Sunday, March 18, 2012

Thrilling TV Tales #2

My sons Tom and Bill are in their 40s now but in 1968-1969 they were precocious pre-schoolers. I worked long hours early in the week and finished up around Noon on Thursday. Their mother worked Thursday and Friday evenings and we had family days on Saturday and Sunday. It was a nice schedule for a couple of years. At some point the boys had become fans of Dark Shadows with a bit of a twist. In the show, just before Jonathan Frid as Barnabas Collins made an appearance, a certain theme music played. When the music started the boys hid behind the couch until he was off screen again. This was all explained to me the first Thursday after they became fans. 

Later that day, the boys were playing in the "toy room" and I was reading. Then it started, "Dad, can we watch Dark Shadows?" "No, you'll just hide behind the couch." "No, we'll watch, we promise." So, of course old Dad relented and turned on the TV. The boys sat on the couch and I sat back in my reading chair and the show started. 

The boys were acting a little nervous and I said, "You're going to hide!" They answered, "No, we promise." 

Things were fine for a few minutes until that music started. There was a rustling sound and before the 4th note there was the sound of two bodies hitting the floor. I looked around at the couch and they were gone. I don't think they ever did see Jonathan Frid. 

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