In 2004 a pilot was made for another TV series revival, yet again titled Dark Shadows. The WB decided not to pick up the series and the pilot has never aired on television. It has however been screened at the 2005, 2011, and 2013 festivals. There are currently no plans for a home video release.
My name is Victoria Winters. It's October 31st... Halloween. The date didn't even register when the train tickets arrived. Hundreds of years ago, we put on costumes to scare away 'evil spirits'. Between our 24-hour science channels and the inventions of Prozac, you think we'd be past all that by now. But maybe we'll always be afraid of the dark... I've been hired to tutor a troubled boy, but I keep feeling like that's only the beginning of my journey. I'm hoping that somehow, out of the darkness, I'll finally find answers to the mysteries of my own past...
The plot focused on Victoria Winters arriving by train to Collinsport. She is welcomed by Mrs. Stoddard, but experiences strange and disturbing dreams upon her first night in the house. She meets David Collins, who is constantly plagued by memories of his mother.
Meanwhile, Willie Loomis and his girlfriend go to the Collinsport crypt in search of a treasure and open Barnabas's coffin. In the process, she cuts her hand and some blood falls upon the dessicated corpse, reviving him. Barnabas drains the girlfriend and attacks Willie. He later attacks Carolyn, walking home from a romantic encounter with Joe Haskell on his boat.
Barnabas Collins presents himself at Collinwood, and Victoria feels immediately drawn to him. He asks permission to restore the Old House, and although Roger cautions him against it, he is determined to proceed. David and Victoria visit the Old House and Barnabas shows Victoria a portrait of Josette DuPres, which greatly resembles her. This is in Josette's room, which had been walled up until now. Willie, now working for Barnabas, bears fang marks and cannot say enough about Barnabas. At night David wakes and goes into the wood, where he removes a dagger from the ground. What might be the spirit of Angelique is now apparently free.
Meanwhile Dr. Julia Hoffman at the hospital confirms that Carolyn's wounds match those of the corpse of Willie's girlfriend, who washes up on shore completely drained of blood.
Victoria goes to the hospital with Mrs. Stoddard to visit Carolyn, currently on life support. Carolyn, late at night, wakes and looks longingly out the hospital window, murmuring "Come back." When Victoria drives back to Collinwood she seemingly hits Angelique with her car. Angelique, who has crashed through the windshield, and Victoria both scream.
Alexis Thorpe as Kelly Vance (named Kelly Greer in draft script, Vance in filmed version)
Michael D. Roberts as Sheriff George Patterson
Matt Czuchry as Willie Loomis
Jenna Dewan as Sophia Loomis
Alexander Gould as David Collins
Crew[]
Written by Mark Verheiden
Directed by P. J. Hogan
Background information and notes[]
The script gives the following character descriptions:
Barnabas Collins: an undead vampire accidentally released after being locked away for 200 years. He is tormented by his curse and desperately drawn toward...
Victoria Winters: early 20's, beautiful, hired to tutor young David Collins, and an exact double of Barnabas' 1790's fiance, Josette Dupres.
David Collins: nine years old, troubled son of Roger Collins.
Roger Collins: David's father, a ruthless businessman.
Elizabeth Collins Stoddard: Roger's old sister. Her husband mysteriously absent, she lives a solitary life with Roger and Carolyn in Collinwood.
Carolyn Stoddard: Elizabeth's 20-ish daughter, still living at home.
Joe Haskell: mid-20's, Carolyn's boyfriend. Works as a fisherman out of the Collinsport harbor.
Willie Loomis: early 20's, former Collinsport high school football star, works as a handyman at Collinwood.
Sophia Loomis: Willie's younger sister, a maid at Collinwood.
Dr. Julia Hoffman: The Collins family physician, and a close friend to Roger and Elizabeth
Sam Evans: (50's), Owner of the Blue Whale bar in Collinsport, friend of Carolyn and Joe.
Maggie Evans: (20's), Sam's daughter, friendly with Carolyn fascinated with spirituality (tarot cards, etc.)
Sheriff Paterson: Collinsport's top cop.
Sarah Collins: (8), In future episodes, we will discover that she is the ghost of Barnabas' younger sister from the 1790's.
Angelique: (20's), a beautiful, vindictive witch. In future episodes we will learn that she was Barnabas' illicit lover in the 1790's She has come back from death to either reunite with Barnabas, or destory him.
The characters of Sophia Loomis and Kelly Vance are unique to this production of the series.
The pilot was never quite finished - as some of the special effects still needed some work.
The original director, Rob Bowman, had to back out of the project at the last minute due to other commitments, and the new director, P.J. Hogan, took the series in a different direction. Dan Curtis was not pleased with the result. Jim Pierson who served as an associate producer, was also not satisfied with the pilot, and said that should the series have continued, there would definitely have been some casting changes made.
Much of the location filming was done at the Greystone Mansion, which represented the Collinwood mansion, as it did in the 1991 revival series.
For the first time, the character of Victoria Winters is portrayed as a blonde, while Angelique is portrayed is a brunette.
