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The Best Episodes of Dark Shadows

Every episode of Dark Shadows ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Dark Shadows!

Dark Shadows is an American gothic soap opera that originally aired weekdays on the ABC television network, from June 27, 1966, to April 2, 1971. The show was created by Dan Curtis. The story bible, which was written by Art Wallace, does not mention any supernatural elements. It was unprecedented in daytime television when ghosts were introduced about six months after it began. The series became hugely popular when vampire Barnabas Collins appeared a year into its run. Dark Shadows also featured werewolves, zombies, man-made monsters, witches, warlocks, time travel, and a parallel universe. A small company of actors each played many roles; indeed, as actors came and went, some characters were played by more than one actor. Major writers besides Art Wallace included Malcolm Marmorstein, Sam Hall, Gordon Russell, and Violet Welles.

Genres:DramaSci-Fi & FantasySoap
Network:ABC

Top Episode Ratings Summary

The best episode of "Dark Shadows" is "DS-52", rated 9/10 from 1 user votes. It was directed by John Sedwick and written by N/A. "DS-52" aired on 9/6/1966 and is rated 0.0 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "DS-84".

  • DS-52
    9.0/10 1 votes

    #1 - DS-52

    Season 1 Episode 52 - Aired 9/6/1966

    Sam forces Maggie not to open his sealed letter. At Collinwood, Victoria and Carolyn are scared by mysterious sounds as an unseen force moves a book in the drawing room.

    Director: John Sedwick

    Writer: N/A

  • DS-84
    9.0/10 1 votes

    #2 - DS-84

    Season 1 Episode 84 - Aired 10/20/1966

    David attempts to scare Victoria by telling her stories about the ghosts that haunt Collinwood. Luring her to the closed-off wing of the mansion, David locks her in, leaving her trapped.

    Director: John Sedwick

    Writer: Art Wallace

  • DS-85
    9.0/10 1 votes

    #3 - DS-85

    Season 1 Episode 85 - Aired 10/21/1966

    As a storm rages, Sam and Burke drink together and discuss the ghosts of Collinwood. In the closed-off wing, Victoria is visited by the ghost of Malloy, who warns her to leave Collinwood immediately.

    Director: John Sedwick

    Writer: Art Wallace

  • DS-51
    8.0/10 1 votes

    #4 - DS-51

    Season 1 Episode 51 - Aired 9/5/1966

    Carolyn and Victoria rush back to Collinwood in terror, and tell Elizabeth about seeing the body of a man floating in the sea beneath Widows' Hill. Matthew investigates and finds nothing but seaweed.

    Director: John Sedwick

    Writer: N/A

  • DS-53
    8.0/10 1 votes

    #5 - DS-53

    Season 1 Episode 53 - Aired 9/7/1966

    Matthew admits to a shocked Elizabeth that it was Bill's body that Victoria and Carolyn saw, and he pushed it out to sea. David warns Elizabeth that ghosts inhabit Collinwood.

    Director: John Sedwick

    Writer: N/A

  • DS-59
    8.0/10 1 votes

    #6 - DS-59

    Season 1 Episode 59 - Aired 9/15/1966

    The sheriff questions Roger about the murder, and Elizabeth lies to offer her brother an alibi. A suspicious David later eavesdrops as Roger makes a false confession to Elizabeth.

    Director: Lela Swift

    Writer: Art Wallace

  • DS-70
    8.0/10 1 votes

    #7 - DS-70

    Season 1 Episode 70 - Aired 9/30/1966

    David tells Victoria about the Old House, an abandoned Collins' mansion built before Collinwood, and suggests that they pay a visit. When they later leave, they are followed by the ghostly form of Josette.

    Director: Lela Swift

    Writer: N/A

  • DS-87
    8.0/10 1 votes

    #8 - DS-87

    Season 1 Episode 87 - Aired 10/25/1966

    Roger is suspicious about Victoria's disappearance and decides to investigate the closed-off wing of the house. He releases Victoria and is shocked to hear her claim that she was visited by a ghost.

    Director: Lela Swift

    Writer: N/A

  • DS-98
    8.0/10 1 votes

    #9 - DS-98

    Season 1 Episode 98 - Aired 11/9/1966

    Mrs Johnson begins working at Collinwood, quickly beginning her covert investigations. She is disturbed to hear a mysterious sobbing sound coming from a locked room in the basement.

    Director: Lela Swift

    Writer: Ron Sproat

  • DS-100
    8.0/10 1 votes

    #10 - DS-100

    Season 1 Episode 100 - Aired 11/11/1966

    Victoria tells Burke about her suspicions regarding Roger and the pen she found on Lookout Point. Meanwhile, Carolyn reveals to Roger that Victoria knows about the pen's origins.

    Director: Lela Swift

    Writer: Ron Sproat

  • DS-101
    8.0/10 1 votes

    #11 - DS-101

    Season 1 Episode 101 - Aired 11/14/1966

    Victoria agrees to accompany David on a return visit to the Old House, Later, Victoria confides to Maggie that she believes she now knows who killed Bill Malloy.

    Director: John Sedwick

    Writer: N/A

  • DS-20
    7.6/10 92 votes

    #12 - DS-20

    Season 1 Episode 20 - Aired 7/22/1966

    Roger confronts Burke, accusing him outright of causing the accident and attempting to kill him. Victoria, however, is unimpressed by Roger's assumption of foul play on Burke's part.

