TV on DVD: 'Dark Shadows' '70s series

NOW ON DVD "Dark Shadows: The Complete Original Series/Limited Edition," officially released Tuesday by MPI Video on 131 discs for $600 (list price).

THE SERIES This 12-pound collector's box contains ABC's entire 1966-71 gothic daytime serial -- 1,225 half-hours of a cult-fave rerun for years on Syfy, previously released on DVD in 32 separate chronological sets, and so beloved of Johnny Depp's childhood that he re-embodies vampire Barnabas Collins in the big-budget feature film opening Friday.

WHAT IT'S ABOUT ABC smartly debuted this afternoon suspenser at 4 p.m. on June 27, 1966, when kids on summer vacation could get hooked on its spooky doings around a creepy estate in seaside Maine. As the prominent clan for which the town of Collinsport was named, the central family had been in residence for 200 years -- a past that "Dark Shadows" would rummage in a mind-bending parade of seances, apparitions and "parallel time" in which actors also played their characters' ancestors.

Producer Dan Curtis' smartest stroke after the first year was adding Barnabas Collins, a courtly "cousin from England" who turned out to be two-centuries undead. Soon, rather plain actor Jonathan Frid had become an unlikely teen idol -- a soulful 40-something vampire, trendsettingly tortured by his bloodsucking urges. Then came werewolves and witchcraft, all played with grave importance (not the camp of NBC's 1999-2007 soap "Passions").

The show's shadows were dark for another reason. "Dark Shadows" was produced in a cramped Manhattan studio, live-to-tape in TV's early years. The serial's first 14 months were broadcast in black-and-white. But the underlit sets seemed atmospheric, while blown lines and crew mistakes made the action edgy. Eerie music, stormy sounds, ghastly makeup and primitive special effects set it apart from anything else on TV.

WHY IT'S ENDURING While the nostalgia of baby boomers revisiting childhood afternoons hasn't hurt the show's afterlife, that alone can't explain its undying appeal. The production's pace is often glacial, but that only heightens its moody thrall. The story lumbers along like some vintage monster movie, letting suspense take hold.

And "Dark Shadows" takes itself verrrry seriously (unlike the Depp film). There's flowery language and melodramatic emoting, with extreme close-ups and musical signatures to amplify the in-your-face solemnity. What might seem silly can also be strangely spellbinding.

There still isn't anything like it.

WHAT'S IN THE BOX "Dark Shadows" fans can't have asked for more than this new DVD splurge. It's a thick 14-inch-high "coffin," opening on metal hinges to reveal 131 discs in 22 standard cases -- their spines stacked to form a photo of Barnabas "sleeping." In addition to all 1,225 videotaped episodes (two dozen exist only on kinescope film), the box retains all the extras from MPI's previous releases: 26 "Collection" sets released from 2002 to 2006 totaling 1,000 Barnabas half-hours, and six "Beginning" sets released in 2007-2008 with earlier episodes. (All separate sets are now rereleased at lower prices.)

Also included are three previous single discs of tribute and trivia ("Bloopers & Treasures," "Special Edition," "Reunion").

EXTRAS That adds up to more than 120 cast/crew interviews, plus the 1966 premiere with original commercials. A photo-filled 100-page episode guide details all this and the finds on five bonus discs, including half-hour clip compilations ("Scariest Moments") encapsulating the show's simple charms.

The Limited Edition coffin also includes a postcard autographed by Frid, who died just last month. This edition is technically sold out. With demand exceeding its run of 2,500, MPI plans a July 10 release of a Deluxe Edition including everything but the autographed card and numbered seal. (Online pre-sale prices go as low as $420.)

WORTH IT? Every show should get a set as comprehensive, respectful and loving as this.