This week’s mystery production was the 1966-1971 TV show “Dark Shadows,” which aired on ABC. “Dark Shadows” followed “General Hospital” and “The Nurses” in the afternoon lineup of soaps, but unlike other soap operas (that would be “G.H.” “The Edge of Night,” “As the World Turns,” etc.) it brought vampires, seances and time travel into America’s living rooms and dens.
“Dark Shadows” revealed an interesting generational gap in the Brain Trust. Baby Boomers and up nailed it immediately while it was more of a challenge for the younger folks. The show will mark its 50th anniversary next month and there will be a reunion June 24-27 in Tarrytown, N.Y. Stars scheduled to attend include Lara Parker (Angelique/Cassandra), David Selby (Quentin Collins), Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans) and other veterans of the show.
L.A. Times articles about Alexandra Isles and Claus von Bulow are here. New York Times articles about Alexandra Isles and Claus von Bulow are here.
Jonathan Frid comes to Orange County, 1991.
It is available on DVD and is also on YouTube.
For Monday, we have a mystery gent.
Update: This is Thayer David.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery small boy.
Update: This is David Henesy.
Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (mystery production, mystery actor), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery production, mystery actor), Norman Desmond (mystery production, mystery actor), Candy Cassell (mystery production, mystery actor), Jenny M. (mystery production, mystery actor), Bob Hansen (mystery production, mystery actor) and LC (mystery production, mystery actor).
For Wednesday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Lara Parker.
Brain Trust roll call: Norman Desmond (Tuesday’s mystery small boy), Jenny M. (Tuesday’s mystery small boy), Anne Papineau (Tuesday’s mystery small boy) and Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mystery small boy).
And for Thursday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Alexandra Isles
Brain Trust roll call: Norman Desmond (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Howard Mandelbaum (Wednesday’s mystery woman), Mike Hawks (mystery production and mystery guests), Jenny M. (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Anne Papineau (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Candy Cassell (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Barbara Klein (mystery production and mystery guests), Floyd B. Bariscale (mystery production and mystery guests), Mary Mallory (mystery production) and Bob Hansen (Wednesday’s mystery guest).
And You Know Who is coming tomorrow. But you probably figured that out.
For Friday, we have this debonair mystery chap.
Update: This is Timothy Gordon
And our Friday mystery fellow. Hint: He has just said the line: “I don’t believe in witchcraft.”
Update: This is Jonathan Frid.
Brain Trust roll call: Anne Papineau (Thursday’s mystery woman), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mystery woman), Sarah (mystery production), Barbara Klein (Thursday’s mystery woman), Beachgal (mystery production, Monday’s mystery chap, Tuesday’s mystery small boy and Thursday’s mystery woman) and E. Yarber (mystery production and mystery guests). Howard Mandelbaum (half credit for right production, wrong actress).
ladailymirror.com 
Looking like Thayer David: “House of Dark Shadows” maybe?
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Even tho it is Monday I will say Peter Bull.
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Thayer David/DARK SHADOWS
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i never know your mystery guests, but today i do!
that’s thayer david.
i got to know him via “dark shadows.”
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Monday´s mystery image looks like it is old videotape. The mystery gentleman looks like a young Thayer David, who played a villain on the iconic ¨Dark Shadows¨ in the late 1960s. Great face and voice.
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Thayer David in Dark Shadows.
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Brian Blessed?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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I’ll start with a wild guess for Monday. Mills Watson?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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Warren Clarke, perhaps?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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i’m confused about where i reply to today’s mystery! it seems there’s a theme…..is this david henesy, also of dark shadows fame?
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Why, it’s Thayer David from Dark Shadows! He played a few different characters, and I’m not sure which one this is. Maybe Matthew Morgan.
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This is Thayer David playing Ben Stokes in one of the 1795 flashback episodes of Dark Shadows. Aha! So now lets see if I end up in the spam file 🙂
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David Henesy
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Jack Black’s daddy?
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Ha. Interesting guess! But no.
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David Henesy, part of the DS younger set
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David Henesy.
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Teddy Eccles on Tuesday?
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Alas, I’m afraid not.
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it most certainly is a theme…that’s lara parker, angelique!
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Lara Parker.
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Thayer David, David Henesy and Lara Parker from a series I have not seen since it was aired 50 years ago.
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Oops! I forgot to mention DARK SHADOWS.
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Lara Parker
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Glamorous Lara Parker on Wednesday
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Ahhh, the lovely ¨Angelique¨ for today´s mystery woman. I would have to cheat and do online research to supply the actress´ name. (I only recall the names of Thayer David, Jonathan Frid, Grayson Hall, and Alexandra Isles, who featured luridly in the Claus von Bulow murder trials. Will you mention that in your wrap-up?)
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“Dark Shadows”
Monday – Thayer David
Tuesday – David Henesy
Wednesday – Lara Parker
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Thayer David, David Henesy, and Lara Parker. Next month is the 50th for ‘Dark Shadows.’
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Dark shadows?
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Lara Parker as Angelique on Wednesday!
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Alexandra Moltke, if memory serves
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Alexandra Isles.
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My guess is “Dark Shadows” (original television show from 1966).
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Kathryn Leigh Scott
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Alexandra Isles
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I think this might be Dark Shadows (TV series when it went into color production). Tues young actor might be David Henesy. Thurs is probably Alexandra Isles, the actress who was the amour of Claus von Bulow.
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Monday is Thayer David.
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And to think I almost missed one this easy: Thayer David, David Henesy, Lara Parker, “and” Alexandra Moltke. Dark Shadows!
And just in case I’m still busy (I am) I’ll guess Jonathan Frid for tomorrow, though it could just as easily be Conrad Bain or Abe Vigoda.
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Jonathan Frid.
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Jonathan Frid.
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Friday is Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins
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Jonathan Frid today, Alexandra Isles on Thursday, and Lara Parker Wednesday. Must be DARK SHADOWS original series, popular among the “theatrical” set at BHHS.
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Jonathan Frid/Barnabus and some beleaguered bandaged soul.
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Jonathan Frid/Barnabus and a beleaguered, bandaged soul
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Jonathan Frid/Barnabus and some beleaguered, bandaged soul
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Not necessarily an instant for Baby Boomers – — I’m a pre-Baby Boomer and was well into my post college working years when this came on TV, so I never saw it other than a rare home sick or mid weekday holiday.
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