As I think MB commented in an earlier post, the pacing of the story in the early episodes of this show mirrors the pacing in some other DC ventures, notably hoDS and the Jack Palance Dracula movie.  Not just the pacing, but in some cases whole stretches of dialogue and shot set-ups were copied near-verbatim from those earlier works.

I think by 1990-91, the vampire genre had reached a point where the old structure that was exploited so brilliantly in earlier shows--of having suspense building around a series of mysterious attacks and an undiagnosed "illness" suffered by a heroine--ultimately traced back to the chapters of Dracula about Lucy's "illness"--was perceived as no longer really working.  Besides hoDS, in 1970 the feature film Count Yorga, Vampire quickly established that vampires were on the loose, and the "theme" of the movie was not so much one of suspense as horror created by a sequence of luridly constructed vampire set-pieces.  This re-tooling of the genre had been pioneered by Hammer studios in their early films (Horror of) Dracula, Brides of Dracula, and Kiss of the Vampire. 

Between the early 1970s and 1990, you had the explosion of the Anne Rice phenomenon, as well, which radically changed the face of the gothic vampire genre.  So, bear that in mind when evaluating these shows.

From what little I have read about the behind the scenes stuff at NBC,  when it came to the horror quotient in the story, the studio suits wanted more, faster, harder.  Dan Curtis never needed much encouragement to up the ante in the "blood, carnage and fangs" department.  (Or, as Grayson once said lovingly, "Dan has a real genius for SPOOK.")

I look forward to the critique of the next episode--if memory serves (my single viewing of it was on VHS ca. 1997), they REALLY let the blood spatter in that one.

G.

MB, your comments about Joe Haskell's lack of "involuntary" movement while sleeping gave me quite a giggle.  Thanks for the fun--it 's been a rather draggy weekend otherwise.

Am I imagining it or is there a scene coming up where we get to see Michael T. Weiss naked from behind?  Ah, a charming county Derry Air *wink*

G.

Sounds wonderful, Gerard.  I wonder whether the Queen Vicki will make a stop in Crete. I long to visit the Minoan ruins there.

If you stop in Samos, don't forget to sample the delicious local white wine (if you drink, that is!) and visit the ruins of the Temple of Hera, once one of the most beautiful in all Greece.

cheers!  Steve

Hoo boy, Liz and Sam!  Why am I imagining Liz pursing her lips into a thin, bloodless line and informing whomever was inquiring, "HELL would have to freeze over first!"

I really need to lie down ....

G.

Very interesting!  I had no idea she was interested in going back after her son's birth.

This more than ever makes the re-write of Victoria's fate during that stupid subplot in Leviathans look like a posthumous punishment of the character by her irate creator.

G.

Heavens!  So the 2004 Collins were living without Mrs Johnson?  I feel faint ... 

Who on Earth provided their traditional New England Boiled Dinners (tm)???

G.

I think I must have read in 16 magazine (it was my religion back then, lol) that Jonathan Frid was taking a vacation to Barnabas would be "absent."  Even so, the staking was SHOCKING, particularly given how gruesomely they staged it... at least, by the standards of 1969 television, it was an extreme sequence.

The scene the next day where Pansy staggers into the Blue Whale and confesses what she's done rates as a high point in Nancy Barrett's work on the series, IMO.

Congratulations to Taeylor on 800!

cheers!  G.