Friday, May 11, 2012

Week Of 5/11: Spooky "Dark Shadows"; Goodbye Goober

By Sylvia Gurinsky

The story of the television version of "Dark Shadows," which debuts this weekend as a feature film starring show fan (and "21 Jump Street" vet) Johnny Depp started with a basic script. All the ghoulish stuff came later.

When it did come, it made the daytime soap opera, which ran on ABC from 1966-71, extremely popular with teenagers - continuing the teen romance with vampires and warewolves that had started in the movies and serving as a bridge to current popular films, such as the "Twilight" series.

Jonathan Frid, who would become extremely popular as the vampire Barnabas, wasn't even in the first episode. The career of Frid, who died last month, never really extended far beyond "Dark Shadows." But plenty of other talent passed through Collinsport: Conrad Bain, who would later co-star in "Maude" and "Diff'rent Strokes," had a bit part in the first episode as a bellhop. David Selby, later part of the cast of "Falcon Crest," also became a heartthrob on "Dark Shadows."

Others who starred on the show included Louis Edmonds, later Langley Wallingford on "All My Children," and Kate Jackson, soon to star in "The Rookies," "Charlie's Angels" and "Scarecrow & Mrs. King."

Here's Barnabas being freed:

Barnabas is freed

MPI, which has rights to the series, released a limited edition DVD, which quickly sold out. The company will again release the series July 10.

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As a so-long to George Lindsey, here's Goober Pyle's take-off on Cary Grant, which probably didn't give Grant any sleepless nights:

Judy Judy Judy

But Lindsey sure had plenty of fun on "The Andy Griffith Show" and later on "Hee Haw":

Mountain Dew

So long, Goober.

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See you next week. Until then, Happy Viewing!

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