Dark Shadows

A closer look at the story

Dark Shadows is an American soap opera with a distinctly gothic atmosphere that aired every weekday on ABC from June 1966 to April 1971. Created by Dan Curtis, the series began with a story plan that had no supernatural elements at all; the original outline written by Art Wallace made no room for ghosts or monsters. Some time after the show went on the air, however, ghosts were added to the story, a step daytime television had never seen before. The series truly took off with the arrival of the vampire Barnabas Collins during its first year. A wealthy, womanising vampire, Barnabas has been cursed by a jealous witch and returns seeking revenge. Over time the show expanded to include witches, warlocks, werewolves, zombies, man-made monsters, journeys through time and an alternate universe. The roles were shared out among a compact troupe of actors, each of whom played several parts. With writers including Violet Welles, Gordon Russell, Sam Hall and Malcolm Marmorstein contributing alongside Art Wallace, the series featured Joan Bennett, Nancy Barrett and Louis Edmonds.