Bill Malloy and the early days of Collinwood

I've been watching the pre-Barnabas episodes of DS and enjoying them quite a bit. There were some very good characters in those beginning episodes, one in particular was Bill Malloy, the manager of the Cannery. The actor who played him was very good and likable. Unfortunately, when one discovers secrets at Colinwood you know the character is not long for the world. The early Roger Collins was a horrible person, filled with sarcasm for just about everyone and pure hatred for his son David. David was pretty nasty himself, although not without motivation. I also enjoyed the outdoor scenery and the kitchen. They sure could eat back then, we rarely saw a morsel of food once Barnabas arrived. And they drank a ton of Coffee! It would have nice to have seen Mrs. Johnson or Willie serving a meal on occasion. It was also nice to see Roger and Joe in their offices. Do they all disappear later because of space reasons?

I alos enjoyed the early versions of Sam Evans and Matthew Morgan. The actors were very good, although I can't complain about replacements David Ford and Thayer David. Mitchell Ryan was another fine actorc who held the show together in those early episodes, and Vicky was a spunky character that was much bette then the dope she turned into later on.

Nick C.     

I myself have found myself enjoying the first year of DS a lot more than I had before.

I enjoyed the outdoor scenery, too, and wished Dan had kept them on through out the show. Of course, he might have felt they were too expensive to keep doing them on the show, and we all know how he was with the show's budget.

I enjoyed Mitchell Ryan as Burke too and was sorry to see him go. Burke lost a lot of his edge once Anthony George took over the part. One can't help but wonder how much different the show would have been if Mitch had stayed on the show.

And yes Vicki was definitely a more sharp cookie in these episodes than later on. I always liked Vicki throughout her run on the show, but yes, the writers did dumb her down way too much after Barnabas' arrival.

I keep going back to these episodes mainly for the location shooting.
I love Bill Malloy. Wish theyda kept him on the show.

Just recently bought the first of the "DS Beginnings" dvd sets - and am loving it!   It's so much more in depth characterwise than the later plot driven vamp storylines - though I love those too.

Elizabeth is just the best early in the series, IMHO - I'm so into her character right now - there's just so many layers to her, and Joan Bennett is an amazing actress - she does so much with her face and her body language. You can really feel the pain and repression that dear Liz was living with.  I seem to remember Alexandra Moltke saying in some interview that it was wonderful working with JB and that she learned a lot watching her.  That must've been especially rewarding for AM in those early days when the Liz character was so much more fully fleshed.

And Vicki, well, she's like a different person to how she was later on.  She's way more spunky and smart, and isn't really afraid to speak her mind; she's scared of Roger, but she'll stand up to him - something she didn't really do with, say Abigail later on in the show.  And early days Vicki actually can figure out what's going happening, she's way more perceptive.  You can see her putting two and two together and actually getting four, rather than just sitting around saying "I don't understand" all the time.  Why oh why did the writers make her such a dumb*ss later? It can't have been just to make her a more conventional heroine - they must've needed to have a character that was so dense that she'd never figure out what Barnabas was. 

In these early episodes there's also a warmth to Vicki that I don't get from her later on, except for rarely, like with Sarah, or when she tried to save Barnabas from the dream curse.

Another character I enjoyed was Maggie in the early episodes. No, it wasn't that dumb blonde wig that fortunately was dumped after only the first episode or so. What I liked was her spunk, too. Once Barnabas came on the scene, Maggie also lost all her spirit. Despite her attempts at escape and her holding on to who she was, after that, she was never the same.

it wasn't just vicki who was "dense" about barnabas.

no one except julia and dr.woodard ever figured out what barnabas was.it was an integral part of the plot that everyone else think he's normal.

even characters like maggie and carolyn who wre bitten by barnabas conveniently "forget" it when it the plot necessitates it.

Its odd that everyone was suspicious of Laura from near the beginning, but soon as Barnabas arrived, they all seemed to lose their senses!

