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DARK SHADOWS Sequel In Development By CW

Courtesy/ABC

What would a re-imagined Dark Shadows look now in 2020?  Well, the CW and Warner Bros Television have made a deal to develop the once uber popular ABC cult classic soap opera that aired from 1966-1971.

Now in development, the new Dark Shadows would be an hourlong.  According to Deadline, the pilot will be written by Mark B. Perry (Revenge, Ghost Whisperer and Brothers & Sisters.), so he definitely knows how to write a solid twist and turn soap.

The new Dark Shadows will be a modern-day continuation of the strange, terrifying, and sexy saga of the Collins family of Collinsport, Maine — a mysterious, influential, publicity-shy group hiding a ghastly secret: For the past 400 years, they’ve lived under a curse that bedevils their blue blood with every imaginable supernatural creature and horror.

The most notable and identifiable character of them all, was of course, Barnabas Collins played by Jonathan Frid.

In a statement, Mark Perry said of bringing back Dark Shadows: “As a first-generation fan, it’s been a dream of mine to give Dark Shadows the Star Trek treatment since way back in the ’80s when Next Generation was announced, so I’m beyond thrilled and humbled to be entrusted with this resurrection.”  He went on to say: “My plan is to take as few liberties as possible with the Dark Shadows canon, while bearing in mind a quote from a 1970s episode delivered by the inimitable Oscar-nominee Grayson Hall as Dr. Julia Hoffman: ‘The Collins family history is not particularly famous for its accuracy.’”

So excited to see an updated version of Dark Shadows? Who do you hope lands in the cast from the soap world? Comment below.

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Just air the original!

All episodes of the original are available on Amazon Prime. They are offered in two segments. Dark Shadows: The Beginnings start from the first episode and run, 35 episodes/season for 6 seasons, up to the introduction of Barnabas. The remainder of the series–with the exception of a lost episode “recreated” with available video, stills, and narration delivered by Lara Parker–start with Barnabas’ introduction and go to the very last episode (25 seasons of 40 episodes each, and the 26th at 19 or 20 episodes). Most, if not all, are also available on Hulu, I think.

Kit. Thank you so much for pointing this out. As a pre-teen ABC was our go to network as soon as we ran down the path and home from school. Watching Meredith Lord die on that snowy balcony on OLTL was my first angry at a soap moment. But Dark Shadows had us truly enthralled and genuinely scared. For years I’d searched for the original first years and I never knew I could have been watching them all along. I remember those original stories veggie Barnabas appeared were enthralling. I liked them more than the time traveling and irritating Julia Hoffman LOL. I watch on Hulu but this is the true origin story for me. I also recently watched the CW unaired pilot. It was OK. Rushed story and some nonsense at the beginning with Victoria on the train I really didn’t like. I fear the story will be rushed here too. I think the best way to reboot is start with Barnabas back story and go to the present day. Much smarter. Thanks again.

Before. Not veggie Barnabas. LOL. Although he turned a lot of characters into vegetables.

I never quite got over Meredith’s death either. Very dramatic–and drawn out because it was in the middle of the Watergate hearings–, but I think it created a hole in the OLTL canvas that was never quite repaired. And I suspect Agnes Nixon did it out of respect for Lynn Benesch Chester, who I’m guessing was planning to leave anyway and move to the west coast. (Not sure if she and Colby Chester were married then or not; she didn’t start performing under the name Chester until later at least.) Much the same reason Mrs. Nixon killed off Jenny Gardner Nelson on All My Children. (Both the characters, Larry and Greg, were never quite as viable after that. Well, except maybe for Larry while married to Karen.)

Modernizing Dark Shadows is a Mistake.
It can not be duplicated nor imitated.
The original Dark Shadows owns its soul.
I believe there will be great disappointments.

It was way before my time but it lives on.
Neighbor purchased the entire series on Amazon $300??
She lent it to me..
I was addicted..
I would watch one episode and couldn’t stop, usually, I needed 4 at a time and looked forward to the next every time!

I was a bit disappointed when it became colorized, that sorta took the atmosphere away.
And!! no ending 🙁 that sucked!

0ooh -the Dark Shadows 2012 movie was a disgrace, it was horrible!!
It was an Insult to the greatness of Dark Shadows..
((will the modern version also be??))

su000…Since I haven’t seen it I won’t have anything to compare it to. But I’m always nervous on reboots. Hope they do it justice. And I agree, about when they colonize something like Dark Shadows. It has to stay b/w. Some of the best semi-horror movies I’ve seem on TCM were always in b/w.

