In this must-listen/must-watch episode, Daytime Emmy and Saturn Award-winning producer and director Mary O’Leary returns to the podcast to shed light on the question that has haunted Dark Shadows fans since 1971 – WHY DID THE SHOW GET CANCELED? In addition to material she initially presented in her Jonathan Frid documentary, Mary shares information that has never been heard before, including the fact that ABC wanted to cancel another show instead of Dark Shadows. While there are still pieces of the puzzle missing, this episode helps to clear up some long-held misconceptions and may well offer the most compelling answers as to why the show met its demise. IMORTANT NOTE: The VIDEO version of this episode on YouTube features visual evidence in the form of rarely seen letters, articles, and more. Join us for this deep-dive whodunit episode that seeks to answer the question, “why was Dark Shadows canceled?”

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On Friday July 5th and Saturday July 6th 2024, Dark Shadows fans and cast members gathered in Los Angeles at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel for the Dark Shadows Remembrance Weekend. Highlights included the celebration of life for Lara Parker and the centenary celebration of Jonathan Frid. DS cast members and fans spoke and performed, and all came together to attend this DS “family reunion.” Listen, as fans, attendees, and organizers share their feelings about this very special event.

Beloved by Dark Shadows fans for his portrayal of the villainous Gerard Stiles, prolific actor, photographer, and musician James Storm visits the podcast along with his wife Valerie Pronio Storm. Valerie is a retired physician, “Humanism in Medicine” award recipient, photographer, and DS fan! Listen, as Jim and Valerie share lovely stories about their passion for photography, the amazing Jim Storm Photography website, their wedding, longtime friendships and camaraderie with DS cast-mates, memories of Jim’s time on Dark Shadows, anecdotes about Jonathan Frid, Kate Jackson, Grayson Hall, David Henesy, John Karlen, Jerry Lacy, Christopher Pennock, Dan Curtis, Lela Swift, Sam Hall, Gordon Russell, and much more! SPECIAL NOTE: The video version of this episode on YouTube features over 150 photos, 85-90% of which were generously shared by Valerie! These include many photos of James and Valerie having fun times with friends, fans, and DS castmates such as Chris Pennock, Lara Parker, John Karlen, David Selby, and Kathryn Leigh Scott. Also included are many incredible photos of Valerie and Jim’s travels, most of which are available at their website! Watching the video version is highly recommended!

Actress and writer Kathryn Leigh Scott, admired by Dark Shadows fans for her portrayals of Maggie Evans, Josette DuPres Collins, Rachel Drummond, Kitty Soames, Parallel Time Maggie Collins, and Maggie Evans from MGM’s House of Dark Shadows, returns to the podcast to chat about a variety of fascinating topics! Along the way, Kathryn shares stories about her childhood in Minnesota, her Norwegian heritage, her teen years, and being New York in the 60’s. She also offers touching memories of several DS cast-mates including Mitchell Ryan, Joel Crothers, Joan Bennett, Jonathan Frid, and Lara Parker. Other highlights include: Kathryn’s opportunity to interview Carl Sandburg, NYC and The Bunny Years, training at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and reuniting with Dan Curtis in England for the 1974 production of The Turn of the Screw TV movie. We also talk about some exciting things coming up in the future, such as this summer’s Dark Shadows Remembrance event and Ansel Faraj’s upcoming film, The Great Nick D! Also, Terror at Collinwood has been nominated for Best Podcast in the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards. You can vote by sending an email to taraco@aol.com. Be sure to include your name in the email for your vote to be counted! See the full ballot here: https://rondoaward.com

As a teenager, Elena Nacanther was one of the devoted Studio Kids who used to hang out at the ABC TV-16 studio during the original run of Dark Shadows. Along with her friend and fellow “Frid Girl” Valerie, Elena volunteered as Jonathan Frid’s personal assistant while Dark Shadows was on the air. Elena later went on to become a successful New York radio producer and director in the city’s #1 market. She remained friends with Jonathan for the rest of his life. Elena visits Terror at Collinwood to share her memories of Jonathan Frid and of being a studio kid in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Other topics of conversation include: Elena and Valerie becoming Jonathan Frid’s assistants, visiting the Collinwood set, Jonathan’s fan mail parties, surprising Grayson Hall, protesting the cancellation of DS, some insight into the reasons Bramwell Collins was created for the show, and much more! NOTE: The YouTube version of this episode features many rare photos from Elena’s personal collection!

The new Jonathan Frid documentary website features many exclusive video clips, interviews, photographs, merchandise, and more! Returning guests, Mary O’Leary and Will McKinley, are joined by Frid documentary editor and post-producer Michael Giglio to discuss behind-the-scenes stories about ‘Dark Shadows and Beyond: The Jonathan Frid Story’. After that, Mary and Will share some inside scoops about what fans can expect from the new Jonathan Frid website. Mary and Will also discuss their experiences regarding Jonathan’s recording of ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’ for MCI’s Halloween Hotline in 1991. The show ends with that very audio recording of Jonathan Frid reading ‘The Legend of Sleepy Hollow’.

Daytime Emmy Award-winning producer/director Mary O'Leary visits the podcast to discuss her upcoming documentary, Dark Shadows and Beyond: The Jonathan Frid Story. Mary also talks about her Clunes Associates partnership with Mr. Frid, tells stories about what she discovered in her research for the documentary, discusses Jonathan's experiences with acting, and of course shares insights into Jonathan's time on Dark Shadows.