Dark Shadows

[Jeff of Earth-J]

I’d like to start this continuation of the Dark Shadows discussion from the old board with a look at some of the new and upcoming Dark Shadows audio stories from Big Finish Productions. There aren’t nearly as many Dark Shadows audio adventures as there are Doctor Who ones, but the Doctor Who series has been around longer. The Dark Shadows audios are a mixed bag. The first release was a full-cast sequel titled “Return to Collinwood”. Later they began to release a series of interconnected sequential stories grouped in short “seasons”. More recently they’ve been going back to the timeline of the original television show and telling interstitial one-shots. As the Dark Shadows series seems to be catching on, Big Finish seems to be ramping up their production schedule. “Curse of the Pharaoh” was released in September, and the next four are set for monthly release beginning in January at a special subscription rate.

CURSE OF THE PHARAOH:

“Curse of the Pharaoh” stars Nancy Barrett (reprising her role as Carolyn Stoddard) and Marie Wallace (perhaps best known as “Eve” on the TV show) in a new role, famed Egyptologist Dr. Gretchen Warwick. The story doesn’t specify, but I assume it takes place shortly after the end of the series original TV series, circa 1970 or so. Both actresses are kind of rusty and sound as old as they are, not as young as they (Caroline, anyway) are supposed to be. Barrett was always a better actress than Wallace, and that remains true. Wallace’s shortcomings are spotlighted in this “dramatic reading” in which she plays other bit parts, most of the male (Bob the bartender at The Blue Whale, Eliot Stokes on the telephone, Carolyn’s father in flashback), which she performs in a gruff kind of storybook voice as if reading aloud to a child. The story itself is a sequel to the unpopular “Leviathan” television storyline. If you’ve never heard a Dark Shadows audio and thinking of trying one out, there are better ones to start with than this.

KEY: OB = Old Board; UR = Un-Reviewed

Return to Collinwood - 169

SEASON ONE:
S1.1 The House of Despair - 1
S1.2 The Book of Temptation - OB
S1.3 The Christmas Presence - 264
S1.4 The Rage Beneath - 7

SEASON TWO: Kingdom of the Dead - 7

DRAMATIC READINGS:

1. Angelique’s Descent-Pt. 1 - OB
2. Angelique’s Descent-Pt. 2 - OB
3. Clothes of Sand - OB
4. The Ghost Walker - OB
5. The Skin Walkers - OB
6. The Path of Fate - OB
7. The Wicked & the Dead - OB
8. Echoes of Insanity - OB
9. Curse of the Pharaoh - 1
10. Final Judgment - 1
11. Blood Dance - 1
12. The Night Whispers - 1
13. London’s Burning - 2
14. The Doll House - 30
15. The Blind Painter - 87
16. The Death Mask - 88
17. The Creeping Fog - 89
18. The Carrion Queen - 89
19. The Poisoned Soul - 96
20. The Lost Girl - 96
21. The Crimson Pearl - 114
22. The Voodoo Amulet - 129
23. The House by the Sea - 170
24. Dress Me in Dark Dreams - 154
25. The Eternal Actress - 162
26. The Fall of House Trask - 163
27. Operation: Victor - 166
28. Speak No Evil - 166
29. The Last Stop - 166
30. Dreaming of the Water - 167
31. The Haunted Refrain - 167
32. A Collinwood Christmas - 167, 264
33. The Phantom Bride - 167
34. Beneath the Veil - 167
35. The Enemy Within - 167
36. The Lucifer Gambit - 167
37. The Flip Side - 167
38. Beyond the Grave - 168
39. Curtain Call - 168
40. The Harvest of Souls - 170
41. The Happier Dead - 168
42. The Carriage Damned - 168
43. The Devil Cat - 168
44. The Darkest Shadow - 173

SEASON THREE: Bloodlust - 170-172, 181, 269

45. Panic - 173
46. The Curse of Shurafa - 173
47. In the Twinkling of an Eye - 173
48. Deliver Us from Evil - 173
49. Tainted Love - 173
50. ...And Red All Over - 175

Echoes of the Past - 176

Blood & Fire - 176

Haunting Memories - 177

Phantom Melodies - 178

Dreams of Long Ago - 178

THE TONY & CASSANDRA MYSTERIES:
The Mystery at Crucifix Heights - 179
The Mystery of La Danse Macabre - 179
The Mystery of Flight 493 - 180
The Mystery of Karmina Sonata - 180

SHADOWS OF THE NIGHT:
Trio - 180
Honeymoon from Hell - 180
Retreat -180
1:53 AM - 180

