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American gothic soap opera
the 1960s ABC soap opera

Dark Shadows is an American gothic soap opera that aired weekdays on the ABC television network from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show depicted the lives, loves, trials, and tribulations of the wealthy Collins family of Collinsport, Maine, where a number of supernatural occurrences take place. The series became popular when vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) was introduced ten months into its run. It would also feature ghosts, werewolves, zombies, man made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel, and a parallel universe. A small company of actors each played many roles; as actors came and went, some characters were played by more than one actor. The show was distinguished by its melodramatic performances, atmospheric interiors, numerous dramatic plot twists, broad cosmos of characters, and heroic adventures. Unusual among the soap operas of its time, which were aimed primarily at adults, Dark Shadows developed a large teenage audience and a dedicated cult following. By 1969, it had become ABC's highest rated daytime series. The original network run of the show amassed 1,225 episodes. The success of the series spawned a media franchise that has included two feature films (House of Dark Shadows in 1970 and Night of Dark Shadows in 1971), a 1991 TV remake, an unsprouted 2004 remake pilot, a 2012 film reboot directed by Tim Burton, and numerous spin off novels and comics. Since 2006, the series has continued as a range of audio dramas produced by Big Finish Productions, featuring members of the original cast including David Selby, Lara Parker, and Kathryn Leigh Scott. TV Guides list of all time Top Cult Shows ranked the series #19 in 2004, and #23 in 2007.

Creator Dan Curtis claimed he had a dream in 1965 of a mysterious young woman on a train. The following day Curtis told his wife of the dream and pitched the idea as a TV series to ABC. Network officials greenlit production and Curtis began hiring crew members. Art Wallace was hired to create a story from Curtis's dream sequence. Wallace wrote the story bible Shadows on the Wall, the proposed title for the show, later changed to Dark Shadows. Robert Costello was added as a line producer, and Curtis took on the creator and executive producer roles. Lela Swift, John Sedwick, and Henry Kaplan all agreed to be directors for the new series. Robert Cobert created the musical score and Sy Tomashoff designed the set.

Perhaps one of ABC's first truly popular daytime series, along with the game show Let's Make a Deal (which had moved from its original home NBC in 1968), Dark Shadows found its demographic niche in teenagers coming home from school in time to watch the show at 4 p. m. Eastern/3 p. m. Central, where it aired for almost all of its network run, the exception being a 15 month stretch between April 1967 and July 1968, when it aired a half hour earlier. Originally, it was aired in black and white, but the show went into color starting with the episode broadcast on August 11, 1967. It became one of ABC's first daytime shows to actually win the rating for its timeslot, leading to the demise of NBC's original Match Game and Art Linkletter's long running House Party on CBS, both in 1969. Dark Shadows began with a 4.1 rating in the 1965–66 TV season, tying for thirteenth place out of eighteen daytime dramas. The audience figures only improved slightly, to 4.3, in 1966–67. 1966 was a volatile year for soaps, and many ended their runs between the premiere date of Dark Shadows in June and the month of December. By that time, six months had passed, and Dark Shadows had failed to gain major traction. In June, it ranked #13 out of 18 soaps, and by December, the lower rated offerings were gone and the show officially ranked #13 out of 13 soaps. "The show was limping along, really limping", head writer Sam Hall remembered, "and ABC said, 'We're canceling it. Unless you pick up in 26 weeks, you're finished.' [Series creator Dan Curtis] had always wanted to do a vampire picture, so he decided to bring a vampire — Barnabas Collins — to the series." Barnabas was introduced in April 1967 and the fan response was swift and immediate. Coupled with a time slot change to 3:30 Eastern/2:30 Central, the fortunes of Dark Shadows rebounded, as many more teenagers found the program after tuning out the other offerings that may have been too "boring" to them. By May 1968, the series was still in last place (out of 12 offerings), but rose to a 7.3 rating, the rough equivalent (at that time) of gaining the viewership of three million households in the span of one year. Dark Shadows would return to its 4 p. m. Eastern/3 p. m. Central time slot in July 1968, without losing much of its audience at all. One Life to Live, which was launched by ABC in July 1968 in the 3:30 slot, also sought to reach the newfound young demographic. The series reached its peak in popularity during a storyline set in the year 1897, broadcast from March 1969. By the end of May, Dark Shadows was ABC's most popular soap opera, and by late 1969 it was reaching between 7 and 9 million viewers on any given day, and ranking 11th out of a total 15 daytime dramas in that time period. In November 1969, after nine months of some of Dark Shadows most intricate, intelligent storylines, the 1897 storyline came to an end. With ratings at an all time high, the writers were under pressure to hold the audience. Their next storyline, known as "The Leviathans", proved to be a thematic misstep for the show and one from which it never recovered. Fans tended to dislike the portrayal of Barnabas as the pawn of some greater power. They were more interested in the archetypes of classic horror—the vampire, the witch, the werewolf—than in off camera suggestion. The launch of Somerset in March 1970, a much publicized spin off of NBC's Another World, also hurt the series considerably. The release of the film House of Dark Shadows in September of that year is also thought to have caused TV ratings to fall, possibly due to parents, attending the film with their children, discouraging their choice of television viewing material due to the amount of blood spilled on screen. Beginning in the fall of 1970, several ABC stations across the country dropped the show due to falling viewership. Within six months, ratings dropped from 7.3 to 5.3., though the ratings improved in its final weeks. The series was canceled on April 2, 1971, and replaced the following Monday with a new version of the game show Password. The last minute of the final episode included a voiceover by actor Thayer David wrapping up many of the plotlines on the show. The original cast reunited in 2003 for a special reunion play recorded for MPI, and in 2006 resumed production of Dark Shadows audio dramas for Big Finish (see below). These dramas have been ongoing for 10 seasons.

