1968 was my first introduction to DS, and it reigns with 1897 as my two favorite time periods, though I generally fast forward through the early Adam episodes, parts highlighting Jeff Clark, and the terrible betsy durkin scenes. I love Nicholas Blair, Cassandra, the dream curse, Joe Haskell as Angeliques victim... I think particularly in early 1968 Barnabas and Julia being presented as self-interested, amoral, egomanacial pariahs who manage to alienate everyone (Carolyn, Professor Stokes, and the "villain" Nicholas who is actually much kinder to others than they are) is much more appropriate and accurate then writing them as "heroes" later on in the show. I also like how, unlike in the story following 1897, they managed to incorporate a lot of the 1795 elements into the plot instead of virtually pretending it never happened.