MAGGIE & QUENTIN - THE LOVERS' REFRAIN:
The Girl Beneath the Water - 180
The Sand That Speaks HIs Name - 180
The Hollow Winds That Beckon
The Paper to the Flame

GOTHIC PAPERBACK LIBRARY

1. Dark Shadows - p183
2. Victoria Winters - p183
3. Strangers at Collins House - p183
4. The Mystery of Collinwood - p184
5. The Curse of Collinwood - p184
6. Barnabas Collins - p185
7. The Secret of BC - p185
8. The Demon of BC - p185
9. The Foe of BC - p185
10. The Phantom of BC - p185
11. BC vs. the Warlock - p186
12. The Peril of BC - p186
13. BC and the Mysterious Ghost - p187
14. BC and Quentin's Demon - p188
15. BC and the Gypsy Witch - p188
16. B, Q and the Mummy's Curse - p188
17. B, Q and the Avenging Ghost - p242
18. B, Q and the Nightmare Assassin - p244
19. B, Q and the Crystal Coffin
20. B, Q and the Witch's Curse
21. B, Q and the Haunted Cave
22. B, Q and the Frightened Bride
23. B, Q and the Scorpio Curse
24. B, Q and the Serpent
25. B, Q and the Magic Potion
26. B, Q and the Body Snatchers
27. B, Q and Dr. Jekyll's Son
28. B, Q and the Grave Robbers
29. B, Q and the Sea Ghost
30. B, Q and the Mad Magician
31. B, Q and the Hidden Tomb
32. B, Q and the Vampire Beauty
33. House of Dark Shadows - p241

ROB STAEGER: p189

NEWSPAPER STRIPS: p241

[Jeff of Earth-J]

"They really ripped into each other."

A lot of shows "soften" as they progress and characters become more likeable, M*A*S*H and Prisoner: Cell Block H to name two. Dark Shadows was like that, too. (Remember how Roger was toward Vicki back in the early days?) Most shows have to bring in new cast members to introduce tensions to drive the plot, but Dark Shadows just goes back into the past.

"...but then the ghost of Angelique (!) arrives as a floating head"

Yeah, you didn't really think she'd be gone for long, did you? :)

I've mentioned how Jonathan Frid didn't really like doing those "open mouthed" fang shots. 419 will feature another shot of which he was not fond: the "up the nose" coffin shot. (You'll see it.)

[The Baron]

Jon Pertwee used to hate those "nostril shots" when  his Doctor was lying unconscious.  Of course, with a nose like his.

Jeff of Earth-J said:

"They really ripped into each other."

A lot of shows "soften" as they progress and characters become more likeable, M*A*S*H and Prisoner: Cell Block H to name two. Dark Shadows was like that, too. (Remember how Roger was toward Vicki back in the early days?) Most shows have to bring in new cast members to introduce tensions to drive the plot, but Dark Shadows just goes back into the past.

"...but then the ghost of Angelique (!) arrives as a floating head"

Yeah, you didn't really think she'd be gone for long, did you? :)

I've mentioned how Jonathan Frid didn't really like doing those "open mouthed" fang shots. 419 will feature another shot of which he was not fond: the "up the nose" coffin shot. (You'll see it.)

[Jeff of Earth-J]

JD DeLuzio said:

...we're far behind and just at the final Dr. Woodard replacement...

If you can get to episode 365 (the beginning of the seance) by the time Rob gets to 460, you'll be able to skip to 461 (the end of the seance) without missing a beat! 

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

It's a race against time travel!

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

I've seen through episode 219 now. Josette's found Barnabas, led to the cemetery by Angelique, pretending to be Barnabas. Ben intercepts her, but can't warn her away completely; Angelique still has power over him. Barnabas holds her for a moment, and restrains himself from biting her. But Josette's left shaken by the encounter, and doesn't know how she can live through two more days before she leaves Collinwood. 

Meanwhile, Millicent has gotten engaged to Nathan Forbes, and they've picked out a date in March, about a month from now.  (So it's now February 1796; but didn't Sarah just die on her birthday? I thought I heard someone say it was December recently. I could be mistaken.)

Anyway, Nathan's at the tavern, the Eagle, when a woman comes in who joins him there. She's his abandoned wife from Baltimore, blackmailing him for money! After all the supernatural goings-on, I'm actually pretty excited for some standard-issue soap opera activities. 

Oh, and the up-the-nose coffin shot is actually at the top of episode 418. They really zoom all the way up there!

