I actually think the interweaving of Barnabas' introduction and early storyline, and the Jason story, works really well.

Both are predators, both charming in their way.  The contrast is that everyone in the family is well aware that Jason is bad news, an unscrupulous, scheming rogue, with a "winner take all" plan that is gradually revealed.  Whereas everyone in the family is fooled by Barn's "charming cousin from England" act.

I would write more about this but am less than stellar today... just wanted to put it out there that the counterpoint between these two stories gives an extra interest to that period of the series, in my own opinion...

G.

All excellent points, msc.  It is certainly interesting that the sidelining of what had been a major pivot of the plotline takes place fairly well in advance of Barn's arrival.

For me, the episode that cinches it that we're now in a very different world is when Liz wants to invite a married Vicki and Burke to occupy the West Wing of Collinwood.  Roger, of course, is appalled, but the scene where this plays out is very much just a sidebar to whatever is happening with Barnabas, Julia, and Woodard ...

G.

How extraordinary.  Judging from episode one of the first season, the only thing in common these two series have is that both feature characters who are vampires.

What's the DS section like?  I can imagine it mostly consists of people slagging how cheesy and lo-fi our beloved show is compared to the slick shiny new-fangled (sorry, couldn't resist) toy...

G.

Wow, Ralph Waite is still acting?  That's a name out of the past.

I would guess it was an intentional reference--EVeryone out in H'wood seems to watch DS these days...

G.

Very cool.  Too bad there was no actual footage posted with darling Joel!

G.

In retrospect, I can see how upsetting this episode must have been to the old guard of DS fans back in the day.  The way Frid plays LeviaBarn is so subtle, cold, calculating, and insidious--a very different kind of villain from the 1967 Barnabas (who was sort of a debonair Mr. Hyde, or at least that's one way I would describe him).  Frid's physicality and body language are so different from his previous work.  Really excellent work from him in this show.  Just how unnerving the fans found it can be viewed as kind of a tribute to how deftly he conveyed the character's new ruthlessness and froideur.

From a theatrical point of view, the Barnabas/Julia dynamic seems more lively when they're at odds rather than when they're in sync.  Both actors had wonderful chemistry in their scenes together.  I find the scene where Barnabas tries to throw Julia out of the house and berates her for her "curious belief that you have the right to know everything about me" one of the most disturbing moments in the entire series.  It's like one of those moments when a pit seems to open beneath one's feet and you wonder whether you really know a person who has been in your life for years when they suddenly behave in a turn-on-a-dime about-face from established patterns.

G.

Just happened to log on here while waiting for a bus and was rewarded by an exceptionally handsome snap of Don Briscoe.  You really capture his beauty here.  Thanks for this.

Best,

G.

MB, that capture from that Frid/Hall scene is the stuff of Grand Opera!  Excellent work!

Nancy, if I'm not mistaken, the source of the story about "they cast the wrong guy" came from the original edition of KLS's Scrapbook Memories.    And we know how reliable (not) KLS's memory of things tends to be.  I wonder whether there are any references to this story in any of the DS interviews from the original broadcast period or immediately thereafter?

Some of the most frank and revealing comments about the inner workings of the series were in interviews with Joel Crothers and Nancy Barrett after the show had ended, if I recall correctly.

G.