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New Action Figures

Spectre Toys have announced that they are to produce a new range of limited edition Dark Shadows action figures. Each 8-inch scale figure will feature a detailed likeness, with authentic clothing, styled like the famed Mego action figures of the 1970s.

July sees the release of Barnabas Collins, in present day clothing with walking cane, and a 1795 Angelique figure, each limited to 3,000 pieces, available from July. There will also be a Werewolf Chris Jennings figure issued as an exclusive for July's San Diego Comic Con, which is limited to just 500.

The Barnabas and Angelique figures are available to pre-order now from Spectre's website. The company is also running a poll asking which Dark Shadows characters fans would like to be produced as figures in the future. 

Actor Appearances

• Julianna McCarthy (1991 Mrs Johnson) is to return to The Young as the Restless as a regular cast member. Julia has played matriarch Liz Foster intermittently for over 20 years and should be on screens later this year.
• Rebecca Staab (1991 Daphne) can be seen this weekend at the Hollywood Show, taking place in Burbank, California. For more information, click here. On June 18-20, she's appearing at the Florida Supercon in Miami. For full details, visit the event website.
• Roy Thinnes (1991 Roger) is making a personal appearance in Maryland at the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention, which runs from September 23-25. Roy will be signing autographs and discussing his work on The Invaders. Visit the website for more information.

A Visit to the Studio

As we recently reported, the old Dark Shadows studio on Manhattan's West 53rd Street has become the home of The Wendy Williams Show. Gene and David, readers of this site, paid a visit, and shared these photos. 

"We walked by on a Friday when Wendy was not taping, but we were invited inside," says Gene. "We were asked not to photograph beyond the lobby; we did not have a full studio tour. I travel into Manhattan and walk the streets around this address frequently. I never got around to taking photos until last week. I just felt the urge. Many of the surrounding buildings are being torn down and replaced by high rise condos. I hope the studio remains forever!"

Own a Bobblehead!

Amazon have recently begun offering MPI's series of officially-licensed Dark Shadows bobbleheads, caricatured sculptures of classic characters from the show. Each one is fully-painted and cast in resin. The set of five is made up of Barnabas, Angelique, Quentin, Josette and the Werewolf. To order, click on the hyperlinks.

Dark Shadows Festival Update

The Dark Shadows Festival has updated its official site with membership details for its 2010 convention. The weekend-long celebration takes place on July 16-18 at the Burbank Airport Marriott Hotel, located in Burbank, California. Newly confirmed guests include Michael Brockman (Unit Manager), Sy Tomashoff (Scenic Designer) and Bob Cobert (Music Composer). 

The Festival is also hosting a separate event on Friday July 16, with Jonathan Frid (Barnabas) as guest of honour. The Vista Theater in Hollywood will play host to a special matinee screening of House of Dark Shadows on the big screen, which will be followed by Jonathan putting his handprints in cement. For more information, visit the Festival website.

News in Brief

• The Dark Shadows studio, located on West 53rd Street, New York City, has a new tenant. For several years, the facility housed The Montel Williams Show, and is the home of The Wendy Williams Show. Tickets for upcoming tapings can be obtained here.
• Barbara Woronko Anzalone, who guested as Nurse Pritchett on Dark Shadows as Bobbi Ann Woronko, has written her autobiography, The Girl Next Door. The book includes reminiscences of Dark Shadows and can be ordered online by clicking here.
• And finally, birthday wishes to Humbert Allen Astredo (Nicholas Blair), who celebrated his 81st birthday this weekend. This particular legion of the damned salutes you.

Comics Collection Delayed

The first reprint edition of Dark Shadows comic books, originally due out this month, has been temporarily delayed. Dark Shadows: The Complete Series Volume 1, collecting the 1960s Gold Key strip stories, will now be released on May 28. To pre-order the book from Amazon at a discount price, click here. Volume 2 is still on track for release in July.

Australian DVD Release

Dark Shadows is set to receive some new exposure down under, as the show's original episodes receive their first release outside of the US. Under a new distribution deal, Australian company Madman is to offer the first two Dark Shadows DVD collections as a combined box set in new packaging. Dark Shadows Collection 1 & 2 will be available as an 8-disc set from May 5 and can be pre-ordered here.

Dark Shadows Movie Set to Film in England

As press coverage of Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland continues, a few more details about the director's upcoming Dark Shadows feature film have emerged. Speaking to FilmShaft, the project's producer, Richard Zanuck, reveals:

"I’m going to be doing Dark Shadows with Johnny [Depp] and Tim later towards the end of the year... But we’re shooting over here [London] even though the movie is set in Portland, Maine (sic). We’ve got the stages at Pinewood lined up."

