I thought the new Willie blew chunks. He was just way too comedic and silly, and played the role for laughs most of the time. He belongs on Saturday morning cartoons, not on Dark Shadows.
Joanna Going did a great job as Vicki. She was excellent.
Jean Simmons was a very good Liz. She had a lot of the regal presence Liz should have.
Roy Thinnes' Trask was weird and totally nuts, and I liked that. I was indifferent to his Roger. Roger in the new show was very bland compared to Lois Edmunds' version.
I didn't like Carolyn that much. I thought she was kind of lame.
David was pretty good.
I loved Barbara Steele's Julia - she was different from Grayson Hall's Julia, but retained the essential elements of the character. Barbara Steele's version seemed cold and eccentric, but in a different way from Grayson's early Julia episodes. I liked them both. I also really enjoyed Steele as Countess Natalie. Her performance as the Countess, as opposed to Fyfe's Willie, is an example of how humor can be an effective part of the DS universe without being stupid for "yuks."
Lysette Anthony was just so-so as Angelique IMO. I didn't feel she truly conveyed the fiery inner rage, jealousy and sense of rejection that the character demands. Instead she just seemed kind of crazy from the get-go. It was an ok take on the character, but I don't know how she would have evolved had the series progressed.
Ben Cross was ok. I have mixed feelings on him. At times he didn't seem to be into playing the role. In interviews he sometimes came off, to me anyway, as dismissive of DS. And what was up with the tan? That said, he was very good at certain points in the show but it wasn't consistent. He could play Barnabas as very fierce, but the dark, calculating intelligence was missing.
I did enjoy the '91 show, and wish it had continued, but the original is my favorite.
