Count Petofi

[Garth Blackwood]

***SPOILERS***

Before Petofi re-attached his hand, he said that when it was removed he was given 100 years to get it back. He also made a reference indicating that if he were successful, he would be granted immortality. So there is no way Petofi died in the fire with Garth Blackwood right? His eyeglasses were out there, but he must have gotten away without them or something ...

If DS had gone on they should've re-included him in the plot. Maybe show some scenes outside of Collinsport where Chris Jennings is wandering the earth looking for Petofi and eventually finds him in Alexandria (LOL!) or something, and then ends up making a terrible deal with him in exchange for a cure.

[Gerard]

To me, it appeared that the writers did leave it a tad "unanswered" if Petofi really did die in the fire.  From what I've heard or read, there were some notions about bringing him back but it never went beyond the initial idea stage.

Gerard

[IluvBarnabas]

Had the show gone on, I think Petofi just may have made a return appearance. I always thought it would have been cool if Petofi had come back to assist Gerard's ghost (under the guise of trying to exorcise him) to destroy the Collins family.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I always thought it would have been cool if Petofi had come back to assist Gerard's ghost (under the guise of trying to exorcise him) to destroy the Collins family.

That could have been fun.    Just imagine Judah Zachery and Petofi together.    Though I suspect there would have ultimately been a power struggle between them because neither strikes me as someone who plays nicely with others - not even a supposed ally - and certainly not someone on equal footing/with equal power.

[Doug]

If only the writers can go back and do what we wish, when it comes to Petofi.

[Gothick]

What a great topic!  It's interesting to see favorable discussion here of Count Petofi's return on the show.  The perception among the writers and the crew was that the Petofi storyline in 1897 dragged on way too long for the patience of viewers--this was blamed for a perceived initial drop in ratings.  The Petofi/Quentin body switch storyline which lasted a month and featured some really way-out plot twists (and one of my personal all-time favorite moments on DS--that shot of the DS skeleton tarted up in Wanda Paisley's tea-gown, wig, and big feathery aigrette--not to mention the whole return-of-Judith storyline, which I LOVE) was blamed in particularly for turning into a major turn-off for much of the viewership.  From what I can determine, it seems to me that they received a lot of hate-mail from the fans complaining about this, and the root of the complaints may have really been Jonathan Frid's one month vacation from the show, not the Petofi story and character in particular.

Anyhow, I definitely agree that a return of Count Petofi during the never-produced 1971 storyline would have been most welcome.

G.

[arashi]

I wonder what the consensus is nowadays among the fans? Are there people out there who really *wouldn't* welcome the return of Petofi to the series? Such a storyline could have opened up a whole new direction for the show to go with.

Yeah it's the return of an old nemesis (again) but Petofi wasn't the typical DS villan.... he didn't have any ties the Devil or the Underworld that we knew of, he was just a bad seed for his own designs.

[Doug]

the root of the complaints may have really been Jonathan Frid's one month vacation from the show, not the Petofi story and character in particular.

I've read something about Frid wanted to take a month off from the show, due to exhaustion.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The perception among the writers and the crew was that the Petofi storyline in 1897 dragged on way too long for the patience of viewers--this was blamed for a perceived initial drop in ratings.  The Petofi/Quentin body switch storyline which lasted a month and featured some really way-out plot twists (and one of my personal all-time favorite moments on DS--that shot of the DS skeleton tarted up in Wanda Paisley's tea-gown, wig, and big feathery aigrette--not to mention the whole return-of-Judith storyline, which I LOVE) was blamed in particularly for turning into a major turn-off for much of the viewership.  From what I can determine, it seems to me that they received a lot of hate-mail from the fans complaining about this, and the root of the complaints may have really been Jonathan Frid's one month vacation from the show, not the Petofi story and character in particular.

I've seen this supposed drop in ratings during the mind-switch mentioned on Internet message boards, but I can't ever recall reading it anywhere else. Can anyone cite a specific place other than on the Internet where it's discussed?

I can definitely say that I've never read a fan letter to any of the magazines complaining about the mind-switch or Petofi - and that's frequently where a lot of similar dissatisfaction with storylines cropped up...

I've read something about Frid wanted to take a month off from the show, due to exhaustion.

