#8 Dark Shadows

The face of daytime TV was forever transformed in 1966, when creator Dan Curtis launched the Gothic soap opera Dark Shadows. Far from the world of middle class suburbia, the wealthy Collins family dealt with revenge plots, murder, and the occasional ghost. But with the introduction of 175-year-old vampire Barnabas Collins, the show became an American phenomenon. Barnabas’s popularity ushered in tales of witches, werewolves, and even time travel. The show’s success led to two feature films in the early ‘70s and a multi-million-dollar blockbuster in 2012, directed by Tim Burton. (44m.)