On Being on Dark Shadows From The Very Beginning ToThe Very End

[DarkLady]

Good morning and welcome, B&F! I'm delighted to find someone else who likes the 1840s storyline. I also like the real-time 1970 lead-in, which was a pretty well-constructed mystery. But 1840 does tie together a lot of loose ends.

[BangsnFangs]

Cheers, DL.  Yeah, I didn't mind the 1970 lead in either, more for the fact that we get to spend a bit of time with the present day Collins family than anything else.  My only regret is that a number of elements crucial to that story (Rose Cottage, David, Hallie/Tad, Carrie connection) were dropped pretty quickly as 1840 progressed.

[Uncle Roger]

If the program had tied up all of its loose ends, I wonder if it would have anywhere near the intense fandom it has today.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

An interesting question. Perhaps not...

Getting back to another aspect of this topic, it's only natural that we're all going to have our own preferences when it comes to present vs. past storylines. But I've always found it fascinating that back in 1998 when the now defunct DSO(DS Online) on AOL opened voting to all DS fans online, among the hundreds of fans who took part, the Top 3 Favorite storylines were 1795, 1897 and 1840(with 1795 coming out on top). Not one of the present day stories was anywhere near in the running as far as the voting went.

And welcome BangsnFangs! It's great to see you jumping right and not only posting, but posting a topic that's garnered so much interest. 

[michael c]

by contrast The 'Collinsport Historical Society' recently conducted a poll of the 'top ten" DS episodes and nearly every single one was a "present day" episode. a couple of them were even from the "pre-Barnabas" period.

so different polls will yield different results.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

so different polls will yield different results.

As will different questions. It's definitely an interesting phenomenon that often when asked about favorite individual eps rather than entire storylines, fans will pick many from the present day (i.e. the denouement of Laura, Barnabas' release, Julia confronts Barnabas, the seance that transported Vicki to 1795, Barnabas sees the sun for the first time in 172 years, VampAng attacks Barnabas, Quentin takes over Collinwood, etc.) We've certainly seen that here on this forum as well. Though another interesting thing is most of those present day eps will focus mostly on Barnabas and not on the core pre-Barn characters. But then Barn is more popular with most fans than the core pre-Barn characters are. And with that in mind, I have to say that one thing that really shocked me about the DSO voting was that the present day release of Barnabas was nowhere even close to making their Top 3 Favorite storylines.

[Uncle Roger]

And time--real life time--has largely been kind to DS. Many of the same people who loathed the NBC incarnation of DS now cite it as a classic in its own right. And certainly NODS. Has been reevaluated several times since its original release.

[Gerard]

so different polls will yield different results.

As will different questions. It's definitely an interesting phenomenon that often when asked about favorite individual eps rather than entire storylines

So very true.  I love 1897 because it had the best written, directed and produced scenes.  The reading of Grandmamamama's will is, in my opinion, the best ever filmed.  But, for me, the best stories were set in the present because that's the Collins family.  So how could I possibly answer a poll?  It depends on how it is written. 

Gerard

[michael c]

for a lot of fans 1795 does seem to be some sort of series "holy grail" and I can see why...

it's the point where series "mythology" finally coalesces from random and often divergent bits and pieces into a complete and concise narrative. the fact that it directly contradicts much of the information previously given to the viewer doesn't diminish it's power for most fans. it becomes "canon".

it's also ground zero for the whole concept of 'time travel' and multiple characterizations that the show eventually became known for. the "stock company" approach. it's the first time we get the additional theatricality of period costume and settings.

it's not my personal favorite storyline or period (although I do like it very much) but I get why so many fans hold it in such high esteem.

[MagnusTrask]

1795 widened the scope of the show.  From then on, whatever we saw in one time period resonated more with us subconsciously, because of their interactions and relationships with events we'd seen in other times.

[dom]

...and it cemented Barnabas as victim.

[DarkLady]

Absolutely, dom. And it changed forever any idea that he was totally evil. Imagine what we'd think of him--it we thought of him at all--if DC had had his way and Dr. JuliaN Hoffman staked him before we could get to 1795!

[Uncle Roger]

1795 gives Barnabas real depth. First, by establishing that he comes from a fairly dysfunctional family. Second, by establishing the doomed relationship between him and Josette,  which motivates his
 character for years to come.

It also introduces Angelique, who will become as pivotal a character as Barnabas.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

The show certainly goes out of its way to paint Barnabas as the victim so far as his curse goes - and in many respects he certainly is. But let's not forget that we never really know the whole story of what went on during those nights in Martinique between Barnabas and Angelique. And I think that was a deliberate choice on the show's part so as to keep the audience on Barn's side and to paint Ang as nearly a complete villain as possible. (Certainly if things had actually played out the way Lara Parker paints the Barn/Ang Martinique dynamic in "Angelique's Descent," Barn would not be the victim and Ang would not be nearly a complete villain - but thankfully the writers of the show had the good sense not to go as far into the backstory as Parker does). And, of course, in other respects Barn is far from the victim because quite often he's the one doing the victimizing, particularly when he insists upon getting his way through psychological intimidation, of which characters like Julia and Willie are all too often the victims. Things with Barn are rarely black and white - there's a whole lot of gray!

However, getting any more deeply into Barn's character is probably a discussion best served in a separate topic because it's way OT for this one, so I'll leave it at that here. 

[MagnusTrask]

A problem for me recently is that once they established Barnabas's original innocence in 1795, they went on to have him as a sort of "hero" who could get away with anything, only because we the viewers were supposed to reach far back in our memories to a couple years earlier when we saw him cursed.

I like it and I don't.  What if [spoiler]he had killed Carl[/spoiler] without our ever having seen 1795?