Tell us what was the most important 'behind the scenes' decision in DS history

You are so right, Julia99.

During the last 6 months of the show you could see not only sloppy writing, flat lighting, and reruns of earlier stories, but lackluster performances.

It was a very hard show to work on and everyone was exhausted.
Though I wish they had hung on 3 more months to the 5 year mark & wrapped everything up, they certainly earned
the right to move on.

David

What has never been "officially" discussed is what I see as by far the most plausible scenario--that Dan Curtis himself pulled the plug.  The timing makes particular sense because they were gearing up to make movie #2 and I think DC simply did not want the bother of keeping the series going simultaneously once again.

In official histories, the event is always presented as ABC honchos pulling the plug on the series.  I believe MB found an article about the surprise and concern the trustees or other suits expressed when the cancellation was announced at the March 1971 board meeting in NYC.

It would be interesting to have seen DC write his own account of what he recalled from that period, but he and Norma are both gone now and that is why I feel the details will never be revealed.

Mods, if this post is inappropriate for board regs, please delete it.

G.

What has never been "officially" discussed is what I see as by far the most plausible scenario--that Dan Curtis himself pulled the plug.  The timing makes particular sense because they were gearing up to make movie #2 and I think DC simply did not want the bother of keeping the series going simultaneously once again.

Well perhaps because of my research and interviews with cast & crew, which the actors at the Fests have reiterated over and over again, I assume everyone pretty much knows what is said above is the case. 

Certainly not to try to prompt any new conspiracy theories regarding DS' cancellation - and certainly not to cast aspersions on anyone - but unfortunately we can't always trust as fact what the DS cast/crew have said at the Fests or even in print. Just look at some of the remarks in the DS Files books, not to mention the PomPress books - and let's not even go into some of the things that have often been said on the Fest stage.   

I  agree with you MB too many things are reiterated as fact without much foundation (remember we didn't almost learn about Watergate because Woodward and Berstein couldn't get a required follow up confirmation of their story for the longest time) .  But when researching this particular topic, I found the same "boredom" response  reiterated in "era" articles and in more than one or two interviews--and that meets today's journalistic standards.  

Oh, I completely concur with the truthfulness of what you've stated in reply #14 for the reasons DS ended when it did (I've made similar posts myself  ). I simply didn't want it to go unsaid that we can't always count on the DS cast/crew to always recall everything as it actually happened.    Unfortunately, more than a few have proven more than once that they have faulty memories.  :-   But then, we might too if we were trying to recall everything in detail that happened to us 40 years ago. I can't even recall in detail everything that I did last month! 

Oh, I completely concur with the truthfulness of what you've stated in reply #14 for the reasons DS ended when it did (I've made similar posts myself  ). I simply didn't want it to go unsaid that we can't always count on the DS cast/crew to always recall everything as it actually happened.    Unfortunately, more than a few have proven more than once that they have faulty memories.  :-   But then, we might too if we were trying to recall everything in detail that happened to us 40 years ago. I can't even recall in detail everything that I did last month! 

right--ask me about my first job 17 years ago and i can tell you  a few names .  .that's about it . .oh and how that one guy always. . . oh yeah. . .

Barnabas who?........ 

Certainly not to try to prompt any new conspiracy theories regarding DS' cancellation - and certainly not to cast aspersions on anyone - but unfortunately we can't always trust as fact what the DS cast/crew have said at the Fests or even in print. Just look at some of the remarks in the DS Files books, not to mention the PomPress books - and let's not even go into some of the things that have often been said on the Fest stage. 

Boy, no kidding MB!  How many times has KLS told the story of how her "Pop" died on the show.  He NEVER sat up and screamed, "Where is it!? Where is it!?" when the telepromptor supposedly went bye-bye.  And Beth Chavez did NOT bounce back into the shot when [spoiler]she fell off of Widows Hill![/spoiler]  

I don't think any one of the elements Charles listed can solely be attributed to saving Dark Shadows, or making it the "phenomenon" it has become today. I would argue that all these elements, along with several others not listed, played a significant role in the shows genesis as well as its timeless appeal. How about Sy Tomashoff's gorgeous sets? Or the alluring music Robert Cobert served up? There are so many facets that made/make this show the phenomenal entity is has become. I just can't limit it to only one.

Very true. For me, I'd have to say it was a combination of deciding to go full on into supernatural storylines, and casting choices, also breaking the rules of soaps in making the time slot later in the afternoon, and allowing the show to broaden its appeal beyond the "housewife" set. While we always kind of smirk at the idea of Bert Convey as Barnabas, the Bert Convey of 1967 was probably a different guy than the "Win, Lose or Draw" era. Also, note that Dan Curtis later cast younger actors as Barnabas, most especially in the WB pilot. (Although, I don't suppose Dan made all castings himself on that one, he was still "consulting." If Frid had not brought so much to the character, the show would likely have gone in other directions.We of course will never know.  Dark Shadows might have become only a curious footnote, a memory to the few watching early on, "Wasn't there some kind of afternoon show with a vampire, ran a year or so...Anyone else see it as a kid?" There's a great analogy I once heard, where someone said, had Elvis Presley never recorded any more than the "Sun Sessions", then went back to driving a truck and electrician's school, he would have become some kind of mysterious Robert Johnson like character, but still influential. Dark Shadows is like the Sun Sessions, a lot of things came together at the right time and it made ...Magic.

Michael  

The casting of Jonathan hands down. Barnabas was the reason I started watching Dark Shadows in the first place.