I think these “G” words would definitely apply to the soap opera series, “Dark Shadows.” It was my favorite show when it appeared on television in 1966. I just barely got home in time from school to watch it. There was a race up my driveway from the bus.
The show didn’t really get interesting until Jonathan Frid made the scene playing the part of Barnabas Collins, a gentleman vampire. The show literally took a different direction at that point. Angelique, played by Lara Parker, was the resident witch. And, just when things might have been getting a little stale with the same old routine of vampires, witches, and werewolves, David Selby, as Quentin Collins, sprang forth in an eerily ghostly form. He was the new bad guy hunk on the show. But as soap opera scripts go he would evolve from evil to good.
As crudely done as it was with actors forgetting their lines and set trees falling over, Dark Shadows had a cult following. Any show with a cult following never truly dies. In 1990 a much sleeker version was brought back, but only for one year. Of course, being a member of the cult, I didn’t understand the cancellation at all. However, there are always those of the “Gothic” nature out there, and who better than Tim Burton and Johnny Depp to bring it back to full cinema.
I look forward to the movie, and am thankful this was a part of my growing up experience.
In going through old drawings I found various drawings that I had made of the characters. Pictured is an assemblage of Quentin, Barnabas, and Angelique. I sent these drawings to a new discoverer of the show, and she did the assemblage of the drawings.
J. Schlenker 
I used to race home from school to watch Dark Shadows. It was the only thing of it’s kind at the time, and none of us thought it was a Soap. We wanted our Monsters. Who cared if they fell in love. It was something we thought was an extension of Zachary, aimed at the kids who loved horror movies. Thanks for the reminder!!
Look at you! that’s great! Don’t forget Vincent Price. He had such a “creep” factor about him!
Love Johnny Depp and Tim Burton! Oddly, Johnny was such a cutie-patootie “heart throb” in 21 Jumpstreet (Police detectives, looking young enough to go undercover in highschool and bust drugs and such) He must have detested that character it’s so opposite of what he has done later in his career. Man, he was cute but quickly got away from being pigeon holed into those roles.
Other more “recent” actors falling in this realm- Wynonna Ryder and Christina Ricci.
Sandi
http://www.ahhsome.wordpress.com
I used to love Dark Shadows! With all the Twilight, Vampire Diary dramas, I’d forgotten that show was really the forerunner to a lot of what we’re seeing today.
Theater anecdote. I worked on a show with the fabulous Kim Hunter and one of the ingenues from the 1990 version of Dark Shadows. I can’t remember her name because Kim was a delight and the other one was a total prima donna.
She is pretty famous. I know she played Dr. Zira in Planet of the Apes. She was in Dark Shadows?
Kim Hunter wasn’t. The other woman was. We went to dinner and Kim actually talked to me, a lowly intern, while the other one from Dark Shadows tried to attract people to ask for her autograph. (She failed) It was amusing to watch.
Now I’m curious as to who it was.
I’m actually not 100% sure of her name, but she had dark hair.
I use to race home to watch it, too. Most of our neighborhood did. Great memories~ Off to figure out who you two are talking about….Fun!