In the tradition of Dale Clark’s memorable fan publications, comes the Dark Shadows Podcast of Questions & Answers volume THREE! In this installment, Penny Dreadful addresses the following questions: How did Roxanne become a vampire in the unaltered 1840? Why isn’t Chris Jennings’ brother Tom also werewolf? Was Angelique really at Collinwood in the original run of 1897, as we see in a flashback? Is it an error that silver bullets can be used to destroy vampires on Dark Shadows? How can Barnabas be rendered unconscious in a car accident if he's a vampire? Why does Josette’s music box play two different themes? What happened to the blackmail money that Elizabeth Collins Stoddard deposited into a Swiss bank account for Jason McGuire? When the ghost of Sarah Collins says, “Those who were here before have come back, and they’re angry, and there’s someone in this house they want to destroy,” to whom is she referring? The episode ends with promotion for other Dark Shadows and horror-related podcasts, shows, books, and projects.

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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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Although its run was short-lived, NBC’s 1991 Dark Shadows revival series left indelible fang marks upon its fans. A beautifully produced prime-time series helmed by Dan Curtis himself, the ’91 DS featured the likes of Ben Cross, Joanna Going, Barbara Steele, Jean Simmons, Roy Thinnes, Lysette Anthony, Adrian Paul, and a young Joseph Gordon-Levitt, among many others. While the series generated much excitement among the fanbase and debuted to great success, it was unceremoniously canceled after only twelve episodes. Two of the show’s diehard fans, Dominique Lamssies and Steven Stark, who first became DS fans by way of the 1991 series, visit the podcast to help examine the show’s characters and plotlines. Other topics include: ’91 series merchandise, music, costumes, Collinwood, home video releases, turtleneck sweaters, and more!

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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!

Welcome to the second installment of Terror at Collinwood’s Dark Shadows Podcast of Questions and Answers! In this episode, the following questions are addressed: Why didn’t Daniel Collins know about the family secret in 1840? Did Edith Collins really die in the altered 1840? What happened to the link between Barnabas and Adam? What job did Barnabas command Willie to do in 1967? Why is David no longer afraid of Barnabas after 1795? What does the “you must intercede with Oscar” letter mean? How did Peter Bradford recognize Danielle Roget in the past when she was played by Marie Wallace instead of Erica Fitz? Sit back and listen as a mad Penny Dreadful “spackles” some of the series’ most mind-bending conundrums.
RIP legendary filmmaker Roger Corman 1926-2024

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

What better way to celebrate Halloween than with Rondo Award and Pulp Factory Award-winning artist, Mark Maddox? The talented artist behind the much-loved official Dark Shadows lunchbox drops in to talk about Dark Shadows, Universal monsters, Hammer horror, silent German horror and sci-fi films, and much more! Mark has created beautiful covers for Screem Magazine, Little Shoppe of Horrors, Video Watchdog, and several other publications. In addition, Mark’s glorious Hammer horror artwork graces many Scream Factory Blu-Ray covers. Listen to Mark describe his eerie origins as an artist as he talks about his passion for horror, science fiction, and fantasy. This passion includes Dark Shadows, of course! Mark shares his childhood memories of the show and offers some great insights into his DS artwork. A multitude of fun and monstrous topics are discussed in this special Halloween episode! NOTE: The YouTube version of this show includes loads of pictures featuring Mark’s fang-tastic artwork!

Emmy Award-winning makeup artist Todd McIntosh has over 40 years of experience in the television and film industries, boasting such credits as Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Pushing Daisies, Dr. Strange, Dracula Dead and Loving It, Masters of the Universe, The Brady Bunch Movie, and many more. He was the Makeup Department Head on the 2004 WB Dark Shadows pilot and happens to be a huge fan of the original ABC series! In fact, Todd cites Dark Shadows as a major influence on his interests in makeup, monsters, and prosthetics during his formative years. He visits Terror at Collinwood to discuss a variety of topics, including his memories of watching DS, his early experiences as a professional makeup artist, his memories of working on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, memories of working with Mel Brooks, meeting DS cast members, interactions with Dick Smith, and of course his work on the 2004 WB Dark Shadows pilot. Along the way, Todd shares a great story involving some impromptu fangs and Dan Curtis. On August 17, 2023, Todd will be part of a special tribute to makeup legend Dick Smith, presented by the Academy Museum at the Ted Mann Theater in Los Angeles, where he will be introducing House of Dark Shadows to an enthusiastic audience!

