60th Anniversary Screening: ABC-TV's Dark Shadows

Free admission. No advance reservations. Your seat will be assigned to you when you pick up your ticket at the box office. Seats are assigned on a first come, first served basis. The box office opens one hour before the event.

In person: Q&A with actor David Selby and historian Jim Pierson, editor of Dark Shadows Noir: Classic Black and White Photography From the Dan Curtis Productions Archive. Book signing with Pierson before the screening.

Premiering on June 27, 1966, on ABC-TV, Dark Shadows (1966–71) represented an outré experiment in daytime television that became an unexpected breakout hit and evergreen cult classic. Created by horror-maestro Dan Curtis (The Night Stalker, Trilogy of Terror), the innovative soap opera, which initially struggled in the ratings, expanded greatly in popularity in its second year with the addition of a 175-year-old charismatic vampire character named Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid). As the eerily atmospheric series evolved to fuse gothic supernatural elements and romance into complex storylines, it developed a passionate youth following and became a pop culture phenomenon. In the process, the videotaped series earned the distinction of being the first soap to spawn a theatrical motion picture spin-off, House of Dark Shadows (1970), and several additional feature films and reboots. The beloved original series ran for over 1,200 episodes before its abrupt cancellation in 1971. In the ensuing decades, the aura surrounding Dark Shadows has only intensified, with the influential program enjoying nearly constant reruns in syndication, luring an influx of new viewers into the mysterious, shadow-drenched world of the wealthy Collins family of fictional Collinsport, Maine.

Join us for a celebration of Dark Shadows, exactly 60 years to the day of its premiere, including the debut episode and rare archival footage. Before the screening, historian Jim Pierson will sign copies of Dark Shadows Noir: Classic Black and White Photography from the Dan Curtis Productions Archive. Following the screening, there will be a Q&A with Dark Shadows star, actor David Selby, and Jim Pierson.

Programmed and note written by John H. Mitchell Television Curator Mark Quigley.

Screening 1 of 3

Dark Shadows: Episode 1

Year: 1966
Country: U.S.
Language: English
Runtime: 29 min.
Digital. B&W.

The series debut introduces central protagonist, young Victoria “Vicki” Winters (Alexandra Moltke), as she arrives to begin her new life as a governess for the secretive (and cursed) Collins family. Directed by television pioneer Lela Swift, who would helm over 500 episodes of Dark Shadows. With original commercials.

ABC. Production: Dan Curtis Productions. Executive Producer: Dan Curtis. Director: Lela Swift. Writer: Art Wallace. With: Joan Bennett, Mitchell Ryan, Louis Edmonds.

Screening 2 of 3

Dark Shadows: Episode 250

Year: 1967
Country: U.S.
Language: English
Runtime: 22 min.
Digital. B&W.

Maggie Evans (Kathryn Leigh Scott) regains her true identity and plots a desperate escape from being eternally bound to her captor, vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid).

ABC. Production: Dan Curtis Productions. Executive Producer: Dan Curtis. Director: Lela Swift. Writer: Joe Caldwell. With: Jonathan Frid, Kathryn Leigh Scott, John Karlen.

Screening 3 of 3

Dark Shadows: Episode 780

Year: 1969
Country: U.S.
Language: English
Runtime: 22 min.
Digital. B&W.

Carl (John Karlen) and his brother Quentin Collins (David Selby) are caught in a deadly confrontation between vampire Barnabas Collins (Jonathan Frid) and a crucifix-wielding preacher (Jerry Lacy).

ABC. Production: Dan Curtis Productions. Executive Producer: Dan Curtis. Director: Henry Kaplan. Writer: Sam Hall. With: Jonathan Frid, David Selby, John Karlen.