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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2016 0:13:55 GMT
Hey everyone,
I thought this might be an intresting exercise for those more au fait with the original series - reimagine Dark Shadows as a contempoary series?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 30, 2016 3:24:29 GMT
God, I don't know how to. The great thing about the original series is that it's pretty outside time. Even though it's the 60s and 70s, no-one has a television. No-one goes to the movies, no-one seems to care for music except for the four pieces in The Blue Whale jukebox. Even the 1991 series - apart from being filmed in a very 90s fashion - didn't contain much that placed it firmly in time. Of course, that's another thing Tim Burton didn't understand with The Carpenters, Barnabas watching TV, a McDonalds in Collinsport, and an all early 70s soundtrack including Alice Cooper performing as himself...for some reason.
I'll try and think of a couple of ideas though - and would be fun if even people who haven't seen the show play along. They might have ideas anyway.
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Post by Trace on Jan 30, 2016 3:43:41 GMT
Hmmm...it's kinda already been done a few times....The Vampire Diaries, True Blood, The Walking Dead, American Horror Story, and in daytime, some storylines on Passions, Days of Our Lives, and Port Charles (none of which would have happened if not for Dark Shadows, in my opinion).
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Post by mark687 on Jan 30, 2016 11:33:05 GMT
Easy a combination of Buffy, Angel and Heroes I don't think they could do it as tongue in check or as deliberately/slowly paced as the original though IMO
Regards
mark687
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Post by gljohnson17 on Feb 1, 2016 4:31:47 GMT
Even Being Human had to take liberties with being a vampires etc.
I don't think a contemporary DS would work considering the mirrors in the bars and men's room wi the original DS constraints.... wink Wink nudge.
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Rob Morris
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Post by Rob Morris on Feb 1, 2016 9:25:57 GMT
It's interesting you should say that. One of the first things that really bugged me about the DS 91 revival was the fact there was a huge sodding great mirror in the Collinwood drawing room and yet still it was only Julia who spotted Barnabas didn't reflect.
I know she's the smartest person in any room she stands in, but you don't have to make everyone else that stupid.
To be honest I'd probably do away with the "vampires don't reflect" thing anyway.
But I think as long as you manage an isolated community, and a powerful family with buried secrets it could work again. I'd go with Revenge as a template. And don't try and match every story beat from the original show. And I'd say even if you even have to attempt a reworking of the Barnabas storyline don't do it as episode 1.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2016 9:45:31 GMT
I can't see a time where a DS revival wouldn't have to feature Barnabas prominently from pretty much the outset. He's the most iconic marketable aspect of the show despite not being anywhere near my favourite character. In today's TV climate, I think we'd probably see the show with Barnabas and Quentin, love triangles (notice how many Arrow, Flash and Gotham have had just in the past couple of years?) and all sorts of more modern tropes. Which isn't a bad thing necessarily but a lot of American telly does tend to be very formulaic.
If you have to use Barnabas early on, I'd hope to at least take a few episodes teasing it and letting other characters get some development before making it about him. That's a huge flaw of the 91 and 2012 remakes - it's Barnabas' show pretty much from start to finish while characters like Roger or Vicki are only there as lip service to the original.
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Post by Zagreus on Feb 1, 2016 17:57:48 GMT
I'd do it a bit "town out of time". I grew up in the midwest, and there's still plenty of townships around that seem lost to time, filled with out of date technology small local economy. Yes, people have cellphones, but otherwise it doesn't look a whole lot unlike Collinsport of the original series. Wouldn't need to change a whole lot, really.
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Post by silverednickle on Feb 1, 2016 18:43:39 GMT
I could see a few episodes teasing Barnabas before he shows up. Elizabeth saying to Vicki "Please be advised, Ms. Winters, this family has many secrets and I would ask that you respect them" with a shot to the Mausoleum. Maybe have a few episodes where Willie is working out the riddle to the buried fortune (like House of Dark Shadows). Also making sure that Barnabas' portrait is in a prominent spot, though 1991 remake sort of had it over the top- maybe it could start in the Old House. David playing over in the Old House, really building up that the house has been abandoned for ages. He could play with Sarah, though I wouldn't make her obviously a ghost initially.
