Dark Shadows turns 46 (sorta)

On this day in 1966, Dark Shadows debuted on ABC.  Here's how one newspaper described the show's first episode:

"DARK SHADOWS —Premiere. Daytime TV's first serialized suspense drama debuts at 4 p.m., ch. 7, with the story of a young girl who takes a position as governess in a great brooding mansion that looms above a small fishing village. Alexandre Moltke stars, with Louis Edmonds as the sinister master of the house, Joan Bennett as his wife, Mitchell Ryan as a villager with a mysterious past, Mark Allen as an enigmatic painter and David Hennesey as the young charge."

Depending on the television market, Dark Shadows episodes began to roll out at different times during the summer. Some affiliates aired it in the afternoon, while others aired the show in the morning. In Portland, Maine, the first episode of Dark Shadows didn't air until July 4.

The show's initial premise, a loose adaption of Jane Eyre, would prove to have shaky legs, and would slowly mutate during the months after its debut until it became the kooky sci-fi/horror show we know and love.