Happy Birthday Dark Shadows!!!

Has it been 43 years since it premiered? Wow. Long may she run.

http://www.examiner.com/x-10909-Charleston-History-Examiner~y2009m6d26-Dark-Shadows-iconic-soap-opera-premieres-in-1966

I actually remember watching it that day! I had been pumped up by the promos because of the spooky music (thanks, Bob Cobert!). Naturally, as a kid, that was what drew me to it. And then the show itself, with its dark, gothic mood and feel, became my very favorite, even before the introduction of Barnabas Collins. Thank you, Dan Curtis, and happy birthday, Dark Shadows!

Not only is it DS' 43rd birthday, but three things happened 40 years ago today:

Alexandra Moltke Isles gave birth to her son Adam (hard to think our 'Vicki' is the mother of a middle-aged man, let alone a grandma!),

Judy Garland's star-filled funeral was held at the Frank. E. Campbell Funeral Home in New York, with James Mason giving the eulogy (Mickey Rooney was too heartbroken to do so), which some say led to the next event which occurred that evening,

The start of the Stonewall riots, which started the gay rights movement.

Like Adamsgirl, I also saw the very first episode (and continued to watch the entire spiel to the very end in April 1971, save for missing episodes from battling with mom over me watching that or her watching Art Linkletter's House Party, or going on the usual family vacation).  What caused me to watch it as well was the spooky promo just before it aired.  I wonder how many of us "first-episoders" there are left out there, kind of like the survivors of the Titanic (the last one passing away just a few weeks ago)?

Gerard

Happy 43rd Birthday, Dark Shadows!         Unfortunately, I wasn't watching on that first day. I didn't start watching until just before Barnabas came on the show. DS was an entirely different soap opera before Barnabas came on the scene, especially before the Laura storyline.

Many years later, I watched the pre-Barnabas episodes when I purchased them on VHS and DVD. Although much more low-key and "traditional", those episodes were great! Elizabeth and Roger were on the show a lot in those days!

What really surprises me is how the DS stars can remember so much about their time on DS. I don't remember much about those years myself.  

----- Sally -----

I believe that June 27h is also the birthday of Helen Keller!

David 

Happy Birthday to the best show in the history of US television.

Long may she fly!

I was admiring today's snapshot of Carolyn in her most glamorous '66 incarnation, and suddenly realized we'd clocked over another year.

G.

A very happy Birthday to Dark Shadows! I also saw the first episode, and was enthralled. At the time I was reading tons of Gothic paperbacks -  the ones with the girl running from the huge mansion or castle on the cover! DS fit right into that genre, and I was hooked.

the unaired ds pilot also started production on june 27th.