Well, they knew Laura, so they knew what she was capable of. No one knew Barnabas, so it was much easier to accept him as the gracious, well-mannered cousin from England. 

Drinking coffee was a staple of  early soaps that DS used.  It was a way to get characters together to talk about storyline points to fill in the audience in the days before VCR's     
I really am enjoying the early shows as I started watching the show when  Nicholas brought Angelique out of the coffin as a vampire in it's orignial run.  I'm looking forward to the  Laura storyline having only seen the  ending on videotape.

I agree with everybody here!  I LOVE the Beginning!!!!!  I recently reached a stumbling block in my fan fic concerning my portrayal of Roger and so marathoned the first 200 episodes--a ton of which I had never seen before.  The characterizations were GREAT!!!  I found the answers to my problem (Thanks, Adamsgirl!) and had a blast besides! 

As much as I loved the Dark Shadows I knew--1968 on, I discovered this GREAT, FUN, SPOOKY soap that was completely fangless!!!!  The Trials and Tribulations of Angelique and Barnabas will always be my favorite, and Catherine and Bramwell are in the running too, but right up there near the top is the Beginning!!!! 

The one thing I didn't like about the Beginning episodes (though I have seen many here disagree) was the Laura storyline.  I don't know why.  I guess partly maybe the inconsistency thing?  She had been successful with David Radcliffe.  Is that why she moved on to another family in the same area?  And now she keeps coming back until she gets to carve a Collins notch in her Presto-log? 

And I forget now (not owning the episodes, just borrowed them), was it 1867 when she was successful with Daniel Radcliffe?  Because that would establish the 'return every hundred years and marry Louis Edmonds' thing?  But then she showed up in 1897???  But she wasn't in 1797  (Of course, we weren't either to begin with.  We got 1795.  But didn't Barn recognize her?  Because she was married to Cousin Uncle Jeremiah?

Let's see...179something...1867...1897...1967...um...every 100 years... 

OK.  I'm getting one of my continuity headaches again....

Anyway, I digress.  Yes.  The EARLY DAYS of COLLINWOOD.  Been there.  LOVED THEM!!!!  GOT TO HAVE THEM!!!!!

Judy

I too am a big fan of the early years.  The fighting and sniping between Liz and Roger was so good and of course the acting superb!  Bill Malloy was a well written character and I think a man like him, a tried and true employee who would sacrifice everything for the Collinses was needed in the later storylines. I for one loved the Laura storyline and it's up there at the top of the favorites list for me.  I have to say that the actor, Mark Allen, who played Sam was excellent.  I loved it when he would get all philosophical and stubborn and cantankerous.   He was so much like I would expect a down on out artist who is hiding a terrible secret to be...a little disheveled and unkempt..trying to find a way to escape.. and licking his lips while looking for that next drink.

I really like David Ford and Thayer David as Sam and Matthew respectively, but I'm curious as to why Mark Allen and the original Matthew (forgot his name) were replaced.

Does anyone know?

I love the moody, oppressive atmosphere of those first few weeks.  Bill Malloy should have been kept as a character because he really made you feel that they were in MAINE, not some vacation town in Massachusetts.  And unlike Matthew, Bill wasn't crazy.  But he was very devoted to Liz and their scenes together allowed us to see another facet of Liz, one I would have enjoyed seeing more of.

Also, even though we never saw a ghost (until episode 70), there was a lot of talk of ghosts and a definite feeling that Collinwood was haunted.

G.

AngeliqueWins...I believe the Phoenix was every 70ish years, not 100.

Also, Barn (in 1897) remembers her from his youth (circa 1775??).

Hoping that this isn't just DSFMS

Also, Miss_Winthrop, I love when Liz & Roger (well, only Liz does it) defends each other.

Gothick, I hadn't thought of it, but you're right; Malloy seems like a 'local Mainer', who belongs there!

I love David Ford.....

Patti

As for 70 years or 100 years on the phoenix...do we know that the Ancient Egyptians used base 10?