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Returning to ‘Terror at Collinwood’ are Guy Haines, Bob Issel, and Nina Ogle, who all became enamored with ‘Dark Shadows’ when it originally aired in the 1960’s and early 1970’s. They’ve remained steadfast fans of the show, becoming heavily involved in DS fan events and activities over the years. Listen as these three fandom all-stars share many fascinating stories including: how they discovered DS and its fan community, memories of ShadowCon and the Dark Shadows Festivals, meetings and interactions with actors such as Jonathan Frid, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Louis Edmonds, Nancy Barrett, and Joan Bennett, visiting Charles Randolph Grean’s house, parties at Seaview Terrace, creating fan collectibles based on the Ben Cooper Barnabas Collins Halloween costume, trips to Essex, Connecticut to visit “the Evans Cottage”, and much more!

SPECIAL THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO VOTED DAN CURTIS AND PENNY DREADFUL INTO THE RONDO HATTON CLASSIC HORROR AWARDS MONSTER KID HALL OF FAME!!!

Mark Dawidziak is a noted television, film, and theatre critic, author, actor, and Journalism Hall of Fame inductee. He visits the podcast for an in-depth discussion about the pivotal influence of Barnabas Collins on vampire fiction, the importance of Dark Shadows to the horror genre, and the fact that DS often doesn’t get enough credit for the significant impact it continues to have on popular culture. Other topics include: Mark’s conversations with Dan Curtis, Mark’s childhood introduction to horror and DS, writing about Carl Kolchak, Dark Shadows and the cultural influence of the 60’s, Edgar Allan Poe, and much more!

The twenty-first annual Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards are upon us! A special category in the Rondos is the write-in for Monster Kid Hall of Fame, which honors those who’ve made a permanent mark on the world of classic horror appreciation. Many of the inductees are/were fans of the genre themselves. This award is a rare distinction indeed, and there are several notable recipients. Missing from the list, however, is Dark Shadows creator Dan Curtis! This episode of Terror at Collinwood includes a series of interview clips featuring Dan Curtis himself, along with writer Sam Hall and actress Lara Parker. The clips help illustrate why Curtis should be considered for Monster Kid Hall of Fame status. A known enthusiast of classic terror tales and motion pictures, Curtis certainly made prominent puncture marks on the genre with Dark Shadows. He also unleashed the iconic The Night Stalker and The Night Strangler, and he helmed adaptations of Dracula, Frankenstein, The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Turn of the Screw, and The Picture of Dorian Gray. He directed both Dark Shadows MGM feature films, the horror cult classics Burnt Offerings, Trilogy of Terror, Dead of Night, and many more! After his epic miniseries Winds of War and War and Remembrance, he returned to the world of the gothic with the 1991 Dark Shadows revival series, which featured horror legend Barbara Steele (who is also long past due for induction into the Monster Kid Hall of Fame). See the full ballot at https://rondoaward.com/ and email your votes to taraco@aol.com. Voting is open until Sunday at midnight, April 23, 2023. PS - And thanks to those who nominated Terror at Collinwood for Best Podcast and Penny Dreadful for Favorite Horror Host. It's an honor to be on the ballot, twice!

