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
Replies
This is supposedly the first horror movie. It could almost be a Gilded Age Dark Shadows, except that Méliès’ special effects were better.
Haven't heard from you since 827, Rob, but we came across another literary reference in 852: the poem "A Red, Red Rose" by Robert Burns. (I didn't want to want to re-post the list so soon, so I editied the one at the bottom of the previous page). I don't know where you are, but there have been some interesting developments since you last posted.
It's been really slow going for me -- I've also started watching my way through The Venture Bros, in the hopes that I'll see the concluding movie one of these days. But I'm up to episode 832 now, in which Angelique hypnotizes Trask into nearly shooting himself in the head, and then Petofi stops him, chases down Angelique, and then crushes her magic amulet. So it hasn't been quiet, by any means!
Apparenty, today would've been Grayson Hall's 101st birthday.
The sub-plot begun in 837 comes to an end in 858.
Happy birthday, Grayson Hall! (Boy, it would be wonderful to see a campus building named after her in Gotham City or Bludhaven.)
So I was wrong -- I was up to episode 831 the other day, and now I'm halfway through eipsode 833.
832 is largely about Tim Shaw strongarming Amanda into living with and seducing Rev Hatch (it doesn't take much doing, considering he's a handsy old goat), and her repulsion at the thought -- but then her 180-degree pivot once she locks eyes with Quentin. Hoo-boy, do we get a steamy almost-kiss there! The Quentin goes upstairs and discovers his portrait...and it's of a werewolf! Next ep, he goes to confront Charles Middlename Tate about it, but Tate insists he painted Quentin as his usual handsome dude self...but admits someone else saw a wolf when she looked at the painting.
Then it was late and I drifted off... so more soon!
"...seducing Rev Hatch"
Is he any relation to the Reverend Trask?
Sunuvabitch! Yeah, he's basically Rev Trask, but in Hub City.
I don't mean to jump ahead of you, Rob, but if I don't record it now I'll forget. [SPOILERS for 860/861]
Once again, it's time to update the (reformated!)...
SEANCE SCORECARD:
SEANCE #1: Episode 170
Participants: Guthrie, Roger, Carolyn & Vicki (+ Laura)
Purpose: To contact Josette
Results: Josettte speaks through Vicki (in French)
SEANCE #2: Episode 186
Participants: Vicki, Sam Evans & David
Purpose: To contact Josette
Results: David Radcliffe speaks through David
SEANCE #3: Episodes 280/281
Participants: Roger, Liz, Carolyn, Vicki, Burke & Barnabas
Purpose: To contact any spirit which will answer
Results: Josette speaks through Vicki (in English)
SEANCE #4: Episode 365(461)
Participants: Roger, Liz, Carolyn, Vicki, Julia & Barnabas
Purpose: To contact Sarah
Results: Vicki sent on a "uncertain and frightening journey into the past"
SEANCE #5: Episodes 511/512
Participants: Stokes, Julia & Tony
Purpose: To contact Trask
Results: Trask manifests in the present
SEANCE #6: Episode 600
Participants: Stokes, Julia & Barnabas
Purpose: To contact Philippe Cordier
Results: Philippe Cordier speaks through Barnabas (in an outrageous French accent)
SEANCE #7: Episode 640
Participants: David and Amy
Purpose: To contact Quentin Collins
Results: Interrupted by Vicki
SEANCE #8: Episode 642
Participants: Stokes, Chris Jennings, Liz, Carolyn and Vicki
Purpose: To contact Jeff Clark
Results: Magda Rakosi speaks through Carolyn
SEANCE #9: Episode 682
Participants: Stokes, Barnabas, Maggie and Mrs. Johnson
Purpose: To contact Janet Findley
Results: Janet Findley speaks through Mrs. Johnson
SEANCE #10: Episode 797
Participants: Barnabas, Quentin and Magda
Purpose: To contact
Results: Julianka refuses to cure Quentin and curses Magda
SEANCE #11: Episodes 860/861
Participants: Pansy Faye, Kitty and Edward
Purpose: To contact any spirit to help Kitty
Results: Interrupted by Judith returning from the sanitarium
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