    Director: Lela Swift

    Writer: Art Wallace

  • DS-46
    7.6/10 74 votes

    #13 - DS-46

    Season 1 Episode 46 - Aired 8/29/1966

    In spite of extreme reluctance on the part of Roger, Bill Malloy demands that the meeting will go ahead as planned, to take place at 11pm at Roger's office at the cannery.

    Director: Lela Swift

    Writer: Art Wallace

  • DS-50
    7.6/10 78 votes

    #14 - DS-50

    Season 1 Episode 50 - Aired 9/2/1966

    David's attempts to scare Victoria continue with a message written on her mirror. Later, while walking along the cliffs, Carolyn and Victoria make a terrifying discovery.

    Director: John Sedwick

    Writer: Art Wallace

  • DS-26
    7.5/10 90 votes

    #15 - DS-26

    Season 1 Episode 26 - Aired 8/1/1966

    The police obtain a warrant to search Burke's room, believing him to be a suspect. When Victoria attempts to retrieve the bleeder valve, she discovers that it has been taken.

    Director: Lela Swift

    Writer: Art Wallace

  • DS-30
    7.5/10 86 votes

    #16 - DS-30

    Season 1 Episode 30 - Aired 8/5/1966

    Roger struggles to come to terms with the revelation that his own son attempted to kill him. David continues to deny the accusations until Burke produces the missing bleeder valve.

    Director: John Sedwick

    Writer: Art Wallace

  • DS-34
    7.5/10 86 votes

    #17 - DS-34

    Season 1 Episode 34 - Aired 8/11/1966

    Burke tells Victoria that he has asked his private investigator to research her past, and has received a report. However, it reveals nothing new. Joe and Carolyn reflect on their relationship.

    Director: Lela Swift

    Writer: Art Wallace

  • DS-47
    7.5/10 78 votes

    #18 - DS-47

    Season 1 Episode 47 - Aired 8/30/1966

    Roger arrives for the meeting with Sam and Burke, and shares an uneasy hour waiting for Bill to arrive. However, after he fails to appear after an hour, the meeting is reluctantly abandoned.

    Director: Lela Swift

    Writer: Art Wallace

  • DS-1
    7.4/10 243 votes

    #19 - DS-1

    Season 1 Episode 1 - Aired 6/27/1966

    Victoria Winters travels to Collinsport by train from New York to be the governess of 10 year old David Collins. Also on that train is Burke Devlin, who seems rather mysterious. We get to see Elizabeth Collins Stoddard and Roger Collins argue over if it was wise to hire Victoria. Victoria and Burke go to the hotel where she can wait for a cab. He seems rather disturbed about the place. He leaves and goes to a local hangout called the Blue Whale, where he meets an investigator he has hired. Victoria meets Maggie Evans, who tells her she is a jerk for accepting the job. Even after all the things that has been said to her, she goes to Collinwood and is invited in by Elizabeth.

    Director: Lela Swift

    Writer: Art Wallace

  • DS-13
    7.4/10 107 votes

    #20 - DS-13

    Season 1 Episode 13 - Aired 7/13/1966

    Elizabeth and Roger continue to harbour suspicions about Burke, in spite of him offering the hand of friendship. As Victoria walks to Matthew's cottage, she notices Burke examining Roger's car.

    Director: Lela Swift

    Writer: Art Wallace

  • DS-27
    7.4/10 85 votes

    #21 - DS-27

    Season 1 Episode 27 - Aired 8/2/1966

    Burke meets with his private investigator Stuart Bronson, who provides him with a complete breakdown of the Collins family finances., as he begins to make plans.

    Director: Lela Swift

    Writer: Art Wallace

  • DS-29
    7.4/10 83 votes

    #22 - DS-29

    Season 1 Episode 29 - Aired 8/4/1966

    Burke finds David in his hotel room and is quick to strike up a friendship with the boy. David later disposes of the missing bleeder valve in Burke's room, not knowing that Burke has seen him do so.

    Director: John Sedwick

    Writer: Art Wallace

  • DS-33
    7.4/10 84 votes

    #23 - DS-33

    Season 1 Episode 33 - Aired 8/10/1966

    Joe Haskell pays an unannounced drunken visit to Collinwood, passing out in the mansion. Meanwhile, Victoria journeys to the Blue Whale for a meeting with Burke Devlin.

    Director: John Sedwick

    Writer: Art Wallace

  • DS-38
    7.4/10 77 votes

    #24 - DS-38

    Season 1 Episode 38 - Aired 8/17/1966

    Matthew Morgan threatens to kill Burke, for his interference in the affairs of the Collins family. Meanwhile, Carolyn courts the attentions of Burke by leaving her ring for him to find.

    Director: Lela Swift

    Writer: Art Wallace

  • DS-40
    7.4/10 80 votes

    #25 - DS-40

    Season 1 Episode 40 - Aired 8/19/1966

    A wily Carolyn continues to pursue Burke, following him on a business trip to the nearby town of Bangor. Meanwhile, Sam makes a devastating admission to Bill Malloy.

    Director: Lela Swift

    Writer: Art Wallace