Dark Shadows Finally Gets Its First Blu-ray Release

Gothic horror has become one of Hollywood’s safer ways to revive an established property. AMC turned Interview with the Vampire into a praised series decades after Anne Rice’s novel appeared. In 2024, Nosferatu proved that even a 1922 film could return to theaters and attract audiences at Christmas. Yet one major gothic property has received less attention. Dark Shadows, the daytime series that helped bring gothic horror into American homes, celebrated its 60th anniversary on June 27, 2026. Warner Bros. Animation recently announced a new reboot project. Now MPI Home Video is giving fans another reason to celebrate. The company will release Dark Shadows: Volume One on Blu-ray for the first time on September 15. The three-disc set includes 40 restored episodes, beginning with the 1967 arrival of Barnabas Collins. Played by Jonathan Frid, Barnabas is the guilt-ridden vampire who transformed a struggling gothic soap opera into a cultural phenomenon. Before Barnabas appeared, Dark Shadows had already aired 209 episodes as a moody melodrama without vampires. Then, in episode 210, a greedy caretaker opened a chained coffin and unleashed Barnabas on Collinsport, Maine. The Blu-ray wisely b...