In 1897 Rev Trask puts a cross and garlic in Charity's room to give assured protection against vampire Barnabas. If people know vampires abound and are on the prowl why don't people wear crosses around their necks and have them all over their houses.

In 1897 Nora walks in on Barnabas putting the bite on Charity. He has Nora look into his eyes and uses a power to clear her memory of the event. Why then back in the 1960s era why did Barnabas have Dr Julia Hoffman hypnotize sweet Maggie Evans to erase her memory of evil Barnabas deeds he did to her, and just not erase her memory himself?

One wonders why Barnabas is allowed to walk about the cemetery and not be repelled by the cross-shaped gravestones.

One wonders why Barnabas is allowed to walk about the cemetery and not be repelled by the cross-shaped gravestones.
Good point. Supposedly Barnabas drives back and forth from Bangor. I'm sure he sees some church Steeples along the way,or just in his daily goings on in Collins port.. If there's a cross on one of those church Steeples wouldn't that affect him also?

They don't focus on food like really people do either. They mention meals and go out to eat but rarely is food ever complimented or any mention of enjoyment of eating brought up.

When it's cold outside you can never see anyone's breadth.

You can hear a storm in the house but if someone goes out in it there's no rain or ligtning.or wind.

Barnabas' goes back in 1897 to save then current era David and Chris. But he brings so many misery and kills in 1897. Is it really worth it?

Collinwood has that ridiculous little breakfast nook that keeps on popping up. They once had an "elegant" evening meal there. What the heck? A house that size without a large dining room? Mrs. Johnson just loves making quick sandwiches instead of proper meals for David. The kitchen is too tiny for such a mansion. When David steals food, the kitchen is so tiny it reminds me of the small kitchens in many of the one bedroom apartments I've seen.

In 1897 why can't Magda take the werewolf curse off herself she put on Quentin?

On the Andy Griffith show Vito Scotti playing a gypsy took his drought curse off himself he inflicted on Mayberry.

When Barnabas is in a vampire state and dawn appears wherever he is there's always a rooster nearby that cockadoodledoos. Did everybody have a rooster?

vitoscotti, what exactly was it that got you into Vito Scotti? I've loved him since "The Perils of Pauline" (1967). Of course, he was a familiar face before then.

I believe those roosters are sounding off just to remind home viewers that it's dawn. The hour that roosters like to sing and all vampires need to be in their coffins.

My mom's family had a mean rooster when she was a girl. They had the rooster to mate with the chickens and hens for food. Where there's a rooster theres chickens and hens too. I don't see the Collin's raising chickens.

Vito Scotti was in all the classic sitcoms I watched as a kid. I always liked his various nationalities he did and possibly he's Italian and I'm 1/2 Italian.

I researched early phone service history in Maine and I'm not convinced it's as readily available in 1897 as DS portrays.

The Collinses had a cannery. Poultry was not their line of business. However, Maine has its wildlife. The rooster(s) could have been part of it.

Vito Scotti's family was from Naples, Italy. Vito was born in the US. When he was a child, they moved back to Italy for a while then returned to the US.

The Collinses had a cannery. Poultry was not their line of business. However, Maine has its wildlife. The rooster(s) could have been part of it.

Vito Scotti's family was from Naples, Italy. Vito was born in the US. When he was a child, they moved back to Italy for a while then returned to the US.
A wild chicken?

"Wildlife" means game and nongame species that haven't been tamed. There are plenty of wild chickens about. (Think "hen", the adult female chicken.) If you don't think chickens can be wild, just think of the henpecked male. LOL!

These wild chickens must be tough as nails to survive rough Maine winters.

That's another thing there's never any snow outside on DS.

Fun hashing it out with you DJH.

These wild chickens were as tough as nails and not only survived the Maine winters, but the other 3 seasons as well:

Roger henpecked by Liz.
Joe henpecked by Carolyn.
David henpecked by Carolyn.
David henpecked by Laura (his own mother!)
Barnabas henpecked by Julia.
Males henpecked by Angelique.
The list goes on...

Yeah, no snow outside on "Dark Shadows". Producers too cheap to buy an abundance of wholesale Corn Flakes or inexpensive tiny feathers to reuse them for snowstorms. Nice Maine! No snow!

