At some point in my childhood, my mother – an avid daytime soap watcher – began watching syndicated episodes of Dark Shadows, a gothic soap that initially wreaked havoc on the daytime screen in the late sixties and early seventies. At the time, the show scared the bejeezus out of me. However, with a remake directed by Tim Burton and produced by Johnny Depp headed to theaters in May, I might give the series a chance, once again. MPI Entertainment is hoping to capitalize on the renewed popularity of the show to help audiences do just that.
On May 8, the company will release Dark Shadows: The Complete Original Series in a special DVD box set. With 1,225 hours of episodes, 100 interviews, bloopers, a cast reunion, a “behind-the-scenes” documentary, and a commemorative booklet, the set will not come cheaply. Luckily, it will come a little more cheaply than the ouch of a full list price Universal Studios was asking for the Law and Order complete box set a few months back. Dark Shadows: The Complete Original Series will only set buyers back $599.98.
If the 131-disc set is understandably not doable, MPI Entertainment will also be releasing a couple of 9-episode DVDs for the more manageable price of $14.98 apiece. The first Dark Shadows set will feature Fan Favorites and the section will highlight The Best of Barnabas. These two disc sets will come out even earlier on April 10. Even if you won’t be purchasing the huge Complete Series set, the packaging is a treat to look at in itself.
