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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The irrepressible Jimmy Hutcheson is a stalwart Dark Shadows fan from Texas who wrote fan fiction and articles for DS fanzines such as Inside the Old House and The World of Dark Shadows. A regular attendee at Dark Shadows Festivals, Seaview Terrace parties, and pop culture events, Jimmy developed friendships with the likes of Lara Parker (Angelique from Dark Shadows) and Jonathan Harris (Dr. Zachary Smith from Lost in Space). In this episode, Jimmy shares some of his fandom memories and reads his fascinating DS fanfic story, ‘An Encounter’, originally published in Inside the Old House issue 44, November/December 1993. Other topics include: Lost in Space and Jonathan Harris, Godzilla, I-Ching wands, the 1991 Dark Shadows series, friendship with ITOH editor Dale Clark, and more!

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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!

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

Over the course of its five-year run, Dark Shadows featured several classic monster archetypes which were drawn from the pantheon of supernatural horror and folklore. Visiting Terror at Collinwood for an overview of these dark and shadowy creatures are writer and podcaster Jeff Owens, co-host of the Classic Horrors Club Podcast, and podcaster Steven Turek, host of the DieCast Movie Podcast! Longtime Monster Kids and fans of DS, Jeff and Steven join Penny to share their thoughts about the various monsters of DS!

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

Award-winning playwright and screenwriter John Logan created the Showtime series Penny Dreadful, and has written numerous plays, including Red, Never the Sinner, and Peter and Alice. In addition, the prolific Mr. Logan has written screenplays for major motion pictures such as The Aviator, Hugo, Gladiator, Sweeney Todd, and many others. John also happens to be a passionate Dark Shadows fan! He visits the podcast to talk Dark Shadows, Showtime’s Penny Dreadful, Universal Monsters, classic horror, DS collectibles, and much more! In the process, John discusses the impact DS has made on the terror and speculative fiction genre and how it inspires his own work as a creator. This is one episode you will not want to miss! Bonus question for you at the end: So, you want to live in Collinwood?

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!

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 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’.

Prolific writer, film director, screenwriter, and classic horror fan, Don Glut, pops by the Terror at Collinwood podcast for a fun chat about his fandom for Dark Shadows. In addition to discussing his memories of discovering Dark Shadows in the 60’s, Don talks about meeting various DS stars over the years, and shares memories of working with Jerry Lacy in Tales of Frankenstein. Don also talks about being in the band Penny Arkade and hanging out with the band’s producer Michael Nesmith of The Monkees. Don also created The Occult Files of Dr. Spektor for Gold Key Comics and talks about trying to sneak Barnabas into an issue.

This special episode of Terror at Collinwood is a celebration of the 55th anniversary of Jonathan Frid’s first appearance as Barnabas Collins on Dark Shadows! The show opens with a delightful discussion featuring special guest David Selby, who portrayed the iconic Quentin Collins in Dark Shadows. Following the interview, there’s a fun and spirited chat with special guests Mary O’Leary, Nancy Kersey and Will McKinley, who worked with Jonathan Frid in the development of his one-man shows in the 1980’s era. Finally, the episode concludes with a rare and exciting recording of Jonathan Frid reading Dead Call by author William F. Nolan, featuring music by David Christenberry/RaveDave60 Music. This episode is dedicated to the memory of Kay Fry.

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.

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!