Twitter

When we talk about streaming culture, we’re usually enthusing about what’s new, but one of the best things about streaming is how it’s made old and obscure cult hits available to a new generation. Presenting Cult Corner: your weekly look into hidden gems and long-lost curiosities that you can find on streaming.

Today marks a rather inauspicious anniversary. 25 years ago, NBC attempted a reboot of the 1960s cult classic Dark Shadows. The 1991 reboot only lasted for 12 episodes, but it wasn’t as terrible a concept as its failure would suggest. It took the most compelling parts of the Dark Shadows mythos — the loves and sins of Barnabas Collins — and streamlined it for a ’90s primetime audience. The show was sleeker and sexier than the original and hugely popular upon its debut. Its biggest primetime competition? The Gulf War.

You can binge the entire series today on Hulu and judge it for yourself. Better yet, you can judge it against the original Dark Shadows because both are on streaming.

Let’s back up for a moment, though, and talk about the history of one of the strangest and most ground-breaking shows in TV history. The original Dark Shadows debuted on daytime television in the summer of 1966. It was a delightfully gothic twist on the traditional soap opera. Yes, it focused on the drama of one wealthy and eccentric family, but it also played with vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and magic. Nevertheless, it struggled to find an audience until it introduced a beguiling anti-hero named Barnabas Collins.

His story goes like this: In the late 18th century, Barnabas Collins was madly in love with Josette, but before their wedding he had an affair with her maid Angelique. The big problem with this illicit tryst? Angelique dabbled in sorcery and, as the kids would say, had no chill. She called upon a vampire bat to bite Barnabas, thereby turning him into a vampire. So, now he’s undead. How can he be with Josette? Well, before he could convince her to also become a vampire, Angelique once again intervened and gave Josette a vision of the monster she’d become. Overcome with grief and despair, Josette leapt from a cliff to her death. Emotionally destroyed and struggling with his own vampiric feelings of bloodlust, Barnabas begs to be chained in a coffin to save himself from hurting those he loves. The coffin lays undisturbed in the Collins home for over a century until a disaffected handyman, Willy Loomis, opens it up thinking that there’s money inside.

It’s pretty juicy stuff, right? The inclusion of Barnabas gave the show a romantic glamour and much-needed dramatic tension. He starts off as being a stereotypical villain, but over time he transforms into the show’s true hero. As details of his story emerge, Barnabas not only softens but rises up as the Collins family protector. Actor Jonathan Frid established him as a complex take on the vampire legend. He’s chilling and charismatic. No wonder the 1991 reboot (and Tim Burton’s campy 2012 film version) wanted to focus solely on Barnabas.

Sadly, you can’t watch all of Dark Shadows on Hulu, but that’s only because the streaming service has decided to start Dark Shadows with the introduction of Barnabas Collins. Then again, that’s kind of where a casual viewer would want to start, no? Best of all, the original episodes are only 20 minutes long each! It’s a perfect, bone-chilling binge-watch for these dark winter days!

[Watch Dark Shadows (1966) on Hulu]
[Watch Dark Shadows (1991) on Hulu]
[Where To Stream Dark Shadows (2012)]

Previously On Cult Corner:

Cult Corner: Could The A-MAH-ZING Happy Endings Have A Fresh Start On Hulu?

Cult Corner: The Moodys Will Make Your Christmas Feel Normal

Cult Corner: Stream The Worst Star Wars Sequel Ever — The Star Wars Holiday Special

Cult Corner: Is Emmet Otter’s Jug-Band Christmas Too Weird For The Holidays?