MovieChat Forums > Dark Shadows (1991) Discussion > Does The DVD Have The Ending That Wasn't...

Does The DVD Have The Ending That Wasn't Shown?

posted 12 years ago by webfix
20 replies | jump to latest

I watched this series on TV and loved it. Much better than the old Dark Shadows (which was totally unfrightening and had far too much talk in it). However, I was disappointed that the series seemed to end abruptly, with no proper conclusion to the story.

As this series is now out on dvd, I would just like to ask does anybody know if the dvd, unlike the TV series, DOES have an ending that wraps everything up, or does it just end abruptly, as the TV series did?

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[–] Venus-25 12 years ago

It ends on the cliffhanger. Season 2 was being planned, but didn't happen because the Brant Tartikoff's replacement at NBC didn't want this type of programming.

All we know about the unproduced second season is that Adrian Paul would have been the new Quentin. That would have been fabulous.

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[–] bahpofficer 12 years ago

And I don't want to hear anyone complaining about day for night shots either since they seem to love the new movie which was loaded with Barnabas IN the sunlight--probably with 2000+ factor sunscreen, I guess. This series rocked and I wish that it would have lasted!

[–] Journeyman1 12 years ago

The DVDs have the same ending as what was shown on TV because that was the season 1 finale. The show was not picked up for a second season.

Season 2 was being planned, but didn't happen because the Brant Tartikoff's replacement at NBC didn't want this type of programming.

I don't know where you heard this, Venus-25 but it's not true whatsoever. The reason it was cancelled is because of low ratings. Dark Shadows aired in 1991 during the Persian Gulf War and was constantly preempted due to war coverage. Viewers lost interest in trying to find it and the ratings fell.

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[–] TheSolarSailor 12 years ago

[–] Journeyman1 12 years ago

It was promised a second season and Dan even wrote episodes to show the studio, who liked what they read and told him he would get a new season. Then they unceremoniously dumped his show from the schedule without so much as a phone call. This all went down after the series finished airing. It's all in Kathryn Leigh Scott's new book, Return to Collinwood.

"NBC broadcast the last of 13 scheduled "Dark Shadows" episodes Friday, and the Nielsen ratings appear to have driven a stake in its heart this time, ranking it 64th among 83 shows in its final week."

http://articles.latimes.com/1991-03-28/local/me-1221_1_dark-shadows

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[–] TheSolarSailor 12 years ago

It's all detailed in the book. Don't believe me, then go buy a copy and give it a read. It tells the whole story behind each incarnation of the show and various movies including some things from the new Burton film, as there is a rather large portion devoted to the 1991 series. I am not going to argue the point, as the facts are made available in the book.

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[–] Journeyman1 12 years ago

I'm not going to believe something from someone who wasn't even involved in the production of the 1991 series.

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[–] TheSolarSailor 12 years ago

Yes, because no research went into the book at all.

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Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] Journeyman1 12 years ago

Whether or not they had the go-ahead for a second season, it was obviously BEFORE the final ratings were in. That's how it works in this business. It's all about ratings. If they don't have the ratings, the show doesn't go on. The same thing happened with Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman. They were supposed to have a fifth season but it got canned because the ratings were awful for the finale. Same thing with Charmed. They didn't know until last minute if they would be back for Season 8 because the ratings in 7 were less than great. It's just curious why this gospel that you reference overlooks that fact.

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[–] chanbara 12 years ago

This is a tad off-topic, but regarding the DVD does anyone know if the recent April 30, 2012 UK release http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Shadows-Revival-Complete-Series/dp/B007K4 PVFI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1338379765&sr=8-1) is truly in the ORIGINAL 4:3 aspect ratio (and not cropped like the 16:9 region 1 DVDs or the even worse doubly-cropped 16:9 -> 4:3 Netflix prints)?

From the total running time listed, I'm guessing it's the original broadcast versions (as opposed to the extended MPI VHS versions), but if (1) they are truly in the original uncropped 4:3 aspect ratio and (2) don't have the nightfor day screw-up that the Region 1 DVDs did, this would be a major improvement...

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Journeyman1 12 years ago

I would have LOVED to see TV-movies. They could have done some new storylines.

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[–] SoapWatch 12 years ago

I can testify to the fact that I lost interest in the series when it became a period piece from about episode 6 onward to the very end of the series.

I kept waiting each week wondering when on earth was Victoria going to return to the present?

I think with all the North and South period pieces being big in mini-series back then, Dan Curtis thought it would add class to Dark Shadows Revival as well.

It seems like he was concentrating too much on ending Season 1 with the cliffhanger of Victoria returning to the present knowing Barnabas's secret that by then people had lost interest in where we had left off in the present day plot months before.

I think Vampire Diaries corrected that since that producer had knew the mistakes Dan Curtis had made.

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] BadPuppy82 12 years ago

The time travel story arch was a huge hit back then. Fans loved it. Angelique(who was only meant to be a device to explain how/why Barnabas became a vampire) proved to be a such a fan favorite that Curtis brought her back.

Another poster mentioned a similar cancellation happening to "Charmed". While it's true that the ratings did slip a bit towards the end of the seventh season, the actors and producers agreed that it may have been a good time to end the series. They even had a wrap party for the cast and crew. The actors in particular wanted to move onto other things, and felt that the show had a good run. When they found out that they had been renewed for an eighth season, they came back and did a fantastic job. Their budget was slashed, so they had to write one of the cast regulars out for the final few episodes (Brian Krause), and bring him back for the last episode as a special guest star.

Just wanted to clear that bit up as I am a HUGE fan of "Charmed". I even own The Book of Shadows. It was a replica made by an extremely talented artist friend of mine and looks exactly like the prop on the show. The actors actually saw one of the replicas at ComiCon and they were amazed. They said it looked like it came right off of the set. :)

[–] 12 years ago

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[–] Briabba2 11 years ago

""NBC broadcast the last of 13 scheduled "Dark Shadows" episodes Friday, and the Nielsen ratings appear to have driven a stake in its heart this time, ranking it 64th among 83 shows in its final week."

13? There's a 13th episode? Where is it? The DVD only has 12. Does anyone know what happened in episode 13?

[–] Darren-24 11 years ago

Hi- that article has a typo. There were only 12 DS 1991 episodes. The two hr pilot and 11 one hr episodes, though on original broadcast, eps 2&3 were combined into a two hr version to create a faux mini-series opening.

[–] Briabba2 11 years ago

Thanks! I was worried I had missed the final hour or something. Wish they would have continued especially considering the cliffhanger.

[–] 11 years ago

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