Product Details

• Actors: Jonathan Frid, Grayson Hall
• Directors: Dan Curtis (Creator)
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Studio: MPI HOME VIDEO
• DVD Release Date: April 10, 2012
• Run Time: 180 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (34 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B006Z7Z3ZO
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #26,070 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

From 1966 to 1971, the spooky ABC-TV suspense series DARK SHADOWS thrilled an audience of 20 million viewers with a unique blend of Gothic romance and supernatural horror.


The original DARK SHADOWS became a pop culture phenomenon with the introduction of vulnerable vampire Barnabas Collins, a legendary role made famous by Jonathan Frid and, more recently, Johnny Depp in the motion picture remake.


This unique collection offers 9 complete TV episodes that are among the most popular in the history of
DARK SHADOWS, serving as an ideal introduction to new vewers as well as an enticing overview for veteran DARK SHADOWS devotees. As a bonus, new, informative introductions for each episode are included.

Vampire Barnabas Collins returns to Collinwood after being released from his chained coffin. A séance is held at Collinwood to reach the mysterious ghost of Sarah Collins. The beautiful but jealous witch puts a spell on Barnabas. Barnabas and Dr. Julia Hoffman uncover the secret of the werewolf. Quentin Collins rises as a zombie. Reverend Trask attempts an exorcism. A costume party is held at Collinwood with dramatic results. Barnabas and Julia discover that two members of the Collins family have gone insane. Maggie Evans becomes the victim of a vampire. Quentin asks governess Daphne Harridge to save the children who are possessed. Barnabas attacks Roxanne Drew and places her under his power.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars dark shadows greatest hits May 27, 2012

By Eric

Format:DVD

This is a very satisfying collection of 9 of the most memorable Dark Shadows episodes, encompassing almost all of the different eras of the show (or should I say some of the most pivotal plot points in the ongoing story?). We start in black and white, when Barnabas introduces himself to Elizabeth Stoddard as her English "cousin" (very suave move). His manners so charm the Collins matriarch that discrepancies in his story are forever overlooked. Everyone is instead worried over the disappearance of the threatening Willy Loomis, little realizing he's already become the vampire's minion. We quickly move to color, sitting in on a very 1960s-style mod seance that shockingly transports the governess Victoria Winters back to 1795, to solve the mystery of Barnabas' ghostly sister Sara. There follows our first meeting with Angelique, the witch who bedevils Barnabas across time, played perfectly by one of TV's best-ever ice queens, the blonde beauty Lara Parker.

Jumping ahead, Dr. Hoffman figures out that Quentin Collins is a werewolf, and as Julia and Barnabas become cohorts at solving the mysteries of Collinwood, they travel to Parallel Time, where familiar faces act out a version of Rebecca (with Grayson Hall excelling in the Mrs. Danvers role), and to the future where Collinwood lies in ruins, and Caroline and Quentin have gone insane. A very young Kate Jackson appears as the mysterious ghost Daphne, another governess with a secret, enlivening the show's later years.

Through all, we see the famous Collinwood set, the medieval staircase that frames so much of the action, and you can watch each numbered episode with informative introductions by Kathryn Leigh Scott, who played Maggie Evans through all her perils in past, present, future and parallel time.... The show takes itself so seriously, you're instantly immersed in its dream-like world, and you almost don't mind not having the cliffhangers add up; you still get a full picture of what made the first ever gothic soap opera so appealing, and so enduring. Read more ›

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Episodes May 23, 2012

By Coffee Ramblings TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:DVD

I had a blast watching these nine episodes, which are better pick than the uneven Dark Shadows: Best of Barnabas. There is a werewolf, ghosts, a witch, demon possession, time travel and a parallel timeline in this collection. The first three episodes are my favorites, where Barnabas introduces himself as a cousin to the Collins family; during a freaky séance Victoria Winters travels back to the year 1795; and the witch Angelique tries to hurt Barnabas. The video resolution is better than the previous collection. Make sure to look for a few Dark Shadows famous bloopers/mistakes, as the actors flub their lines and you can clearly see the microphone boom shadow in several scenes. The Fan Favorites DVD should satisfy most Dark Shadows fans and introduce the series to a new generation.