Frid did indeed get time off from DS while everyone thought Barnabas had been staked, but he didn't exactly rest - he did a stock production of Dial M for Murder. And probably not surprisingly, the 1897 storyline hit record ratings numbers the week of October 20-24, 1969 during the final build-up to and the actual return of Barnabas. Honestly, I love how they played with the audience the entire time Frid was gone, dropping all sorts of hints and having Lady Kitty acting as if Barnabas was somehow communicating with her.

As for Petofi, I've never made any secret of the fact that I love, Love, LOVE him! He's the absolutely perfect combination of erudition and evil, and Thayer David played him to perfection.

[Gothick]

Mysterioso darling, Grayson Hall (Praise be upon Her Name!) mentioned in a fan interview tape recorded in March 1973 (btw, this is the same item that has circulated for years on the fan bootleg market as an interview taped in '74) that the ratings started to go down during the "Quentin/Petofi mind-switch thing."  I think she actually uses those words to describe it.  I can't recall whether she mentions that they received letters complaining about it or simply that the monthly figures were down during that time--probably both.

All sorts of arguments keep being mentioned about DS and the ratings and I have come to take all talk of such matters with more than just a scattering of salts.  I seem to recall years ago someone trotting out figures that showed that during the early 1967 Laura Collins storyline, the show actually had very respectable viewing figures, which calls into question the notion of the introduction of Barnabas saving a foundering show that had barely registered on anyone's radar theretofore.

Let the Count Petofi lovefest continue!  I just love the episode where Beth blurts out to the evilly gloating Count "you're mad!" and without missing a beat, he ripostes, "Perhaps so, but at the very least I am most far-sighted in my madness!"  Gotta love Petofi.

G.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Mysterioso darling, Grayson Hall (Praise be upon Her Name!) mentioned in a fan interview tape recorded in March 1973 (btw, this is the same item that has circulated for years on the fan bootleg market as an interview taped in '74) that the ratings started to go down during the "Quentin/Petofi mind-switch thing."  I think she actually uses those words to describe it.  I can't recall whether she mentions that they received letters complaining about it or simply that the monthly figures were down during that time--probably both.

I will definitely take Grayson's word for it - especially when the interview was recorded only a few years after the fact. 

I've always found it fascinating that Sam Hall said he didn't understand the whole mind-switch plot because I've always thought it was fairly simple to understand. But I suppose I will concede that people who might have missed the initial set up, might have been lost for a time trying to figure out what was going on. Though that said, didn't they go out of their way to frequently mention the switch in the opening voiceovers? But I guess not everyone pays as much attention to them as they should...

All sorts of arguments keep being mentioned about DS and the ratings and I have come to take all talk of such matters with more than just a scattering of salts.  I seem to recall years ago someone trotting out figures that showed that during the early 1967 Laura Collins storyline, the show actually had very respectable viewing figures, which calls into question the notion of the introduction of Barnabas saving a foundering show that had barely registered on anyone's radar theretofore.

There's a topic around here somewhere (for the life of me I can't seem to locate it  ) that was started right after it was finally  officially confirmed a couple years ago that DS was indeed renewed during the Laura storyline and that the notion that Barnabas' introduction saved the show is a myth. Though Barnabas most certainly brought added media attention which helped DS' ratings to grow - however, there wasn't really substantial ratings improvement until '68 - particularly during the Cassandra/the first half of the Adam period, which always seems to astonish the Adam haters. 

[sallycollins]

All of this is news to me. I've heard the story countless times, including many times from Dan Curtis himself, that it was Barnabas/Frid who saved the show. I've never heard the show was already guaranteed renewal during the Laura storyline. Can anyone cite something definitive?

Sally

[Mysterious Benefactor]

It probably doesn't get more definitive than Jim Pierson himself. If I recall correctly, I believe he wrote it in a DS article - and fans have mentioned that he has also revealed it at at least one DS Fest. The info came directly from then newly discovered ABC memorandums.

As for DC, sadly one couldn't always believe what he has said. I mean, just look at how off kilter his memory was of how Sam Hall came to be a writer with the show?! 

[sallycollins]

Thanks for the info. Those ABC memos must be interesting. I wonder if Diana Millay has ever taken any bows for saving the show.

Sally

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Well, the Laura storyline didn't improve the ratings all that much - merely enough to save DS from being canceled. Though I suppose that's enough for a bow.    But the fact that the ratings continued to be good with Barnabas' storyline certainly showed ABC that DS could be a success for them, as indeed it certainly became. At one point DS was the top rated soap on ABC.