It's fun hashing it out with you, too.

Been awhile since I've seen episodes, but didn't we go back to 1797, 1840, 1897? One thing that always bugged me was there there would be more overlap of people in those times--for instance, we would not see totally different people in each time. I think in one later period they did have an older version of someone, strikes me maybe Joshua (???) was the name, and maybe another. But if I have the years right, we would have a 40 year jump, then a 60 year jump, and another 60 year jump to the present. Seems some of the same people would still be around in each time.

Been awhile since I've seen episodes, but didn't we go back to 1797, 1840, 1897? One thing that always bugged me was there there would be more overlap of people in those times--for instance, we would not see totally different people in each time. I think in one later period they did have an older version of someone, strikes me maybe Joshua (???) was the name, and maybe another. But if I have the years right, we would have a 40 year jump, then a 60 year jump, and another 60 year jump to the present. Seems some of the same people would still be around in each time.
Kind of in the same light is how characters disappear for huge chunks of time then reappear.
Oh hot Carol's home!...Oh Roger's back from Europe. It had to be done for payroll, actors scheduling, etc.

What they had to pull off 5 days a week in a limited time is truly amazing though . The writers had to be closely knit and work together well. Watching the credits after episodes the writers seemed to go solo each episode but change quite often. That would be interesting to hear writers speak about DS days. Wasn't Clarice Blackburn a soap writer coinciding with acting on DS.

What they had to pull off 5 days a week in a limited time is truly amazing though . The writers had to be closely knit and work together well. Watching the credits after episodes the writers seemed to go solo each episode but change quite often. That would be interesting to hear writers speak about DS days. Wasn't Clarice Blackburn a soap writer coinciding with acting on DS.

Oh yeah, what they did was absolutely phenomenal. When I first got hooked on DS as a kid I didn't appreciate it, but watching the repeats on Sci-Fi, I was amazed. Some of the special effects, scenery, etc....just amazing for the times, and with the relatively low budget they undoubtedly had. One more thing...we are downright lucky that the majority of these videotapes were not wiped. (and with the ones that were, kinescopes were retained). Someone must have realized they had something special and kept them preserved, to all of our benefit.

Oh yeah, what they did was absolutely phenomenal. When I first got hooked on DS as a kid I didn't appreciate it, but watching the repeats on Sci-Fi, I was amazed. Some of the special effects, scenery, etc....just amazing for the times, and with the relatively low budget they undoubtedly had. One more thing...we are downright lucky that the majority of these videotapes were not wiped. (and with the ones that were, kinescopes were retained). Someone must have realized they had something special and kept them preserved, to all of our benefit.
When they start a plot twist it seems so stupid. I'm like this is going to be a dud .
But it always works and is interesting.

It was the elderly Daniel Collins who appeared in 1840, played by Louis Edmonds.

Writing for a soap opera must have been incredibly difficult On a prime time show the entire cast is at your beck and call each episode. On a soap opera
you have to deal with cast members being on vacation, Louis Edmonds and Joan Bennet would be gone for long periods of time appearing on stage. There are contracts that require people to be in a certain number of episode probably clause that restricted the number of episodes. That;s why at times the show would focus on boring subplots becaue the person they needed for the main plot would be off.

Jonathan Frid took a month off during 1897 resulting in the Barnabas being staked plot.

1970PT must have been a nightmare with most of the regular cast doing HODS.

It was the elderly Daniel Collins who appeared in 1840, played by Louis Edmonds.

Writing for a soap opera must have been incredibly difficult On a prime time show the entire cast is at your beck and call each episode. On a soap opera
you have to deal with cast members being on vacation, Louis Edmonds and Joan Bennet would be gone for long periods of time appearing on stage. There are contracts that require people to be in a certain number of episode probably clause that restricted the number of episodes. That;s why at times the show would focus on boring subplots becaue the person they needed for the main plot would be off.

Jonathan Frid took a month off during 1897 resulting in the Barnabas being staked plot.

1970PT must have been a nightmare with most of the regular cast doing HODS.
DS has brilliant casting for major and minor characters​. That gives it a of strength too.