The Dark Shadows Daybook

There have not been any new Dark Shadows novels in some time now, and with the CD player in my car broken, I haven't had the opportunity to listen to any of the audio books lately.  However, Patrick McCray has come out with a book that not only gave me the chance to get my much-needed Dark Shadows fix, but also gave me the opportunity to relive the entire series and "see" it with a new perspective, looking at episodes, characters, and storylines in ways I never have before.  As the blurb on the back of the book states, "If you're a fan of the venerable vampire soap, you simply must check out this book!"  And I agree whole-heartedly!

When I bought the The Dark Shadows Daybook, I honestly had no idea what it was about.  I knew it was some kind of retrospective look at the daytime soap, but I wasn't sure if it was simply a synopsis of all of the episodes and/or stories, or if it would be interviews with actors and crew, of it would be essays by people on what the show meant to them.  Well, it turns out the book is none of those - but definitely so much more!  Patrick McCray sat down and watched all 1,245 episodes of the show, from beginning to end, and in this book, he provides a unique look at those episodes, selecting certain episodes that stand out for various reasons - whether it be the acting, the sets, the story, the characters, etc.  And he provides a perspective on those episodes that, honestly, I never considered.  But now, having read his perspective, I certainly have a totally new appreciation for the episodes and the series as a whole!

The book takes the series and breaks it down into fourteen parts, with a special look at the final episode of the series (episode 1245).  Beginning with, of course, the beginning, when Victoria Winters arrives in Collinsport, which first aired on Monday, June 27, 1966 (fifty-six years ago - wow! it's hard to believe it has been over half a century since that show first aired!).  He compares episode 1 with episode 1245, looking at them as book-ends for the series, the beginning and the end - noticing a very subtle difference that I'm wondering if many people even pay attention to - the fact that the first episode begins as night is falling on the small fishing port of Collinsport, Maine, while the last episode concludes just as the sun is beginning to dawn over Collinwood (and, as the voice over at the end says, all of those dark shadows looming over Collinwood were nothing but a thing of the past ... ).  McCray then jumps to episode 72 ... then skips quite a bit up to episode 211, in 1967, the very episode that Jonathan Frid enters Collinwood as Barnabas Collins and forever changes the show.  From that point forward, the book jumps episodes, sometimes small hops, other times large jumps, to look at various episodes that impacted the show.

The story of Barnabas' quest to make Maggie Evans into his long-lost Josette, to the unforgettable trip into the past that sent Victoria Winters back to the year 1795 (where each of the Collins' ancestors resembles a present-day member of the Collins family; but the names and relationships have changed, and Victoria Winters finds herself a stranger in a sea of familiar faces ... oh, excuse me, I got a little distracted with a trip back into the past myself there...), to the Adam and Eve stories of 1968, to the trip back to 1796, to the haunting of Collinwood, to the second time travel story back ton 1897, to the introduction of Chris and Amy Jennings, to the first parallel time tale, to the future of 1995, to the final trip into the past, back to 1840, and then to the very last story set in 1841 parallel time - McCray looks at each and every story that unfolded over the five years Dark Shadows was on the air, and while he certainly pokes fun at some of the scenes, some of the acting, and some of the characters, he also offers up some very in-depth analysis of how those characters and stories impacted the overall appeal of the show and why people were so drawn to this crazy show about vampires, witches, werewolves, severed heads, severed hands, Frankenstein creatures, phoenixes, lotteries, time travel, and so much more that no other daytime soap opera would even dare to consider at the time - I mean, let's face it, it was the end of the '60s and beginning of the '70s, and the times, they were a-changing!  Dark Shadows helped herald in that change, and in the pages of this book, the reader learns just how it did that.

I love that McCray recognizes the fact that in the series, Victoria Winters basically came into the show "as a raven-haired Nancy Drew."  I've always rather looked at the character in that way, since Victoria seemed to be at the center of all of those early mysteries - finding out who sabotaged Roger's car, getting kidnapped, always searching to uncover the truth behind her parentage and her mysterious summons to Collinwood - even her trip back to 1795 was the ultimate "mystery" to be solved regarding the ghost of Sarah and the mystery of Barnabas.  

McCray also isn't afraid to compare the series to various other pop culture successes throughout the years, such as Marvel Comics, Star Trek, Batman, Lord of the Rings, and so many others.  I mean, let's face it - for a show that only lasted five years (two years longer than Star Trek, mind you!), the fact that it still has such a large following over 50 years later, and there are no signs of it stopping, shows you just how enduring and appealing the show truly is (despite the many gaffs that appear on air in so many of the episodes).  I even have to agree with McCray's assessment in his afterward about the attempts to remake and bring back Dark Shadows.  There are certain things required if you want to make any come-back a real success, and the 10 guidelines set forth by McCray are definitely on point!  Any creator looking to reboot, continue, or otherwise bring the show back, pay attention to McCray - he knows what he's talking about!  (Quite honestly, the only thing that has actually succeeded in honoring Dark Shadows properly are the Big Finish audio stories - those, as far as I'm concerned, are truly a continuation of the DS lore, and I have a feeling McCray would agree!)

This book is a definite must-have for any Dark Shadows fan, as it allows you to pretty much relive the entire series, from beginning to end, and look at the series with an entirely new outlook.  It has certainly left me with the desire to sit down and re-watch the series, just to see if in watching those episodes, I can pick out the same things (or even more!) that McCray has pointed out in this book.

NOTE - I can't pass up the fact that McCray hails from Louisville, Kentucky, which is also my birthplace and hometown (for the first 16 years of my life)!  And also where Roger David and Mitchell Ryan also hail from!  So, I guess that puts me in some pretty good company...

RATING:  10 faux movie reviews out of 10 for offering up a more engaging look at an already engaging series and helping this fanboy relive the entire series with just as much joy as when I first watched the show as a child!