"Dark Shadows" Characters Test | Television

Answer: Frid started playing Barnabas well after the series started (episode 211 in April 1967) appearing in about half of the episodes thereafter, with the last time being the final show (episode 1245 in April 1971).

Barnabas Collins, played by Canadian actor Jonathan Frid, was actually brought into the show as an attempt to improve the show's ratings. Believe it or not, the original plan was to have Barnabas on the show for only thirteen weeks, and as a stock villain. The character was so popular that he was retained until the end of the series. Barnabas evolved into the star of the series and became a hero, the vampire with a heart of gold. In total, Frid appeared as Barnabas in 597 episodes. His character was actually introduced in episode 210, but someone else provided the hand that came out of the coffin.

Personally, I was surprised to learn that he appeared in only 594 episodes, but we should remember that much of this was live TV. My memories of the show always include Barnabas.

Answer: Angelique Bouchard

Angelique Bouchard was once Barnabas Collins' lover, but she quickly became his staunch enemy. She had worked as a maid to Josette DuPres on "Dark Shadows", and like Barnabas, she is one of the characters who spanned all eras of the show's existence, from 1696 to 1970. Angelique used her magic any way she could to thwart Barnabas' plans. Morgana Collins is a name I made up. Samantha Stephens is the benevolent sorceress who was the protagonist of a very different TV show about a witch, "Bewitched".

Answer: Collins

Angelique Collins, nee Stokes, was Quentin Collins' first wife. This was an identity that appeared in the soap opera's Parallel Time thread. Angelique was also a witch, and she was murdered. She was able to come back from the dead, through the aid of magic, but she would feel the "cold of the crypt" come over her, and terrible things would happen.

Answer: True

Angelique Stokes Collins (from the 1970s) had a twin sister names Alexis, also played by Lara Parker. Things could get quite confusing on "Dark Shadows", and you needed to pay attention to determine who Lara was playing at any one time, especially when she was appeared as Angelique Collins (who had returned from the dead) impersonating her own twin sister Alexis (who had also been played by Parker). I guess that's one way to guarantee job security on live TV!

Answer: Victoria Winters

Victoria Winters was an orphan who had gone to live at Collinwood as a young woman in order to be a governess to a young ward there. She was given the last name "Winters" because she had been dropped off at an orphanage during the winter. Victoria had had a hard life, but she had it better than some others, because she had been supported by an unknown benefactor from Maine through anonymous monthly donations.

Answer: Quentin Collins

There were actually two different versions of Quentin on the show, but both were played by David Shelby. Quentin was born in the 1890s, and was one of the few Collins named after an ancestor, his great uncle, in this case. He was a cad and a bounder, marrying a girl who loved him (Jenny) and then leaving her while she was pregnant with twins for his brother's wife (Laura). Quentin's romantic entanglements spelled his downfall, as he was later killed by a lover (Beth) and then came back to life to haunt his descendants and the rest of his family in 1969.

Answer: Joan Bennett

Joan Bennett hadn't wanted to be an actress, though it was a tradition in her family. When she was faced with having to raise a young daughter as a single mother and got an offer to appear in a film, she decided to give it a try. Her older sister Constance was also an actress, but never appeared on "Dark Shadows". Joan Blondell and Joan Crawford were other Joans from the golden age of Hollywood, but neither was ever on the show.

When Joan Bennett started receiving a lot of attention for her portrayal as matriarch Elizabeth on the series, she told people, "I feel positively like a Beatle."

Answer: David

David Henesy was nine when he started appearing on "Dark Shadows". He was already an accomplished actor at that young age, and had appeared on Broadway. He appeared in 266 episodes and remained part of the cast until 1971. David also took part in "House of Dark Shadows".

After that, his last acting job was a guest shot on "The Waltons" in 1973. He moved into restaurant management and now lives in Panama, but remembers his days as an actor with fondness.

Answer: False

Carolyn Stoddard, played by Nancy Barrett, was briefly a female werewolf who figured prominently in the cast and the storyline of "Dark Shadows". She appeared in 401 episodes from 1966 to 1971, and only Victoria, Barnabas and Dr. Hoffman appeared in more episodes.

Her becoming a werewolf began on the '60s show when Angelique had Carolyn attacked by a werewolf as a baby. Fans speculate that the werewolf was Carolyn's uncle. Carolyn ironically broke up with a boyfriend on the show because he was a werewolf, not knowing that she would have to deal with the problem later herself.

She later fought with Angelique herself as a werewolf when Jessica Chastain played Carolyn in the movie pilot.

Answer: Dr. Julia Hoffman

Dr. Hoffman was played by Grayson Hall. Originally, her character was supposed to have been killed by Barnabas after only a few episodes. She proved to be so popular, however, that she remained an integral part of the series. Dr. Hoffman even tried to become immortal herself by using Barnabas' vampire blood to retain her youth.