Character names noted with * indicates appearance of a counterpart in an alternate reality known as Parallel Time during episodes 969 to 1060 or 1186 to 1245. ActorCharacter(s)EpisodesYears196619671968196919701971 Joan Bennett Elizabeth Collins Stoddard*Naomi CollinsJudith CollinsFlora Collins* 391 colspan="6" Louis Edmonds Roger Collins*Joshua Collins*Edward CollinsDaniel CollinsAmadeus CollinsBrutus Collins 323 colspan="6" Kathryn Leigh Scott Maggie Evans*Josette DuPres CollinsRachel DrummondKitty Soames 310 colspan="5" Alexandra Isles Victoria Winters #1 335 colspan="3" Mitchell Ryan Burke Devlin #1 107 colspan="2" Nancy Barrett Carolyn StoddardMillicent CollinsCharity TraskPansy FayeLeticia FayeMelanie CollinsAmanda Collins 408 colspan="6" Joel Crothers Joe HaskellNathan Forbes 166 colspan="4" Frank Schofield Bill Malloy 15 colspan="1" David Henesy David Collins*Daniel CollinsJamison CollinsTad Collins 277 colspan="5" David Ford Sam Evans #2 Andre DuPres 108 colspan="3" Thayer David Matthew Morgan #2 Ben Stokes*Timothy Eliot Stokes*Sandor RakosiAndreas PetofiMordecai Grimes 225 colspan="6" Dana Elcar George Patterson #1 35 colspan="2" Clarice Blackburn Sarah JohnsonAbigail CollinsMinerva Trask 79 colspan="5" Conard Fowkes Frank Garner 19 colspan="2" Diana Millay Laura Collins 61 colspan="2" colspan="1" Vince O'Brien Lt. Dan RileyGeorge Patterson #2 11 colspan="3" John Lasell Peter Guthrie 25 colspan="1" John Harkins Lieutenant CostaGarth BlackwoodMr. StrackHorace Gladstone 16 colspan="1" colspan="2" Dennis Patrick Jason McGuirePaul Stoddard 66 colspan="1" colspan="2" John Karlen Willie Loomis #2 Carl CollinsDesmond CollinsKendrick Young 180 colspan="5" Jonathan Frid Barnabas CollinsBramwell Collins 593 colspan="5" Robert Gerringer Dr. Dave Woodard 29 colspan="1" Sharon Smyth Sarah Collins 37 colspan="2" Anthony George Burke Devlin #2Jeremiah Collins 48 colspan="1" Grayson Hall Julia Hoffman*Natalie DuPresMagda RakosiJulia CollinsConstance Collins 474 colspan="5" Jerry Lacy Tony PetersonReverend TraskGregory TraskMr. TraskLamar Trask 109 colspan="5" Lara Parker Angelique Bouchard Collins*Alexis StokesCatherine HarridgeCassandra Collins 269 colspan="5" Addison Powell Judge MatiganEric LangJudge Wiley 39 colspan="1" colspan="1" Roger Davis Peter BradfordJeff ClarkNed StuartDirk WilkinsCharles Delaware TateHarrison Monroe 128 colspan="3" Craig Slocum Noah GiffordHarry Johnson #1 17 colspan="2" Robert Rodan Adam 78 colspan="1" Humbert Allen Astredo Nicholas BlairEvan HanleyCharles Dawson 100 colspan="4" Don Briscoe Tom JenningsChris Jennings*Tim Shaw 96 colspan="3" Marie Wallace EveJenny CollinsMegan Todd 64 colspan="3" Denise Nickerson Amy Jennings*Nora CollinsAmy Collins 71 colspan="3" David Selby Quentin Collins II*Quentin Collins I* 311 colspan="4" Terry Crawford Beth ChavezEdith Collins 63 colspan="4" Lisa Richards Sabrina Stuart* 28 colspan="3" Michael Stroka AristedeBruno Hess*Laszlo Ferrari 64 colspan="2" Donna McKechnie Amanda HarrisOlivia Corey 24 colspan="2" Christopher Bernau Philip Todd 23 colspan="2" Geoffrey Scott Sky Rumson 13 colspan="1" Christopher Pennock Jeb HawkesCyrus LongworthSebastian ShawGabriel Collins* 126 colspan="2" Elizabeth Eis Nelle GunstonBuffie HarringtonMildred Ward 15 colspan="1" Donna Wandrey Roxanne Drew* 34 colspan="1" Jim Storm Gerard Stiles* 81 colspan="2" Kathy Cody Carrie Stokes*Hallie Stokes 49 colspan="2" Kate Jackson Daphne Harridge* 70 colspan="2" Virginia Vestoff Samantha Drew Collins* 29 colspan="2" Lee Beery Joanna Mills 11 colspan= "2" Keith Prentice Morgan CollinsJames Forsythe 40 colspan="1"