Hopefully it’s better than the awful Twilight Zone reboot.

I have always been a Dark Shadows fan,my favorite character was Angelique played by Lara Parker.I will watch this .

I never saw the original, but have noticed some of MF commenters really liked it. So I’m looking forward to this reboot. Plus Mark Perry liked the comeback treatment of Star Trek my all time favourite.

Music to my ears, as long as it’s done right and not like the parody with Johnny Depp and produced by Tim Burton, a few years ago.

Omg can’t wait this will be so good!

I loved DARK SHADOWS as a kid but absolutely hated Tim Burton’s movie version. The NBC remake got staked in the heart all too soon, so I hope the CW gives this incarnation a chance to bewitch us.

@Rodd….Even though I had very little exposure to the daytime series, I vividly recall the NBC weekly version…it was a properly moody, spooky, evocative primetime soap and I was disappointed when it was cancelled as I thought it had wonderful possibilities! Happily, I never subjected myself to that heinous Burton DS Deppfest, since I cannot stand the actor and all of his innate weirdness, both onscreen and off…However, if a new version would remain loyal to the original show without any of the modern revisionism that seems to afflict all current-day Hollywood reboots, then it could work. How about Michael Easton as the 2020 incarnation of Barnabas Collins??? We already know he can carry off vampire roles with great aplomb!

Hope it’s not awful like the CW version of Dynasty.

As long as we are not subjected to OTT revisionist overhauls of beloved DS characters into modern-day, politically-correct entities, then a reboot could be fun. Given that the CW’s complete hatchet job on the original Dynasty concept was so egregious, I found myself totally turned-off to the 2.0 version before I even turned it on. In other words, it was thanks, but no thanks. Glad I gave it an instant pass and never bothered with it….

OMG! For Satan’s sake, you took the words right out of my mouth!

Loved the original series. It was weird & quirky and the flubs only enhanced it. I still have the Dark Shadows album (vinyl) and the complete set of paperback books based on the series.

Hopefully, this reboot will not tarnish the original. Th Depp movie was just plain horrid. Hated every moment of it.

Michael Easton definitely as Barnabas Collins. He was great as Caleb in Port Charles.

Watched Dark Shadows as a child. Jonathan Frid was creepy and the best Barnabas! Good luck with new casting and I think I would go with 1/2 hour show. But please make a better product than the recent movie by Tim Burton with Johnny Depp. Depp as Barnabas – no way!

cant beat the original. i hope to god they don’t try another ghastly version like nbc did in 1991 with ben cross! that was a sexed up. Wikipedia says it was “a re-imagining” I’ll say. it was dreadful. It only ran Jan- March. it was so good.

The original is best, same for the movies. The original two movies are far superior to the Johnny Depp debacle.

Quit trying to make it something else!

“it was so good” Sarcasm!!

I would love to see a reboot continuation of Dark Shadows starring Ben Cross and the cast.. I really enjoyed this version. The ending was left unfinished. The characters and plots were so engaging.

As The World Turns

Jon Lindstrom and Cady McClain Announce They Have Ended Their Marriage

After much speculation, General Hospital’s Jon Lindstrom (Kevin) and Cady McClain (ex-Jennifer, DAYS, ex-Rosanna, ATWT, ex-Dixie, AMC et al) have officially confirmed and announced they have gone their separate ways and have ended their marriage.

For months on social media, it was clear that the two were seemingly apart, not appearing pictured in any of each others posts.

Now, on a mutually shared Instagram post, Jon and Cady made an official statement on the status of their relationship, beginning with “Cady and Jon here. We are taking this opportunity to make a short statement about our relationship status. It may be obvious to some based on our posts that we’ve taken some time apart. After serious consideration we have decided that our goals have been taking us in different directions and to end our marriage.”

Photo: JPI

As to the future, Jon and Cady explained, “We remain friends and wish each other every happiness. As people who work in the public eye, it can be difficult to have a private life. Regardless, we ask for your kind consideration in this matter.”

Jon and Cady met when they both appeared on As the World Turns, he as Craig Montgomery, and she as Rosanna Cabot. After four years together, the couple decided to get married in 2014.

Share your well-wishes for Jon and Cady’s separate futures as they ask for privacy on this matter in the months ahead via the comment section below.

