How did you take it?

[ROBINV]

I was 16.  My closest friend, Cheryl, called me early in the morning, before school started, to inform me that the morning paper had a short article stating that DS was going off the air as of April 2.  I remember my heart started to pound and I couldn't catch my breath at first.  I asked if she was sure, and she quietly said yes.  I knew she disapproved of my DS obsession, although she used to watch, too, and somehow, I just couldn't stay on the phone with her.   We hung up, and I felt like a ghost for the rest of the day, like someone who didn't really exist anymore.

I watched DS every day with the same fervor as I always had.  I audiotaped the show on a cruddy cassette recorder (and still have the tapes)!   I steeled myself for the separation from the show (to me more like losing a beloved person), which had been part of my life for nearly five years.  I prayed something would happen to change it, and even went to church with my friend Sue to pray for that to happen.  (I was Jewish, but didn't attend temple, so that was the next best thing).  

I remember taping the final show on my cassette recorder, crying from beginning to end.  I had also hoped they would return to the present day characters so we'd at least get to say goodbye, but that didn't happen, sadly.  

On Monday, I, too, checked to see of Password had REALLY replaced my beloved show (isn't it funny how many of us did this?--hope springs eternal), and to this day cannot watch it, anytime, anywhere.  

I mourned DS for a very long time, and certainly never thought I'd see it again.  However, I went away to college and in 1975, was thrilled to hear the familiar music floating from my black and white TV set in my dorm room--DS had returned to me!  Over the years, it was syndicated several times, but I never got to see the entire almost five years of the show until the Sci Fi channel brought it to us.  In 1996, I discovered on-line fandom and felt like I was a teen again, only now I had friends all over the world who love DS as much as I do.

So that sad 16 year old girl got a happy ending, anyway!

Love, Robin  

[Birdie]

Back from vacation.  It is going to take me days to catch up on DS.  I remember being so devastated when my Mother told me that Dark Shadows was going off the air.  I tape the last episode on a tape recorder that looked very much like the one Dr. Lang used.  Let's just say I did a much better job with it.  The tape recorder is gone.  It most likely is in the attic at my older sisters house.  It was her recorder.  Someday she might crank it up and low and behold she will hear some music and the voices we would know in a minute.  She would be expecting to hear recordings of the lovely voices of her teenage friends in a CYC show.  

Birdie

[jennifer]

Back from vacation.  It is going to take me days to catch up on DS.  I remember being so devastated when my Mother told me that Dark Shadows was going off the air.  I tape the last episode on a tape recorder that looked very much like the one Dr. Lang used.  Let's just say I did a much better job with it.  The tape recorder is gone.  It most likely is in the attic at my older sisters house.  It was her recorder.  Someday she might crank it up and low and behold she will hear some music and the voices we would know in a minute.  She would be expecting to hear recordings of the lovely voices of her teenage friends in a CYC show.  

Birdie

good to have you back hope you had fun!
jennifer

[Julianka7]

I was crushed!