Dark Shadows Memories

August 1, 2005
Fans of the ABC daytime soap opera Dark Shadows
(1966–1971) will be swept back almost four decades when Robert Cobert's spooky main theme opens this audiobook. His distinctive compositions from the series play throughout, complementing Scott's warm recollections. The landmark "spook opera" became a ratings hit when it broke serial conventions by introducing vampires, werewolves, ghosts and ghouls as main characters. Scott cheerfully recalls her happy memories playing multiple characters ("I died so many times in those various incarnations, only to return in another time period as another character," she laughs). She affectionately remembers special effects mishaps and bloopers recorded on film because of the hectic daily shooting schedule ("We never stopped tape in those days.... Drafts blew out candles, secret panels sometimes needed an extra shove to open magically."). Scott reveals the inside scoop on why vampires always exited coffins off-camera, how fake fingernails sometimes substituted for missing fangs, and how the cast filmed both a daily TV show and two theatrical films concurrently. Scott is an engaging, melodious and supremely knowledgeable tour guide—her publishing company has released a dozen Dark Shadows books. Based on the Pomegranate paperback.