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Released in 1971, MGM’s ‘Night of Dark Shadows’ was the second DS feature film. Directed by Dan Curtis, the motion picture featured many members of the TV series cast in a gothic tale of ghostly obsession. Sadly, after viewing the 129-minute director’s cut of Night of Dark Shadows, MGM studio head James Aubrey demanded that Curtis cut nearly 45 minutes out of the movie, giving him until the next day to do so. In this episode, director and film archivist Darren Gross visits the podcast to share his thoughts on NoDS and also offers updates on his long-anticipated restoration of the director’s cut of the picture. Described by ‘The Guardian’ as a “movie sleuth and champion of lost causes,” Darren miraculously unearthed the previously lost NoDS footage and prepared a restored version of the movie which has not yet been released to the public. In addition to discussing NoDS and its restoration, Darren also talks about his work on the ‘Dark Shadows’ Big Finish audio dramas, his enthusiasm for TV horror host Commander USA, and much more!

Released in 1970, and directed by Dan Curtis, the MGM theatrical film House of Dark Shadows featured the TV series cast in a darker and more violent reimagining of the Introduction of Barnabas storyline from the show. The picture proved to be a hit for MGM, and while it is loved by many fans and disliked by others, it stands as a notable and compelling entry in vampire film history. Visiting the podcast to discuss House of Dark Shadows is prolific Hollywood conceptual designer and artist, Ricardo Delgado. Ricardo’s book Dracula of Transylvania and the upcoming Art of Dracula of Transylvania are also discussed. Other topics include Ricardo’s memories of watching Sombras Tenebrosas (Dark Shadows) as a child in Costa Rica, buying Famous Monsters of Filmland, reading Marvel’s Tomb of Dracula and Werewolf by Night comics, and much more!

The deeply fascinating but oft-maligned Leviathans arc is the focus of this episode. Acclaimed authors Stephen Mark Rainey and Rick Lai visit the podcast to discuss and analyze this Dark Shadows storyline, while also looking at its inspirations. Other topics include Mark’s official work on the Dark Shadows Big Finish audio plays and the DS novel ‘Dreams of the Dark’, and Rick’s intriguing essay on the Leviathans as well as some of his fictional tales that incorporate nods to DS.

Note: Apologies for the audio issues near the end of this episode.

Dr. Andrew Higgins is a respected J.R.R. Tolkien scholar and longtime Dark Shadows fan who wrote the essay “The Gothic World-Building of Dark Shadows” for the publication, Exploring Imaginary Worlds: Essays on Media, Structure, and Subcreation. He visits Terror at Collinwood for a fun and insightful discussion about transmedia world-building, the primary vs. the secondary world, formalism, canon vs. non-canon, how spin-off media and fandom enriches and informs story worlds, and much more! Other topics include J.R.R. Tolkien, Andrew's memories of Dark Shadows, the story that inspired the use of I-Ching on DS, Angelique's confusing timeline, Grayson Hall, 1795, 1840, and much more!

Author, pop culture specialist, 'Dark Shadows' historian, and retired English professor, Dr. Jeff Thompson, joins Penny for an examination of the storyline that introduced iconic vampire Barnabas Collins to DS, turning the series into a hit and forever cementing its place in pop culture history. Other topics include Jeff's books on Dan Curtis, his magazine articles, Hermes Press book introductions, the Collinsport Players, Barnabas' influence on subsequent vampire depictions, and more! You won't want to miss this episode of Terror at Collinwood – A Dark Shadows Podcast!

Poet and writer Rachel Freitas joins Penny in episode three of ‘Terror at Collinwood’. They discuss the pre-Barnabas phoenix storyline, examining the character of Laura Collins and her important role as ‘Dark Shadows’’ first supernatural antagonist. Next, they take a look at the Jason McGuire blackmail storyline and the challenges faced by Elizabeth Collins Stoddard. Additional topics include Rachel’s writing and her introduction to ‘Dark Shadows’, DS’ influence on ‘Port Charles’, and a look at the unaired DS 2004 WB pilot. Join us for another eerie episode of the Dark Shadows podcast, Terror at Collinwood.

Artist and writer Eric Marshall joins Penny for episode two of Terror at Collinwood. They examine Dark Shadows’ earliest Pre-Barnabas storylines & characters as they discuss Victoria Winters’ search for her parentage, Burke Devlin’s quest for revenge, and the death of Bill Malloy. They also take several side trips into other storylines and touch on topics such as whether or not a Dark Shadows remake could actually work.