Is Dark Shadows Dying? Can it Be Saved?

[Luciaphile]

Chances are though if it had been for a course, the instructor would have put it on a .edu site.

[stefan]

Sorry if that devalues the show or the fan base but if you're trying to make DS into anything other than entertainment then I think you've got some work ahead of you anyway.

I understand what you're saying here and pondering....I think it is something more than just simple entertainment. Yes, I believe, throughout the years, it HAS become more. I also disagree with another poster who believes it's hard to draw audiences unfamiliar with Dark Shadows into the show. I don't agree with that at all. Dark Shadow is something special. When I see rickety sets and hear bloopers .. I see  - not enough money for appropriate sets and not enough time for ample rehearsals -. That's all I get out of that, mostly I ignore all of that stuff like I would ignore it in an off-broadway play that had a great story, acting and directing but cash poor. But, I'll notice the tiniest blooper and irregularity of special affects if I hate the content.

[Autumn]

NO dark shadows will never die,it is a classic just like the
universal monster movies were back in the 30's and 40's
i have sent tv land e-mails over and over asking
them to pick up the show!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nancy]

I tried getting my boyfriend engaged in DS and forced him to watch but, sadly, picked a tape that had some Frid bloopers and that's all it took for him to turn away completely. I quckly tried playing another superior representation, but the damage had already been done. DS's blooper reputation had prejudiced him against it from the beginning I think.

The irony is that the perceived over-focus on bloopers and viewing DS as camp is a lot of reason as to why Frid himself lost interest in attending the fests and promoting the series anymore.  If people want to devote that much time to finding fault with it, why bother being involved with it especially if you are providing a lot of the foundation for the "humor."

nancy

[jennifer]

A little over 14 months. It was off of Sci-Fi for a little over 15 months before it returned.

Thanks MB
has it been that long? WOW! well at least we have our tapes but wish it was still on
other than a few shows there is so much cr*p on tv today i long for the DS days.
also don't watch it for the bloopers if anything they make me admire it more as you see
the stars getting over it and moving on like the pros they are.
jennifer

[PennyDreadful]

I ignore all of that stuff ((bloopers or rickety sets)) like I would ignore it in an off-broadway play that had a great story, acting and directing but cash poor.

 I agree with this completely and feel the same way.   

[Maybellique]

   Whaaat? You want to know if DS is dead? I didn't even know what Dark Shadows was in the 80's. As far as I'm concerned, perhaps it was deader then than it ever could be. I mean no offense, of course. I was a kid back then. Now it's being revived on DVD's galore and they're still not finished creating them, either! I'm a second-gen DS'er, as I've told the world by now, and I have no doubt that there will be many more generations of budding DS fans to appreciate it all the more. So, is DS dead? Heck no! It's a classic! I don't think it'll ever die in the eyes of its truly devoted. ~DJ