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Current Talk '05 I / Re: The final Dark Shadows episode. Spoiler Alert.
« on: May 06, 2005, 02:40:26 PM »
Bit more history here... They went to Parallel Time after 1840 because Frid's contract was coming up for a renewal towards the end of 1970. Somebody on here mentioned that he walked off the set one day and refused to return until he was assured that he would get to play another character besides Barnabas. Lara Parker had also long expressed a desire to play a "good" character. The only way they could think of meeting Frid's demand was by constructing the 1841 storyline, with its obvious roots in Wuthering Heights. Also, Director (and at this time, Producer) Lela Swift believed that the largest contingent of the audience wanted to see Frid and Parker's characters in a happy romantic story, which is why 1840 took the turn of a framework for [spoiler]Barnabas realizing he had "always really loved" Angelique for the final weeks of that story.[/spoiler] I believe that these ingredients led to the creation of the PT1841 storyline.
I believe that local network affiliates dropping DS are as much an explanation for the decline in the ratings as anything else. However, I have read that the ratings began to rise again in January-Feb. 1971. Apparently, when the announcement was made at the March '71 ABC board meeting that DS was going to get the axe, there was genuine concern that such a popular show was being dumped.
My theory for several years now has been that if it was the network's idea to cancel DS, Dan Curtis was more than happy to meet them halfway. I still think that the timing of the cancellation had more to do with the need to go into production for NoDS than it did any other factor. Since JF reportedly refused to "do the fanging thing" any longer, and also refused to do the sequel film (which had been originally constructed around him), DC probably felt it was more than time to move on. Sam Hall's notes for the final storyline, published in that TV Guide article, were all about Barnabas' final cure from vampirism; they couldn't really have played that story if the actor did not want to portray a vampire any longer.
G.
I believe that local network affiliates dropping DS are as much an explanation for the decline in the ratings as anything else. However, I have read that the ratings began to rise again in January-Feb. 1971. Apparently, when the announcement was made at the March '71 ABC board meeting that DS was going to get the axe, there was genuine concern that such a popular show was being dumped.
My theory for several years now has been that if it was the network's idea to cancel DS, Dan Curtis was more than happy to meet them halfway. I still think that the timing of the cancellation had more to do with the need to go into production for NoDS than it did any other factor. Since JF reportedly refused to "do the fanging thing" any longer, and also refused to do the sequel film (which had been originally constructed around him), DC probably felt it was more than time to move on. Sam Hall's notes for the final storyline, published in that TV Guide article, were all about Barnabas' final cure from vampirism; they couldn't really have played that story if the actor did not want to portray a vampire any longer.
G.