The Original Vampire

I try to limit the number of DVDs I buy. I know before I turn around, DVDs will be a thing of the past like VHS tapes and something new will be all you can play.

But when I come across a DVD of an old television show that I loved, I can’t help myself.

That’s what happen this week when I found a DVD of “Dark Shadows,” the original television series. It wasn’t an entire season, but 3 ½ hours of the series.  The DVD is called “The Vampire Curse” and “the story behind Barnabas’ transformation from mere mortal to living dead is detailed in a selection of storylines from the supernatural series.”

Jonathan Frid portrayed Barnabas Collins, the original vampire and became a cultural icon.

Dark Shadows aired on the ABC network from 1966 until 1971. I remembered watching Dark Shadows after school and loving it. I think I liked it because the storyline was so unusual and different from anything on TV at the time. I mean, there was no hunky villains or heroes for a young girl to fall for, so it had to be the storyline. Looking back now, even the storyline wasn’t all that great. But on second thought, David Shelby did make a good werewolf.

I think it was the mystery and mystic of vampires, witches and the supernatural that made “Dark Shadows” a must see program. As I recall, most parents weren’t crazy about their children watching it, but tolerated it.

I believe in the 90s a remake of the series was attempted, but only last one season.

While I was purchasing the DVD, the clerk and I talked about the show (she was a fan, too) and how back then the show was no big deal. Now with “Twilight” and “New Moon,” to mention a few, vampire-hype is everywhere.

Thinking about it, I realized why vampires can become heroes instead of villains and why it’s not strange to see so much promotion about it now.

Our parents’ generation had few vampires. So with the next generations (our children and their children) we offer them vampires based on the ones we loved. Each generation cultivates ideals for the next so what we love, we pass on to the next generation. And, let’s face it, the vampires are better looking than they use to be.

Do you know of other things that were once old, but are now new again? Were you a fan of “Dark Shadows?” Was there other shows you loved that you’d like to share with your children? And finally, vampire - scary or sexy?