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(More customer reviews)After months of sagging ratings, the fledgling soap opera Dark Shadows did, what in the words of its creator, Dan Curtis, no daytime drama had ever done: it went supernatural.
Following it's landmark premier in 1966, the first-ever gothic soap opera, Dark Shadows, settled into its afternoon time slot to haunt viewers with is unique blend of romance and psychological terror a la Jane Eyre. Unfortunately, viewer ship dwindled steadily, despite excellent stories and equally fine acting, which are clearly demonstrated in each boxed set of remastered DVD episodes from MPI Home Video.
The Beginning Set 1, reflecting the first 35 episodes of the series, introduced the characters and eerie atmosphere created by innovative sets and unforgettable original music that was the hallmark of the show for its five-year run; and The Beginning Set 2, which collected the next 35 episodes, built on that foundation by further developing the main characters and adding some new ones.
But, with The Beginning Set 3 the story gets more intense and leads up to the show's first and second ghosts, both harbingers of bigger and better things to come. Even before those crucial events, the supernatural begins to assert itself when a "real" crystal ball is given to young David Collins. Immediately, he begins to "see" things.
In this boxed set, the drowning death of Collins Plant Manager Bill Malloy is highlighted and becomes darker. In fact, it is his ghost that debut's as the first-ever depicted on the show, when his seaweed drenched corpse warns a terrified Victoria Winters to leave Collinwood or die.
Several episodes later, the young David Collins goes at night to the rundown and ramshackle family mansion, the Old House, where he looks up into the portrait of his great-great-great grandmother Josette Collins, the Lady in White. He implores her spirit to come to him as she frequently does when he needs help. Interrupted by caretaker Matthew Morgan, they leave the darkened drawing room together. Slowly, the portrait begins to shine and the music build. Then, a ghostly white figure appears to step down from the portrait and meander through the house and grounds.
Actress Kathryn Leigh Scott, who portrayed waitress Maggie Evans, was the ghost, saying she was the only actress on set who fit the clothing for Josette and who had a likeness to the portrait.
In addition to all of that, Burke Devlin (played brilliantly by Mitchell Ryan) declares an all-out war against the Collins family, promising to take everything they own, including the fishing fleet, cannery - and the ancestral family home: Collinwood!
Also of great interest in this boxed set are exterior shots, a rarity even today on soap operas. Shots included are of the Great House, the Old House, Widows Hill, Lookout Point and the beach below, Collinsport, the Collins Enterprises and Cannery, the Police Station, the Collinsport Inn, the Blue Whale, and the Evans' Cottage.
Show creators chose Seaview Terrace to represent the exterior of the Collinwood mansion. Located in the picturesque coastal town of Newport, RI, its imposing façade faced out to the edge of the Atlantic, just as writer Art Wallace had described in the original outline for the series. The privately owned house was patterned after a French Chateau, and was converted into student dormitories during the 1950's. It is currently leased by the Salve Reginia University, providing accommodation and classrooms.
Located near the mansion is the Cliff Walk and beach seen in several episodes, including the area where Victoria Winters discovered an incriminating pen that plays a pivotal role in this boxed set.
Also located in Newport, a little further down the coast is the Black Pearl Restaurant, the exterior of which was used as the Blue Whale. It still exists today, though renovations have changed the view commonly seen on the show.
Essex, Connecticut, was used for the town of Collinsport, Maine, including the Collinsport Wharf, Collinsport Enterprises, Main Street and the Evans Cottage. The exteriors of Essex's Griswold Inn was used for the Collinsport Inn and the town Post Office was used for the town Police Station.
Special features in this boxed set include: New Interviews with actors Alexandra Moltke (Victoria Winters), Mitchell Ryan (Burke Devlin), and Conrad Fowkes (Frank Garner.)
These early episodes occurred prior to the arrival of the vampire, Barnabas Collins, played by the gifted Jonathan Frid. Once Frid joined the cast, the show skyrocketed to iconic status. Many fans who began watching once Barnabas became a fixture on the show, never saw these early episodes, so it's wonderful to have them finally available on DVD, to see how it all began!
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Dark Shadows: The Beginning, Collection 3 - Episodes 71-105
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