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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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.

From November 1968 to February 1976, Gold Key Comics published 35 issues of the Dark Shadows comic book series, plus a story digest. The comic featured unique stories, adventures, and supernatural creatures not seen in the TV show. Returning to the podcast to discuss the Gold Key DS comics are noted writers, and longtime comics and DS fans, Dr. Jeff Thompson and Nick Caputo. Listen, as we choose our favorites and talk about some of the notable creators behind this memorable comic series.

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!

From 1966 to 1972, Paperback Library released 32 Dark Shadows novels set in a distinct version of the Dark Shadows universe, existing apart from the events shown in the television series, along with a novelization of the film House of Dark Shadows. These were all written by the prolific Canadian author W. E. Daniel Ross aka Dan Ross, under the pen name “Marilyn Ross”. Visiting the podcast to discuss the world of the DS Ross novels are Joe Escobar, Amy Roeder, and Dr. Jeff Thompson. Join us for this in-depth conversation about the classic DS novel series.

Volume Two of Our Shadowed Past is here and it’s a stunning book filled with fan memories, color photos, artwork, fiction, articles, and rarities! Returning to the podcast to discuss the making of the book are its editors, Bob Issel and Jeff Kenny. Be sure to get one of the few remaining copies before they disappear into the dark shadows.

The Great Nick D is an award-winning, sweet-natured tale of redemption that follows a washed up 90's porn star, now a Venice Beach nobody, who gets a second chance to restart his mainstream acting career in order to win back the Oscar-nominated actress girlfriend from his past. Visiting Terror at Collinwood to discuss this exciting new motion picture are its co-director and co-writer Ansel Faraj, its star, co-writer, and co-director Nathan Wilson, who plays Nick D, actors and Dark Shadows legends Kathryn Leigh Scott and David Selby, who play Helen Zimmerman and Jim Hatton, respectively, and actress, composter, and theatre producer O-Lan Jones (Edward Scissorhands, Mars Attacks!), who plays Phyllis in The Great Nick D! Join us for a fun chat about this delightful film! Special thanks to Ansel Faraj for his help in editing this episode!

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

Welcome to the Dark Shadows Podcast Summit where the hosts of four DS podcasts come together for a convivial roundtable discussion! Christen Pierce and Cara Tillitz of Between the Shadows, Alan James Gallant of Collinsport After Dark, and Jule T. Saynes, Gordon Dymowski, and Patrick McCray of Resident of Collinwood join Penny Dreadful of Terror at Collinwood to discuss topics such as: guests’ relationships to DS and why it still resonates with them, whether or not Count Petofi survived 1897 and whether he’d be in his own body if he did, what other authors could/would Dark Shadows have adapted, would DS have incorporated trends in 1970’s horror had the show continued, is a new Dark Shadows series going to be something that we’d actually want or not, gatekeeping in fandoms, what fans need to do to keep DS awareness and fandom alive, and more! You don’t want to miss this podcast crossover episode of epic proportions!

The very skilled (and sometimes underrated) actress Clarice Blackburn played Mrs. Sarah Johnson, Abigail Collins, and Minerva Trask on Dark Shadows and appeared as Mrs. Castle in Night of Dark Shadows. After DS, Clarice also went on to become a successful television writer. Visiting the podcast to discuss Clarice’s DS characters is Tweetie Jackie Blackburn, an administrator of several prominent DS Facebook groups, including the Dark Shadows Appreciation Society, Angelique’s Lair (Fans of Lara Parker), and Barnabas Collins and the Old House! Other topics of discussion include: Tweetie’s experiences meeting DS stars such as Lara Parker, Christopher Pennock, and Jerry Lacy, visiting Seaview Terrace aka “Collinwood”, the upcoming Dark Shadows Remembrance weekend, future hopes for DS, and more! Join us for a fun and spirited chat!

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!