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News

Y&R Stars Pay Tribute and Remember Marla Adams

The Young and the Restless is in mourning following the news of the passing of longtime star, Marla Adams (Dina Mergeron) who passed away at the age of 85. Adams died on Thursday April 25th in Los Angeles.

Since her passing, several tributes and heartfelt remembrances have been shared on social media. The official Y&R Instagram expressed. “On behalf of the entire company of The Young and the Restless, we send our deepest sympathies to Marla’s family after her passing. We’re so grateful and in awe of Marla’s incredible performance as Dina Mergeron as both Marla and Dina made an unforgettable mark on Y&R.”

Several of Marla’s former co-stars took to the IG post and more to share their remembrances. Adams took home a Daytime Emmy in 2021 for her performance in 2020, as Dina finally succumbs to Alzheimer’s disease in several memorable scenes.

Photo: JPI

Here’s what some of Marla’s co-stars expressed:

Eileen Davidson (Ashley): “Marla will be missed. What a great honor to work with her in the storyline where Dina had Alzheimer’s. Love you Marla ❤️❤️❤️❤️”

Melissa Ordway (Abby): “Marla will be greatly missed”

Beth Maitland (Traci): “The earth stopped turning for a moment when my Marla passed to eternity. Rest now, my Muti and soar with the angels.”

Photo: JPI

Greg Rikaart (Kevin) :“Marla was just the loveliest. Rest well. ❤️”

Bryton James (Devon): “Marla will be missed and loved forever 🧡 My deepest condolences to the family”

Jason Thompson (Billy): “❤️ Marla Adams”

Photo: JPI

Michael Damian (Danny): May god be with you aways Marla! 🙏❤️

Lauralee Bell (Christine): “So sorry to hear. Marla was such a bright light and so talented! My condolences to her family.”

Kate Linder: (Esther shared on X): My heart and love go out to the friends and family of #MarlaAdams. It has been an honor to have known and worked with her for many years! She will be sorely missed.”

Michael Fairman TV will update this post as more tributes are posted.

What do you think about the sentiments shared by Marla Adams’ co-stars as they mourn the loss of, for some, their TV mom? Let us know in the comment section below.

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Interviews

(INTERVIEW) B&B’s Annika Noelle Reveals Her Lead Actress Emmy-Nominated Scenes, and the Ups and Downs of a Tough Year

When the nominees were announced last week for the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards, six women wound up in the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series category and that included The Bold and the Beautiful’s Annika Noelle (Hope Logan) who had quite the heavy on-screen story.

For months, Hope initially tried to hold her marriage to Liam (Scott Clifton) together, gave into her passion for Thomas (Matthew Atkinson), and became a stronger more independent woman in the process. Noelle was previously nominated in 2020 in the Outstanding Supporting Actress category, but this marks her first-time presence in the highly-coveted Lead Actress race.

On Friday, April 26th, The Bold and the Beautiful celebrated their leading 12 nominations, as well as being the show with the most acting nominations going into the 51st annual Daytime Emmy Awards set to air live on Friday, June 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS and streaming on Paramount+.

Photo: JPI

During the on set celebration, when B&B’s Emmy-nominated executive producer and head writer, Brad Bell, introduced each of the acting nominees, they took a moment to address their colleagues, and for Annika, her speech was touching and emotional. She expressed, “I’m so grateful to Brad Bell for believing in this dark brunette, and allowing me to be a part of this family. And when we say that we’re a family, it’s not just because we get along. It is really because we are here for the majority of the year with each other. I know for a lot of people, 2023, was a difficult year.  The thing about this beautiful show is that it was my constant, and it’s what I could depend on during a tough year. And there are beautiful days like this when you come in and everything in your life is going amazingly. And then, there are days where your world is falling apart. And the crew, honestly, you guys kept me afloat this year and that’s why this is so meaningful to me.”

Photo: MFTV Inc

Annika added, “I don’t think I could have gotten through this year without the love and support from this family. So, thank you for being there for me on days that I needed the strength and you gave that to me. I’m so grateful to my co-stars and who I get to share these beautiful scenes with. I just wanted to say, I appreciate all of you and thank you so much. You all mean more to me than you will ever know.”

Michael Fairman TV caught up with Annika immediately following the Emmy nominee celebration, to her thoughts on this momentous occasion in her professional life and what it means to her personally, plus what did she choose for her scenes when Hope had such, shall we say, a torrid year of story to choose from. Here’s what she shared below.

