Get ready to watch a TV show that really sucks, because the classic vampire soap opera Dark Shadows is coming back with an all-new sequel series.
According to Deadline, a new hour-long drama series called Dark Shadows: Reincarnation is in development from Warner Bros. and the CW. The series is set to continue telling the story of the cursed Collins family in Collinsport, ME, while updating the original 1960s setting to today. Revenge writer Mark B. Perry is set to be the showrunner, and it sounds like he has a tremendous passion for the property.
“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,” Perry said in a statement. “And while I could never hope to fill (original creator) Dan Curtis’ very large shoes, I do aspire to carry them a little farther into the future. I also want to reassure the fans of the original that this version will treat the show’s mythology with the same reverence given to Star Trek, but will also make the show accessible for audiences who aren’t yet familiar with the macabre world of the Collinses. 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.'”
Quoting a single line from an episode in his pitch to fans is a pretty deep cut, and really goes to show how much effort Perry is putting in toward making this sequel series work. In addition to vampires, the original series also featured other strange goings-on like werewolves, witches, and even time travel, and there’s no reason to believe this new incarnation won’t get even weirder.