Both theatrical films, House of Dark Shadows (1970) and Night of Dark Shadows (1971), were shot primarily on location at the Lyndhurst estate in Tarrytown, New York. For the TV series, Essex, Connecticut was the locale used for the town of Collinsport. Among the locations sited there are the Collinsport Wharf, Main Street, and the Evans Cottage. The Griswold Inn in Essex was used for the Collinsport Inn, and the town post office was used for the Collinsport Police Station. The Collinwood stand in mansion used for the TV series is the Carey Mansion in Newport, Rhode Island, until August 2009 used by Salve Regina University. The exteriors for the "Old House," aka Collins House (the original Collinwood mansion) were filmed at Spratt Mansion, which was also located on the Lyndhurst estate; this mansion was destroyed by fire in 1969. The Lockwood Mathews Mansion in South Norwalk, Connecticut, was also used for some scenes in House of Dark Shadows. Some outdoors shots for the series were filmed in the famous Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, not far from the Lyndhurst Mansion. All of the interiors of the TV series were shot on sound stages at various ABC owned studios in Manhattan. The early episodes were shot at ABC Studio TV 2 at 24 West 67th Street, and the rest of the episodes were shot at the smaller ABC Studio TV 16 at 433 West 53rd Street, now demolished; as of 2022, it is the site of a six story, 60 unit apartment building.

Working within the constraints of the live to tape format—with almost every scene done in one take—Dark Shadows displayed an unusually inventive use of costume, make up, and in particular, special effects. Both time travel and ghosts allowed characters killed in earlier sequences to return, often in period clothing. Séances held in the old mansion were often visited by ghostly apparitions of quivering ectoplasm. Dream sequences included colorful psychedelic spectacles superimposed over ethereal, fog filled fantasies. Individuals of normal appearance were transformed into hideous creatures of the netherworld. One episode was carefully edited so that a closeup of a clock on the set showed the exact time viewers in the Central time zone saw the clock.

Of particular note is Bob Cobert's music score, which broke new ground for a television program. In September 1969, the original soundtrack to Dark Shadows, credited to the Robert Cobert Orchestra and featuring 16 tracks written or co written by Cobert, reached no. 18 on Billboards Top 200 album chart. The song "Quentin's Theme" earned Cobert a Grammy nomination for Best Instrumental Theme, but lost to John Barry's theme for Midnight Cowboy. A recording of "Quentin's Theme" by the Charles Randolph Grean Sounde was released as a single, and in August 1969, when the TV series was something of a phenomenon, it peaked at no. 13 on Billboards Hot 100 chart (and no. 3 on its Easy Listening chart).