Located in Buckinghamshire, England, Pinewood Studios is probably best known as the home of the James Bond movies; Tim Burton previously filmed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Sweeney Todd at the studios. To read the full interview, click here.

Half Price DVDs

Amazon are having another sale on Dark Shadows DVDs, with prices slashed to half price for a limited time. Most of the box set episode collections are reduced to $27.49, and last year's two compilation titles, The Vampire Curse and The Haunting of Collinwood are now just $9.99. Here are ordering links:

Compilations: 

The Vampire Curse, The Haunting of Collinwood

Dark Shadows: The Beginning (pre-Barnabas episodes):

Collection 1, Collection 2, Collection 3, Collection 4, Collection 5, Collection 6

Dark Shadows DVD Collections (episodes from Barnabas' arrival onwards):

Collection 1, Collection 2, Collection 3, Collection 4, Collection 5, Collection 6, Collection 7, Collection 8, Collection 9, Collection 10, Collection 11, Collection 12, Collection 13, Collection 14, Collection 15, Collection 16, Collection 17, Collection 18, Collection 19, Collection 20, Collection 21, Collection 22, Collection 23, Collection 24, Collection 25, Collection 26

It's a Wrap!

It's a wrap! Recording on Kingdom of the Dead, the new series of full-cast Dark Shadows audio dramas concluded in Los Angeles yesterday, bringing the mammoth two-month production to a close. From left to right: Director Darren Gross; actors Jerry Lacy, Lara Parker, David Selby, Kathryn Leigh Scott, James Storm, John Karlen, Jamison Selby and Andrew Collins; with series co-writer Eric Wallace. 

Kingdom of the Dead is available from July and can be pre-ordered on CD from the Big Finish website.

Audio Dramas in Studio

The cast of Dark Shadows have been busy in studio, as Big Finish Productions continue recordings for this year's slate of audio dramas. Here are some photos from the recent sessions...

Alec Newman and Lysette Anthony recording guest appearances for Kingdom of the Dead, the new four-part miniseries, available from July. Alec played Barnabas in the WB's 2004 Dark Shadows pilot, while Lysette played Angelique in the 1991 Dark Shadows remake. Both play new characters in the new series. But who is Dr. Rankin, and what is the secret of her patient?

Lisa Richards (Sabrina) recording Blood Dance, a new dramatic reading. The story features Quentin embroiled with a mysterious nightclub in Prohibition-era Chicago and is due out in April.

Andrew Collins and Jerry Lacy (Trask) recording Kingdom of the Dead. To pre-order upcoming titles on CD and download, visit the Big Finish website.

Actor News

• Barbara Steele (1991 Julia) has filmed a new horror movie, The Butterfly Room, marking her first major role in several years. Fangoria has published some photos from the project, which can be seen here. Barbara also recently recorded a commentary for a new DVD edition of The She Beast, available now from Amazon.
• Fans of Jerry Lacy (Reverend Trask) can keep abreast of his latest activities on Facebook, at the Friends of Jerry Lacy group, featuring news and many rare photos from Jerry's career. Pay a visit by clicking here.
• Marie Wallace (Eve) will be performing on stage during March in Where's Sheila?, part of the New York City's Emerging Artists Theatre's Spring Eatfest. For more information, visit Marie's website.

Burton and Depp Speak

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp have been busy promoting their new film, Alice in Wonderland, and have spoken about the upcoming Dark Shadows feature film, slated to being shooting in 2011. 

On the BBC's Friday Night with Jonathan Ross, the pair were in high spirits, explaining the Dark Shadows concept to the UK audience. “It was on TV in the afternoon," said Burton enthusiastically. "It was like a supernatural soap opera... and it was just the weirdest vibe of any show I’ve ever seen." Johnny Depp: "Yeah, a gothic soap opera." 

"There were some of the worst camera moves you’ve ever seen in your life," Burton joked. "And strangely a lot of flies landing on actors’ faces, and them still trying to act through it — it was amazing. We’re gonna fill the room with flies... and make the actors pretend that they’re not there!”

Speaking for Enquirer.net, Depp revealed: "I was obsessed with this character, Barnabas Collins... I came to find out many years later that when he was a kid, Tim ran home like I did to watch that Gothic soap opera. It was a very strange thing back then.” Speaking about developing film, Depp said: “We looked at ways to go, story-wise. We’ve started to come up with something interesting. If all goes well, I will jump into that toward the end of this year.”

Update: BBC America are screening this edition on Friday March 5 at 10pm ET/PT.