Now what to do with Roger... I do like the idea of the hinted upon Laura/Angelique fusion, but definitely keep that for season 2... But what would Angelique do with a baby?
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Post by Zagreus on Feb 1, 2016 20:32:42 GMT
I'd actually rather a contemporary reimagining do something new, instead of just rehashing the same like the Revival Series did.
I mean, yes, keep the broad strokes the same, but you're free to reinterpret things and go off in different directions. Why not have Barnabas there from the beginning? An old man, bedridden, on life support, Vicki hired on to be the new personal caretaker after the last one abruptly left under suspicious circumstances. He's still a vampire, but he's being kept sedated, and Vicki inadvertently takes him off the meds keeping him in check, allowing him to slowly regain his strength.
Or something.
Just throwing wild ideas out there.
Be imaginative! Have fun with it!
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Post by gljohnson17 on Feb 1, 2016 23:48:55 GMT
Let's go the other way.. ....
Instead of contemporary.. let's do 1690 and the founding of Collinsport... Miranda DuVal.. the first Collins... and of course the costumes..
Wink
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Post by coldlazarou on Feb 2, 2016 11:36:11 GMT
But what would Angelique do with a baby? Eat it, like Medea. But then this is why no-one allows me to be in charge of a TV show.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 2, 2016 12:53:16 GMT
Trace, what did the 2004 pilot do differently and what did it do the same?
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Post by Trace on Feb 3, 2016 4:54:36 GMT
It did a mash-up of Angelique and Laura (Angelique was David's mother.) Willie was really good looking and not a fool. Carolyn and Joe are romantically involved. There's no Maggie in the pilot. Julia is Asian. It seemed like a lot of it was going for shock value (especially the thrown-together ending) but instead it comes off as bad comedy. In that way, it's similar to Depp Shadows.
I'm sure I could tell you much more but it's been so long since I've seen it! I'll watch it again this June when I go to the DS Fest (they always screen it late-night) so I can report back on it. It will be fun now that Alec Newman, Jessica Chastain, Matt Czuchry, and Marley Shelton are so famous.
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Post by gljohnson17 on Feb 3, 2016 7:24:57 GMT
Bay Harbor main.
Collinsport has surpassed Salem as The Go To Place.
Maggie runs the inn which does great business year round. Joe runs a vacationer harbor ferry during the high season
Barnabas has reconciled with Angelique and hosts the best and deadliest Halloween Week on record.
Julia hooks up with Sabrina and runs a lesbian bread and breakfaSt from Elliot Stokes old place..
Shall I go on? Haha Hugztite
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Post by Sir Wearer of Hats on Feb 3, 2016 11:11:40 GMT
It'd be full of pretty but ultimately talentless people, except for a small number of older, and oddly enough, actuslly competent at their art, actors. See also: Arrow, Flash....
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Post by joehart1962 on Feb 4, 2016 7:07:38 GMT
It has to be a period piece. I mean, come on -- some guy comes knocking at your door, saying he's your cousin from England? First thing you'd do is Google him. Then hop on a jet and knock on some doors at Cadogan Square. The gag just doesn't work today.
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Post by barnabaslives on Feb 4, 2016 18:42:32 GMT
I suppose maybe it helps a bit if your cousin from England does bear a uncanny resemblance to the portrait of... er, his ancestor that's hanging in the foyer.
I agree though that suspense would probably suffer at the hands of advancement. Barnabas' refusal to have a telephone installed in the Old House may be a good case in point. Naturally someone will have to go to Collinwood in person on a dark and stormy night, in spite of whatever is on the loose out there...
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Post by silverednickle on Feb 4, 2016 21:54:27 GMT
Plus cellphones would mess up such plots of miscommunication and the number of times people are running to and from houses/town/grave-sites/etc and met certain plot points.
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Rob Morris
Big Finish Creative Team
Avoiding this place for a while as it's become somewhat toxic.
Likes: 781
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Post by Rob Morris on Feb 4, 2016 22:26:23 GMT
Actually I think cell phones could make life more interesting. Make more race against time scenarios.
And actually Barnabas was quite the renaissance man in the 1960s series. He taught a servant to read and write after all. He might take to them.
And ultimately (although I'm sure through Julia's insistence) got electricty in the Old House.
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