Photo: JPI

Dare I say, I called this nomination for you? Back on New Year’s Eve, I revealed My “Best Of” Picks for 2023 and I had you as the Best Overall Performance by an Actress for the year, and alongside your fellow nominee, Cynthia Watros (Nina, GH), to boot!

ANNIKA: Thank you for believing in me that I could do it.

How did you to tackle your Emmy-nominated reel and what you were hoping to showcase?

ANNIKA: I was just so grateful to have the story to be able to pick from, and to really try to show the character growth and the arc of everything that happened to Hope Logan in the past year. For me, I really wanted to take the voters on a journey from her really being heavily influence by everyone’s opinions and everyone else’s voices, to her really coming into her own and going, “I don’t care if it’s the right or wrong choice, it’s my choice.”

Photo: JPI

What scenes did you end up submitting the landed you this Lead Actress Emmy nomination?

ANNIKA: I started with this great scene that our producers, Casey Kaspryzk and Rachel Herman actually remembered, where Hope walks in on her mother in her lingerie flirting with Ridge. And they remembered that scene. So, that really launched us off to Hope being kind of in this deep denial of, “I’m nothing like you. I’m not going to follow in your footsteps. I don’t have feelings for Thomas.” Cut to Liam confronting her about watching her give into her desires in Rome. And him saying, “Where were you Hope? At the Colosseum?” and then kind of in a roundabout full circle way, Brooke finding Thomas and Hope in bed together and then Hope really kind of going toe to toe with her mother. Then, ending with her kind of fully coming into her own as a woman and saying, “You wanted a divorce, Liam, here’s your divorce.” I really wanted to show the journey of her finding her own voice and advocating for her own choices and finding that inner strength, basically.

Photo: JPI

Was choosing the reel difficult given you had so much material within the 2023 calendar year of eligibility to consider?

ANNIKA: It was hard to pick and choose. There were a few I ended up leaving out. There was a really beautiful scene with Thomas where she realizes he overheard her kind of talking ill of him. That one was really hard to let go of.  I was also considering another scene with Liam where they actually signed the divorce papers. I’m just so grateful to even be able to have the material to choose from.

Photo: JPI

How did you find out you were nominated?

ANNIKA: Eva Basler, our VP of Communications & Talent Relations, called me and it meant so much to me to get that call from her. I tend to get nervous and have anxiety, so that day I just had to not think about it. So, I was out on a walk with my love, and my dog. We’re just in the middle of a cul-de-sac and my phone starts ringing. And it was the best surprise ever! Then, when I found out that Katherine Kelly Lang (Brooke, B&B) got nominated alongside me, I immediately FaceTimed her. It was the funniest thing because she literally picks up and she is wearing a sun visor and sunglasses wrapped up on top of a horse as she’s in the middle of a mountain and in a valley on this beautiful white horse. It was the most picturesque thing.

Photos: ABC, JPI, NBC

I believe you know some of the women you are nominated with, obviously Katherine, but also Tamara Braun (Ava, Days), Finola Hughes, (Anna, GH), Cynthia Watros (Nina, GH) and Michelle Stafford (Phyllis, Y&R). What are your thoughts on these nominees?

ANNIKA: Well first, I’m just so excited to be in this category with the other women. Tamara Braun, who I was nominated with previously in the Supporting Actress category I’m excited that she’s in this category with me. Michelle Stafford, who I see in the hallway all the time, is great, and Finola Hughes, I’m just like obsessed with from afar. I even watched her on Watch What Happens Live!  Cynthia, I hear her work is tremendous, and with Katherine, I’m just really grateful to get to share this with her. To be honored amongst these legends of daytime is amazing. Just to be seen in that way, that means more to me than anything.

Photo: JPI

You mentioned during B&B’s on-set Emmy celebration that this past year was a difficult one for you, and that everyone at the show really helped you through it. What meaning would winning the Emmy hold for you?

ANNIKA: That would be overwhelming. I wouldn’t even know how to describe it – an honor, a privilege, a blessing? It would mean the world to me, especially after this past year. That’s why it’s so significant, because even on the darkest days, the storms passes. You just have to hold on for that brighter day.

So, what did you think about the scenes Annika submitted for Lead Actress? Were they some of your favorite moments from the Emmy season? Share your thoughts via the comment section below.

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