Dark Shadows had a rocky beginning. Critics were quick to deem the series boring for its heavy use of unknown actress Isles and the slow pace. Variety, in its review on June 29, 1966, of the first episode of Dark Shadows: "Writer Art Wallace took so much time getting into his story that the first episode of the Neo Gothic soaper added up to one big contemporary yawn." The earliest episodes concerned menacing but unfulfilled conflicts, threatened revenge, then an attempted murder, and, finally, a murder. The supernatural elements that later made the show a hit, were slow to appear and only hinted at until episodes 52 and 70 in which the audience finally sees compelling evidence of a ghost.

1. As the World Turns (13.9)
13. Dark Shadows (4.1)
16. Never Too Young (3.9)

1. As the World Turns (12.7)
12. Dark Shadows (4.3)
13. A Flame in the Wind (4.0)

1. As the World Turns (13.6)
12. Dark Shadows (7.3)
13. One Life to Live (4.3)

1. As the World Turns (13.8)
11. Dark Shadows (8.4)
14. Hidden Faces (3.3)

1. As the World Turns (13.6)
12. Dark Shadows (7.3)
19. The Best of Everything (1.8)

1. As the World Turns (12.4)
16. Dark Shadows (5.3)
18. A World Apart (3.4)

Unlike some other soap operas of its era, the episodes of Dark Shadows all were preserved in some format, although one episode exists only as an audio recording and several color episodes only have black and white kinescopes available. MPI Home Video currently holds the home media rights to the series. All episodes were issued on VHS from 1989 through 1995. Episodes 210–1245 (Barnabas' arrival through to the end of the series) have been released on DVD in 26 Collections from 2002 through 2006. Episodes 1–209 were released in 2007 under the title of Dark Shadows: The Beginning. On April 3, 2012, MPI re released the 32 Collections. The first (and sometimes, the second) collection (from Barnabas's introduction) has been released internationally, but due to generally low sales, this has been the extent of the international release of the series. On April 10, 2012, MPI released a "Limited Edition Complete Series" box set in the shape of a coffin. The 131 DVDs are housed in 22 individual plastic cases, with the spines looking upward to show the entire body of Barnabas lying asleep in his coffin. Only 2,500 numbered copies of these were made, with each set including a limited edition card signed by original series star Jonathan Frid. A similar but unlimited "Deluxe Edition" set was subsequently released on July 10, 2012, without the limited edition card signed by Jonathan Frid and without the serial limitation number plate on the bottom of the box.

MGM released a feature film titled House of Dark Shadows in 1970. Dan Curtis directed it, and Sam Hall and Gordon Russell wrote the screenplay. Many cast members from the soap opera, including Jonathan Frid, Grayson Hall, Roger Davis, and Kathryn Leigh Scott, reprised their roles. 1971 saw the release of Night of Dark Shadows, also directed by Dan Curtis and written by Curtis and Sam Hall. Actors included David Selby, Grayson Hall, Kate Jackson, and Lara Parker, among others. During the filming of House of Dark Shadows in 1970, several actors were written out of the TV series so that they would be available to shoot the movie. Kathryn Leigh Scott was absent from 30 episodes (986 to 1015); Jonathan Frid was absent from 28 episodes (983 to 1010); Grayson Hall was absent from 21 episodes (986 to 1006); John Karlen was absent from 21 episodes (990 to 1010); Nancy Barrett was absent from 20 episodes (991 to 1010): Louis Edmonds was absent from 17 episodes (991 to 1008); Don Briscoe was absent from 15 episodes (986 to 1000); Joan Bennett was absent from 15 episodes (991 to 1006); and David Henesy was absent from 9 episodes (993 to 1001).