32 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars "A Good Collection At A Nice Price" January 22, 2012

By Terry Richard TOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:DVD

To coincide with the long-awaited release of "Dark Shadows" in theatres in May, 2012 MPI Video is releasing three collections the month before on April 12th. This set called "Fan Favorites" runs about 180 minutes and since the original ABC daytime soap ran for thirty minutes each day I would believe we will see about six episodes on this disc. This set and "The Best of Barnabas" are obviously aimed at people who only have a remote interest in the original daytime serial and they are priced very reasonably.

This reasonably priced single-disc DVD will feature 9 episodes with brand new introductions.

However, on April 12th if your a major fan of "Dark Shadows" and of classic vintage soaps like me look for "Dark Shadows-The Complete Collection" that will feature every single episode of the series along with a slew of bonus features. Personally, I am in Heaven and cannot wait for that set!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Super "Best Of" Dark Shadows release January 11, 2013

By Byron Kolln HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWER

Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase

It's always a very bold step when a company releases a DVD of a show with the phrases "Fan Favourites" and "The Greatest Episodes" splashed over the front cover. It's especially difficult when the show is DARK SHADOWS, the legendary gothic daytime soap opera which notched up over 1,000 episodes during its original 1966-71 run on ABC. To whittle the series down to 9 key episodes would be an unenviable task, but one which MPI has done in a very thoughtful way.

For in DARK SHADOWS, as the fans know, the story and its characters frequently leapt backwards, forwards and even sideways in time, creating a seemingly never-ending multitude of dramatic possibilities. This collection spotlights episodes from many of the show's eras (including the original leap back to 1795); and most of the popular characters, including Barnabas, Dr Julia Hoffman, Quentin, Maggie/Josette, Angelique, Reverend Trask, Daphne Harridge and Victoria Winters.

Episodes:

#212 - After having been freed from his chained coffin, Barnabas (Jonathan Frid) returns to Collinwood where he finds the Old House in ruins and swears his plan of redemption to the portrait of Josette.

#365 - The Collins family resolve to hold a séance in a bid to contact the ghost of little Sarah Collins (Sharon Smyth), Barnabas' younger sister, who has already appeared to Maggie (Kathryn Leigh Scott) and David (David Henesy). The séance comes to its shocking conclusion when Victoria (Alexandra Moltke) disappears only to somehow find herself swept back in time to 1795.

#371 - In 1795-era Collinwood, Barnabas is almost killed by vengeful former lover and witch Angelique (Lara Parker), when she casts a spell to choke Barnabas with an invisible handkerchief.... *This episode is incorrectly-labelled as being #370 on the DVD case.

#699 - Back in regular time, Dr Julia Hoffman (Grayson Hall) and Barnabas must race against time to help Chris Jennings (Don Briscoe), who is under a werewolf curse.

#725 - Once more backwards in time (1897 to be exact), Barnabas is again caught up in the web of evil surrounding Quentin Collins (David Selby) and young Jamison Collins (Henesy), who appears to be possessed by Quentin's spirit.

#1024 - In 1970 Parallel Time, the familiar Collinwood characters re-enact a variation of "Rebecca", with Alexis Stokes (Lara Parker), the "twin sister" of Quentin's former wife Angelique, sabotaging new bride Maggie Collins' marriage by tricking her into wearing one of Angelique's gowns during a costume ball.

#1065 - Barnabas and Julia travel ahead in time to the year 1995, where they find Collinwood to be a decrepit wreck with only an insane Carolyn (Nancy Barrett) and Quentin remaining.

#1102 - Determined to stop whatever horrors which occurred in 1995, Barnabas and Julia return to 1970 where they must protect David from his premature death. The ghost of Daphne Harridge (Kate Jackson) is the key to his salvation. Meanwhile, Maggie becomes the target of a mystery vampire.

#1115 - Using the alias of an obscure Collins family relative, Julia follows Barnabas back to 1840, where she must stop him from seducing the lovely Roxanne Drew (Donna Wandrey).

Each episode comes with an optional introduction from Kathryn Leigh Scott, so newer viewers won't find themselves struggling to identify the characters and the stories' shifts in time. Sure, DARK SHADOWS fans could have suggested some other important plot points (Angelique's "Dream Curse", Josette's final moments on Widows' Hill, Laura Collins revealed as the "Fire Phoenix" and maybe even the very first episode), but for what is covered in this DVD, MPI have done a remarkable job.

Just don't be surprised if you find yourself buying some of the larger DARK SHADOWS collections - this show is like a bag of potato chips... you cannot stop once you've started! Read more ›