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!

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!

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!

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!

With their magic spells, curses, and arcane incantations, the witches, warlocks, and mages of Dark Shadows certainly left a strong and lasting impression upon fans of the show. One of those fans is Laramie Dean, a talented novelist (Black Forest) and playwright (Frankenstein Among the Dead, Dracula, The Gorgon Sisters). The delightful Laramie pays a visit to the podcast for a spirited discussion about Angelique, Nicholas, Judah, Bathia, Petofi, and other wielders of magic in the DS universe. The episode also includes: a geeky side lecture on the depiction of witches in horror films, and a substantial DS opening news segment that includes info about new books, appearances, podcasts, and more! The show ends with shoutouts to several Dark Shadows and DS-adjacent podcasts! ALSO: get thee to the Blue Whale jukebox and dig the terrifyingly tubular new surf rock version of the DS theme song, ‘Surfing the Shadows’, performed by Johnny D & The Moonlighters! It also happens to be the new opening theme for Terror at Collinwood!

Help support the podcast by donating at Buy Me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/terroratcollinwood

The final Dark Shadows storyline is set in a parallel universe in the year 1841 and features a set of new characters, which includes the son of Barnabas and Josette from a parallel band of time. Dismissed and derided by some fans, 1841 Parallel Time offers viewers a dark and brooding tale that takes inspiration from works by Emily Brontë and Shirley Jackson. Returning to the podcast to help examine the final DS segment is artist and writer (and designer of the Terror at Collinwood show logos!), Eric Marshall! Join us as we explore and discuss this unusual and underappreciated storyline.

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!

A wide variety of memorable Dark Shadows collectibles have been released over the decades, surely with more to come. Jeff Kenny, a longtime DS fan, collector, and co-administrator of the Dark Shadows Collectors Facebook group, sits down for a show & tell chat about his favorite DS merchandise, rare holy grail items, and hopes for future collectibles. In addition, Jeff shares his passion for DS filming locations and discusses many important buildings and locations used in the series and films. Other topics include meeting DS actors, DS tattoos, Seaview Terrace, gatekeeping behavior in fandom, and much more!

In June of 1967 Grayson Hall joined the Dark Shadows cast as Dr. Julia Hoffman, a character who went on to play a pivotal role throughout the remainder of the series. In total, Grayson played six memorable characters on the show, including Magda Rakosi and Countess Natalie DuPres. This episode of Terror at Collinwood celebrates the 55th anniversary of Julia’s first appearance and features guests R.J. Jamison, who wrote the popular biography ‘Grayson Hall: A Hard Act to Follow’, and writer & longtime fan Steve Shutt. This fun and spirited discussion explores several favorite Grayson Hall scenes featuring each of her DS characters.

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.

Another frenzied (and geeky) lecture? You bet! This time, Penny Dreadful tackles major characteristics of gothic horror & gothic romance and illustrates their use in Dark Shadows. Topics include Terror at Collinwood’s Rondo Award nomination for best podcast (!!!), Terror vs. Horror, “spackling” continuity and bloopers, atmosphere of the gothic, otherness, serials, obsession, madness, love triangles, monsters and the supernatural, heightened emotion, the sublime, subverting the gothic, and much more!

Be sure to vote in the Rondo Hatton Classic Horror Awards!

Terror at Collinwood was nominated for Best Podcast & Penny Dreadful was nominated for Favorite Horror Host

The full ballot can be found here: https://rondoaward.com

Selected listener email messages are read and addressed! Topics include Daytime Gothic 'zine announcement, explanation of the job Willie had to do, was the Leviathan storyline really as bad as some fans say, spinoff media requests, lots of fan memories, and much more!

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.

Selections from the first batch of listener email messages and comments are read and addressed! Topics include fan memories, character and storyline theories, the evolution of Quentin Collins, Angelique's attempt to undo the vampire curse, a few things Penny liked about the Burton movie (?!), the Monster Craze, classifying Nicholas Blair, and much more!