There have been two series of Dark Shadows novels. The first, released during the show's original run, were all penned by romance writer Marilyn Ross, a pseudonym for author Dan Ross, and were published by Paperback Library. Ross also wrote a novelization of the theatrical film House of Dark Shadows. No. Title Release Date Notes 1 Dark Shadows December 1966 A partial re telling of Victoria Winters' arrival in Collinsport. Originally printed with an illustrated cover, subsequent editions featured a photographic cover featuring Alexandra Moltke with Jonathan Frid, although the character of Barnabas Collins does not appear in the book. This is also the case with books 2 to 4. Collinwood is referred to here as Collins House. 2 Victoria Winters March 1967 3 Strangers at Collins House September 1967 Partially takes place in 1916. 4 The Mystery of Collinwood January 1968 5 The Curse of Collinwood May 1968 The only book in series not to be printed with a purely photographic cover, and the first to feature Barnabas Collins (who does not appear in the book) on the cover. The cover features a photo of Jonathan Frid as Barnabas superimposed over the illustrated cover art from Dark Shadows. 6 Barnabas Collins November 1968 First book to feature Barnabas Collins. In the television series Barnabas was chained to his coffin in 1796 and not released until 1967; here Ross offers an alternate timeline in which the vampire was never held captive at all. Takes place in the early 1900s. 7 The Secret of Barnabas Collins January 1969 Takes place in 1870. 8 The Demon of Barnabas Collins April 1969 The first book to present Barnabas in a heroic vein rather than as the villain, following the trend set by the television series. 9 The Foe of Barnabas Collins July 1969 Features the character of Chris Jennings, although presented here as a villain rather than the sympathetic victim depicted in the television series. It also features a rare appearance by Angelique. Takes place in 1910. 10 The Phantom and Barnabas Collins September 1969 Takes place in 1880. 11 Barnabas Collins vs. the Warlock October 1969 A homage to Henry James' 1898 novella The Turn of the Screw, a text also used in the television series for inspiration. 12 The Peril of Barnabas Collins November 1969 13 Barnabas Collins and the Mysterious Ghost January 1970 14 Barnabas Collins and Quentin's Demon February 1970 Introduces the character of Quentin Collins to the range. Takes place in 1895. 15 Barnabas Collins and the Gypsy Witch March 1970 Takes place in the 1890s. 16 Barnabas, Quentin and the Mummy's Curse April 1970 17 Barnabas, Quentin and the Avenging Ghost May 1970 18 Barnabas, Quentin and the Nightmare Assassin June 1970 Takes place in 1870. 19 Barnabas, Quentin and the Crystal Coffin July 1970 A homage to Edgar Allan Poe's 1844 short story "The Premature Burial", a text also used in the television series for inspiration. 20 Barnabas, Quentin and the Witch's Curse August 1970 Takes place in 1900. 21 Barnabas, Quentin and the Haunted Cave September 1970 Takes place in 1690. 22 Barnabas, Quentin and the Frightened Bride October 1970 Takes place in 1920. House of Dark Shadows October 1970 Novelization. Several scenes cut from the film version were included. It also featured 16 pages of black and white photos from the film's production. 23 Barnabas, Quentin and the Scorpio Curse November 1970 24 Barnabas, Quentin and the Serpent December 1970 Takes place in 1870. 25 Barnabas, Quentin and the Magic Potion January 1971 This story marks a sudden shift in the characterization of Quentin Collins, who up to this point in the range had been portrayed as an enemy of Barnabas. 26 Barnabas, Quentin and the Body Snatchers February 1971 This is the only book in the series told in the omniscient point of view. It also features a rare appearance by Julia Hoffman. As suggested by its title, a homage to Jack Finney's 1955 science fiction novel The Body Snatchers. 27 Barnabas, Quentin and Dr. Jekyll's Son April 1971 As suggested by its title, a homage to Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, a text also used in the television series for inspiration. Takes place in 1908. 28 Barnabas, Quentin and the Grave Robbers June 1971 Takes place in 1930. 29 Barnabas, Quentin and the Sea Ghost August 1971 Features a rare appearance by Julia Hoffman and Professor Stokes. 30 Barnabas, Quentin and the Mad Magician October 1971 31 Barnabas, Quentin and the Hidden Tomb December 1971 Takes place in 1866. 32 Barnabas, Quentin and the Vampire Beauty March 1972 The Secret of Victoria Winters 1993 Novella by Craig Hamrick. Story by Dan "Marilyn" Ross. The second series of novels were written by Lara Parker, Stephen Mark Rainey, and Elizabeth Massie. # Title Release Date Author(s) 1 Angelique's Descent December 1998 Lara Parker 2 Dreams of the Dark October 1999 Stephen Mark Rainey and Elizabeth MassieIntroduction by Lara Parker The Labyrinth of Souls 2002 Stephen Mark RaineySelf published. Available in e format. 3 The Salem Branch July 2006 Lara Parker 4 Wolf Moon Rising August 2013 Lara Parker 5 Heiress of Collinwood November 2016 Lara Parker