A MESSAGE FROM BARNABAS

It was fan mail that saved the original DARK SHADOWS TV series. Struggling for identity and viewers during the reign of daytime dramas, the show nearly succumbed prematurely. It probably would have without Dan Curtis going out on a limb and introducing a resurrected vampire to the ensemble cast.

It didn't take long for fans of the show to go bats over this new, undead hearthrob named Barnabas Collins. Actor Jonathan Frid soon found himself wading through piles of fan mail from adoring admirers. The network appeared to take notice and decided to go ahead with the series. The show was saved and the rest is horror history.

Below is a reproduction of the note that Mr. Frid would send in reply to the fan mail that was too overwhelming to personally reply to. It is from David Skal's history of the vampire in populare culture, ROMANCING THE VAMPIRE.