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  1. #1
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    Default Dark Shadows - original TV series (1966-1971)

    I've now watched the first 3 episodes and I'm pretty sure I'm going to like it! Collinsport is a fishing village in Maine which is also home to an artists' colony, "summer people" and of course the Collins family!

    It all started many moons ago with Issac Collins who started the fishing fleet and founded the village. Right up on Widow's Hill there's the spooky Collinwood mansion, holding many secrets. Elizabeth Stoddard-Collins is the aloof matriarch who hasn't been down from the hill in 18 years. She has a swinging teenage daughter Carolyn who feels trapped in the "icky, sticky town" and spends all her time jiving with the local men in the Blue Whale pub. Then there's Roger Collins, brother of Elizabeth. He's prissy, scheming and has a damn fine plummy English accent!

    Burke Devlin has returned to Collinsport after a 10 year absence. He's been in jail, yet he's got cash galore. He's even rented the top three rooms in the Collinsport Inn! No-one is pleased to him again. They're even a bit scared. Especially Roger. Why is he back??

    All of this is seen through the eyes of Miss Victoria Winters, who is employed by Roger to look after his "monster child" David. His words not mine! Can't wait to meet the little brat...

    All the music is very OTT and melodramatic, ranging from staccato cellos and violins through to Scooby Doo-esque theremin. I've read somewhere that it doesn't really get going until Episode 250, but it's already piqued my interest


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    Last edited by Nyder; 22nd Jun 2017 at 12:05 AM.

  2. #2
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    Some people I'd like you to meet ......

    Here's our window on the world of Collinsport, Miss Victoria Winters


    Creepy Uncle Roger


    Creepy Elizabeth Stoddard-Collins


    The mysterious Burke Devlin



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  3. #3
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    I watched the whole lot a few years ago. It took forever, but I quite enjoyed it. There were periods where it was hard going, but for the most part it was good fun. I shall follow your journey with interest.

  4. #4
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    Well at 20 minutes duration they are the ideal breakfast companion

    Roger is definitely my fave so far - full of camp menace and glorious phrases like "tomorrow has a habit of coming on schedule"!

    And what do you do if you hear footsteps approaching your bedroom door? Well if you're Miss Victoria Winters then you start brushing your hair of course!!

  5. #5
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    Here's my initial thoughts from 7 years ago on a Horror forum I used to frequent.

    Well i've watched 10 eps so far. (They're only 20mins long)
    It's an odd beast, but overall i'm quite getting into it. It's atmospheric and mysterious!
    It's clear to me that the best way to watch this is to treat as you would a 'soap', (that's essentially what it is) and watch a couple of episode or two a day and leave it at that.
    Plot wise it's fair to say that not much has happened in the first 9 eps, but it's introduced all the main characters, and there's a sense that it's definitely going somewhere, albeit slowly.
    Oddly enough, it reminds of Twin Peaks in some ways, (although it's not headspinningly freaky like TP was) in the sense of mystery that it evokes. It largely that, and the sheer atmosphere of it that makes it work; From the nice use of lighting to the deliberately spooky music.
    It's dropping hints of the supernatural stuff that apparently comes later, but so far it's not really gone into it that much.
    It's sort of like a dark, gothic Crossroads.

  6. #6
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    Yep a dark, gothic Crossroads sums it up very well!

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nyder View Post
    Yep a dark, gothic Crossroads sums it up very well!
    Crossroads was quite horrific enough, thank you very much
    Bazinga !

  8. #8
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  9. #9
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    Miss Winters looks like a young Olivia Coleman! Honestly, she's in everything...

  10. #10
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    Collinsport clam chowder is the best in Maine. Roger said that so it must be true

    I'm 7 episodes in now but only a day has passed in the village. Maybe they're at the back of a very long spaceship whose front is facing a black hole .....

  11. #11
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    I think Elizabeth Stoddard-Collins may well be a Vulcan. Her emotions vary between very strict parameters. David Collins is indeed the Devil Child .... and I'm very jealous of his toy robot.

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    16 episodes in and still waiting for Elizabeth to crack a smile ....





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  13. #13
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    A new set today - whoo hoo! A doctor's surgery and waiting room no less! Actor Louis Edmonds (Creepy Uncle Roger) did a good save on his fluffed line:-

    "I was 100 miles from the .... 100 miles? It felt like 100 miles .... I mean 100 yards from the bottom of the hill".

  14. #14
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    Great line today when David Devilchild refused to say hello to the sheriff. "Don't worry, he's probably impressed by the dignity of my badge" says the sheriff


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    Burke Devlin's jaw gets squarer with each episode

    I now know more about car bleeder valves than I ever did before. Which was nothing.


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  16. #16
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    I think it's around Episode 70 before anything spooky actually happens.

  17. #17
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    Haha thanks Wayne - I'm on episode 28 so there's a while to go yet


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  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nyder View Post
    Haha thanks Wayne - I'm on episode 28 so there's a while to go yet
    Nevertheless, I'm enjoying reading your observations and the way you communicate them.

  19. #19
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    Episode 30 - and we've literally had a dark shadow!!



    Spooky!

    Best line from creepy Uncle Roger - "What a combination, my son David and Burke Devlin. Two people in this world I most dislike". Charming! Maybe he's irritated because he still has to wear that ridiculous plaster after all this time




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  20. #20
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    Uncle Roger's favourite friend in the whole of Colinsport is the crystal decanter full of liquor. He helped himself to it 3 times today!

  21. #21
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    There was an uncredited extra called Harvey Keitel grooving his funky stuff to the Blue Whale jukebox in this morning's episode!


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    Episode 35 sees the first major cast change. Part time artist and full time lush Sam Evans has swapped actors from Mark Allen to David Ford. Maybe with a new regeneration he can finally finish doing Burke Devlin's portrait!

  23. #23
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    Default Dark Shadows - original TV series (1966-1971)


    This is Sam version 1


    This is Sam version 2

    Peas in a pod


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    Another personnel change today - caretaker Matthew has morphed into Benny from Crossroads! Good to see that the "ghost of a woman sobbing" storyline has returned. Things were getting a bit too normal in Collinwood! Elizabeth was dressed very casually today - she wasn't wearing her pearl necklace! She still had the pearl earrings though so that's okay


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  25. #25
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    Sam Evans: It's a nice place you got here Mrs Stoddard

    Elizabeth: It's dark and gloomy and you know it

    Ain't that the truth

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