The original Dark Shadows series, which aired beginning on 6/27/66, on ABC, was a very popular gothic/vampire soap opera. It lasted for 1,225 episodes and 2 full length movies. Due to its large and devoted following, in the mid-80's, ABC considered remaking the series. At the time it was not a viable project.
Dark Shadows Revival (the 1990's series) was not to be a sequel or a reunion, but a remake with a contemporary flare.
Filming began at 11 a.m. on Monday, March 19,1990. Filming of the scenes at 'Collingswood Manor' were actually at the Greystone Estate in Beverly Hills, California. It is an exquisite mansion of 1920's architecture, 55 rooms, on 18 acres of formal gardens. It has been open to the public as a park since 1971. During filming, it remained open during those hours, with the production areas roped off. Interior scenes were filmed on stage 6 at Warner Brothers Productions. There was also a "miniature" (25' long by 15' deep) of the estate, used to film and photograph certain exterior shots and angles.
The most obvious special effect was the misty haze that settled over the manor.....that was created by a mineral oil based 'smoke' that was blown into the air. After complaints were lodged by the cast who were having difficulty breathing (unlike the crew, they obviously could not wear protective masks), the formulation was changed to an oil-free formulation.
The 2 hour (105 air minutes) pilot episode took 18 days to film. It was then presented to NBC to purchase for broadcast. A week later NBC announced their decision not to accept the series. Dan Curtis the series creator/producer/writer did not give up, and repetitioned Brandon Tartikoff of NBC. Two days after the initial rejection, Mr. Tartikoff called Dan Curtis with the good news that NBC reconsidered and would purchase Dark Shadows Revival as a mid-season replacement series.
Filming 'wrapped' on 12/5/90. The show would debut a month and a half later. Print publicity began appearing in periodicals in late December. NBC began advertising it as a miniseries in early January. They aired the 2 hour pilot on Sunday, January 13, 1991 from 9-11 p.m., and ran episodes 2 and 3 back to back the very next night in the same time slot. THEN they moved it to Friday nights as a regular series. The first episode to air in the 'regular' time slot, on Friday January 18, was bumped forward an hour to air at 10 p.m. due to pre-emptions caused by coverage of the Gulf War. NBC tried to make up for that last minute confusion, by rerunning episode #4 back to back with episode #5 the following week. The damage had already been done, fans were left confused. On March 8, NBC again moved the show, this time to 10 p.m..
While Dark Shadows Revival was a casualty of the Gulf War, the series was further hurt by the departure of Brandon Tartikoff (to join Paramount Productions), the NBC Entertainment President, who had helped get the series launched. The official 'Dark Shadows Ressurected' book (purchase information below) summarized it with the following statement: "New network Entertainment President, Mr. Warren Littlefield, simply didn't appear to possess enough faith to give the show a fair, second chance."
While Dark Shadows fans were pleased with the new series, the network could not pinpoint viewership, and therefore did not see it as a profitable venture, and it was canceled after only 12 episodes. In true NBC fashion, the episodes were not consistently aired in the same time slot, nor was there adequate advertising for the series, both of which contributed to its demise.
Fans called, wrote letters in droves, and picketed NBC in peaceful demonstrations in California (on 3/27/91 - Michael and several other cast members came by to express their gratitude to fans for their support) and in New York (on 4/10/91). Despite this OBVIOUS show of support by fans, the decision to cancel the show was not overturned.

The cast was laden with talented and well known actors, such as Ben Cross, Joanna Going, Barbara Steele, Jim Fyfe, Roy Thinnes, Jean Simmons, and of course Michael T. Weiss. Michael is not in episode #4 at all, and is featured the most in episodes 2, 3, 11, and 12.

Joe Haskell - (1991) a devastatingly handsome, local fisherman, who should never, even in jest, say to his girlfriends - 'bite me'.

Peter Bradford - (1790) a dashing young attorney, who stands by the woman he loves, no matter 'witch' way fate turns.

Our Shadowy Images page will provide more pictures of Michael portraying both of his characters.

For a complete overview of the series, visit Mare's Dark Shadow page.

Interested in Michael's comments on Dark Shadows? Sentiments from the Shadows

Dark Shadows videos are available of both series from MPI Video. The videos are very good quality and are around $20 per tape/episode.

Pomegranate Press carries "Dark Shadows Resurrected". This book contains production information, actor comments, behind the scene shots (including many of Michael), publicity shots of each character, and a feature that I greatly appreciated, a summary of every episode of the 1991 Dark Shadows series. It retails at $24.95.

Shadowgrams is a newsletter that covers both of the Dark Shadows series. It is a wonderful resource for fans of the show. It provides information on fan conventions, actor appearances, fan-fiction publications, and up to the minute information on what each and every actor from both series, are currently doing - projects they are involved in, press coverage about them is quoted, when they can be seen on TV or on the big screen. To subscribe and/or order back issues, and/or Dark Shadows history books, fan fiction books and the like, contact Marcy

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