvy]

What If Alexandra Moltke didnt leave?

Vickie would for sure find out who her mother was, of course it was Liz.  Vickie realizes that she is a Collins.  That goodness she didnt marry Barbarnas.  

Actually I think if Alexandra Moltke stay with the show, and gave her new roles like in 1897 saga, the show wouldnt have gone of course like it did towards the end of the run.

But thats just me.

P.S.  I am very familiar with the What if...comic book...One of my favorites.

[kuanyin]

I'm going to assume that both Alexandra Moltke and TLTKLS were both good enough that if they had been given the other's part we wouldn't have thought a thing of it.

I sincerely wish that Mitch Ryan and Robert Gerringer had been able to remain in their roles. And I wish Moltke could have returned in a different role. Don Briscoe and Joel Crothers both left too soon also. AND, I wish Quentin could have been in it from the get go. I can't imagine how they would have written him into the beginning, with the far different type of show they were doing, but just getting to look at him longer would make it wonderful. Oh, speaking of the beginning, I wish the character of Sam Malloy could have stuck around and been a love interest for Liz.

[ProfStokes]

What if the show hadn't gone off the air in 1971?  Many new adventures could have been continued in the present day.

On a more unnerving note for me, what if certain parts had never been recast?  What if George Mitchell had remained Matthew Morgan and Thayer David had never joined the cast?

What if Peter Turgeon had been cast as Julian Hoffman?

What if TLATKLS had remained on the show?  The powerful character of Samantha Collins would have been drastically different.

I'm sure there are dozens of other scenarios, and I'll keep thinking. This is an excellent thread, Miles-23!

ProfStokes

[VAM]

I'm going to assume that both Alexandra Moltke and TLTKLS were both good enough that if they had been given the other's part we wouldn't have thought a thing of it.

. AND, I wish Quentin could have been in it from the get go. I can't imagine how they would have written him into the beginning, with the far different type of show they were doing, but just getting to look at him longer would make it wonderful. Oh, speaking of the beginning, I wish the character of Sam Malloy could have stuck around and been a love interest for Liz.

I agree that the role reversal between MoltKe and KLS would not have made much difference. Ms. Scott ended up taking on the role as governess later in the Series. With regards to the Quentin character, he could have started the Series as a brother of Liz and Roger. We would of had two characters  resembling ancestors-Quentin and Barnabas. What fun and confusion! Making Sam Malloy stay around as a love interest would have made Bennett's role as Liz less monotonous at times. But who would have menaced Matthew Morgan?

[MikeS]

So many possibilities...

If Alexandra Moltke hadn't left...Hopefully, they would have resolved the question of Vicki"s parentage.  But another question that comes to mind is what would have happened to the character of Maggie.  With Vicki still there, she wouldn't have become governess at Collinwood.  With both her father and boyfriend gone, what would they have done with the character?

If Joel Crothers, and later, KLS hadn't left, would they have eventually reunited Joe and Maggie?  I'd like to think so, as they were my favorite Dark Shadows couple.

If Don Briscoe hadn't left, how would they have resolved the story of Chris' werewolf curse?

And lastly, what if Jonathan Frid hadn't insisted on playing a new character as a condition of his remaining with the show?  Would they have ended the show with a story set in regular time, which IMHO would have provided a more satisfactory ending to the series.

A very thought-provoking question, Miles-23!