Writer, film critic, and actor Vikrum Mathur visits the podcast to talk about his experiences as a fan of Dark Shadows and how the series connects with many people across cultures and generations. Vikrum recounts stories about his great grandmother’s love of DS and also talks about some of the creatures and folklore of India that would have worked well in the Dark Shadows setting. In addition, Vikrum reminisces about playing Dark Shadows with his friends, shares thoughts about some of his favorite characters from the original series, and discusses the various iterations of DS over the years. Join us for this fun discussion!

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!

Beloved by Dark Shadows fans for her portrayal of the tragic child ghost Sarah Collins, sister of Barnabas Collins, Sharon Smyth Lentz played a very different character in the 2014 short film On a Country Road, which was directed and produced by husband-and-wife filmmaking team, and longtime Dark Shadows fans, Barry and Karen Dodd. Sharon and Barry reunite in this episode for a fun discussion! The first half of the show is devoted to the making of On a Country Road and the second half of the episode focuses on Dark Shadows. Discussion topics also include: the Ragged Isle web series, the Night is Falling comic book, Village Con, Sharon’s memories of DS castmates, London Bridge Is Falling Down, DS fandom, and much more!

Award-winning filmmaker, writer, and television director Sam Irvin visits the podcast to talk about some of his monstrous adventures and his childhood love of Dark Shadows. Topics include: discussion about his books The Epic Saga Behind Frankenstein the True Story, and the 1973 film it covers, and the Rondo-winning I Was a Teenage Monster Hunter, Sam’s origins as a Monster Kid, his decades-long friendship with Vincent Price, his first meeting with Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) and how he got the job directing Elvira’s Haunted Hills, how Dark Shadows influenced his TV show Dante’s Cove, co-executive producing Gods and Monsters and being on the set during the filming of the Bride of Frankenstein scene, Famous Monsters of Filmland, collecting the Dark Shadows Paperback Library novels, and much more!

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?

The Dream Curse storyline in Dark Shadows was inspired by an obscure 1957 horror novel called The Dreamers, written by Roger Manvell. Although this was revealed by writer Ron Sproat at the first DS Festival, many remain unaware of the book and its influence on the Dream Curse plot. Returning to the podcast are Amanda Desiree and Stephen R. Shutt, who are both writers and longtime fans of Dark Shadows and all things spooky. We spend the first half of this episode examining The Dreamers, comparing and contrasting the novel to the plot line in the show. In the second half of the episode, we have some fun interpreting the symbolism of the DS Dream Curse as we try to determine the greatest fear of each dreamer.

Dark Shadows certainly boasted a memorable and iconic roster of main characters, but there were also a plethora of outstanding supporting and minor characters in the series. These characters, and the actors who played them, brought something special to the show. In this episode of Terror at Collinwood, longtime fan Nick Caputo visits to discuss these noteworthy short-term characters. Nick is a writer, blogger, and Steve Ditko expert who brings his vast comics knowledge to the table during the discussion. Other topics include: Nick’s DS memories, collecting the bubblegum cards, buying comics, Steve Ditko, Roy Thomas, the DS and comics connection, DS Festivals, and more!

'Collinsport After Dark' is a new Youtube-based podcast hosted by theater technician, actor, educator, and longtime 'Dark Shadows' fan, Alan Gallant. Originally from Bangor, Maine, Alan talks about his childhood memories of DS, theatrical inspirations, and discusses the research that has gone into the subjects featured on Collinsport After Dark. Topics discussed in this episode include: how Alan researched gum card photos and music cues, a chat about various props used in the series, teen magazines, Alan’s favorite characters and storylines, and more. This episode starts with some words in honor of Marcy Robin, editor/publisher of ‘Shadowgram’, who passed away on December 22, 2023. The show concludes with information about many Dark Shadows and classic horror podcasts.

On December 16th, 1968, David Selby made his first appearance as Quentin Collins on ‘Dark Shadows’. The character soon became a major sensation and pop culture icon, catapulting the hit show to even greater ratings heights as viewers witnessed Quentin’s intriguing backstory. To help commemorate his legendary character’s 55th anniversary, David Selby visits the podcast for this special holiday season episode. Discussion topics include: Christmas plans, Ansel Faraj’s ‘The Great Nick D’ and ‘Todd Tarantula’, getting cast as Quentin, Dan Curtis, sideburns and Vincent Loscalzo, memories of fellow DS actors, Earl Hamner and ‘The Waltons’, ‘Night of Dark Shadows’ restoration, writing a new novel, coming back for ‘Dark Shadows: Reincarnation’, and some words about the late, great Lara Parker. Please join us for this festive yuletide celebration of Quentin's 55th anniversary!