[Jeff of Earth-J]

"(So it's now February 1796; but didn't Sarah just die on her birthday? I thought I heard someone say it was December recently. I could be mistaken.)"

No, you heard right. Soap opera writers just love to synch up the storyline with air-dates, even if the dates are nearly two centuries in the past. Earlier it had been established (from the book Vicki brought with her) that Josette was married in 1795 and died "the winter of that same year," yet here we are in February and she's still alive and kicking... not for long, though. "Beware the Ides of Friday!" 

The birth/death dates on Sarah's tomb, 1784-1795, don't jibe with a February birthday, either.

"Anyway, Nathan's at the tavern, the Eagle..."

The redressed "Blue Whale" set. You wanted to see some of 18th century Collinsport and I said it was coming; this is it.

"I'm actually pretty excited for some standard-issue soap opera activities."

Yes, they can't sustain "all vampire, all the time." Now they have two ongoing B-plots: Nathan and Millicent's romance, and Vicki's trial. Actually, of all the characters in the 1795 story;ine, Nathan Forbes has the best character arc. When we first met him, he was something of a scoundrel and a rogue, but he did try to help and protect Vicki. Now we learn he's a bigamist who wants to marry Millicent only for her money. and wait until you see where his arc goes from here! Too bad Joel Crothers is just too nice of a guy to convincingly pull it off (IMHO... YMMV). 

Of course, in the 1960s, no one foresaw high-definition large-screen TVs. You can practically count Frid's nostril hairs. 

[The Baron]

I've noticed that when you watch Showa Era kaiju eiga, you can sometimes see the wires holding up the flying monsters.

Jeff of Earth-J said:

Of course, in the 1960s, no one foresaw high-definition large-screen TVs. You can practically count Frid's nostril hairs. 

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Rondo Award winning website, The Collinsport Historical Society, presents this wide-ranging collection of essays, insights, and observations from its long-running column, The Dark Shadows Daybook. From the earliest episodes to speculation on the future of the franchise, author Patrick McCray celebrates the grand themes and iconic characters of Dark Shadows with a devout irreverence. Winner of the 2018 Rondo Award for Writer of the Year, Patrick McCray chronicles the unforgettable series by exploring its episodes in articles and asides, all originally written on the anniversary of their filming. With a new introduction by Emmy award-winning humorist, Dana Gould, The Dark Shadows Daybook is affectionate, spontaneous, and refreshingly raucous reading for fans of the series and anyone else looking to learn why Dark Shadows matters.

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

Oh, nice! It looks like what I should probably read after I finish my oral history of The Wire! (Which I started after reading Comics Implosion, an excellent history of the DC Implosion published by TwoMorrows, and co-written by my college pal Keith Dallas. I'm on pop culture history kick these days.)

And I've seen episode 420...and Barnabas's munchies finally get the better of him. Josette once again falls into his arms, and this time he can't resist a bite! Meanwhile, Nathan's wife, Suki, shows up at Collinwood and introduces herself to Millicent as Nathan's sister...but in private, promises him a lot more trouble. Shades of Jason Maguire! If I were Nathan, I might consider setting her up on a date with a local dead bachelor. 

But seriously -- Barnabas has bitten Josette! I assume he's trying to turn her, not kill her... but things are bound to go poorly, even so.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

We're up to 422, so we'll hold off for two more days then resume.

In case you've been wondering about Barnabas' portrait, you're about to see it for the first time.

I have one other comment to make about your post, but I can't say it yet.

[Jeff of Earth-J]

Dark Shadows and Beyond: The Jonathan Frid Story

[Rob Staeger (Grodd Mod)]

I've seen through episode 422 now. With vampire stories, it can be hard to tell if Josette is under Barnabas's thrall, or if she's just in love with him, but both Frid and Scott are playing it like love. Barnabas has given Josette a ring that Vicki says she's destined to lose on a Terrible, Horrible, Very Bad (final) Day. At this point, Josette is locked in her room for her own protection, but Barnabas enters via the secret passage, and makes like Robert Palmer in "Sneaking Sally Through the Alley" and slips her out of the house.

Meanwhile Joshua, upon hearing about the ring from Natalie (who heard about it from Vicki, who Natalie claims heard about it from Satan), goes to Barnabas's tomb to make sure it's actually been stolen... but Barnabas isn't in the coffin at all!  

Also, Vicki does some smooching with Peter...after telling him about her missing fiancé (pour one out for Burke) and the invention of the airplane (pour one out for the Wright Brothers)!