From these rather pointed and candid statements about AM's replacement, I guess it's safe to say that, along with the great Addison Powell, Ms. Betsy Durkin will most definitely NOT be attending any Dark Shadows festivals in the near future!
Actually, she was at the last Festival in NYC, LOL. I was surprised, to say the least. I'd always agreed with the general opinion of this board, and still do. Seeing and hearing her in person however, changed my perspective a bit. I did not see her episodes until the 80s. I'd always gotten the impression she thought the show was hokey and perhaps beneath her. Watching her view some of her key scenes, I was surprised to see that they made her cry. Satisfactory performances or not, she put her heart into them, if her demeanor at the festival was any indication. I was glad the audience was kind to her. She seemed like a very nice person.
She told a story about a boy who was paralyzed in a car accident. Ms. Durkin's mother asked her to send an autographed picture. The boy got a lot more; she sent scripts and pictures autographed by "the whole cast".
Betsy Durkin was the Irish Spring lass in those commercials. I'm not sure if she was the only one or if there were more.
My daughter and I are watching DS and will get to her episodes this month. I'm going to try to watch them wwith a bit more tolerance. It will be hard though. She was in an unenviaable position.