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> February 2004
| People
News |
February
28 2004 |
•
Congratulations to Ellen Wheeler (1991
Phyllis Wick), who has been appointed executive producer
of CBS' daytime soap Guiding Light, following previous
stints as producer and director on the show.
•
Jonathan Frid (Barnabas) has recently updated
his website with the latest installment of his online presentation
of Richard III; Access it by clicking
here.
•
Jim Fyfe (1991 Willie) can currently be seen
in commercials for Jackson Hewitt Tax Sevices.
| New
Dan Curtis Project |
February
27 2004 |
It's
shaping up to be a busy year for series
creator Dan Curtis. In addition to executive producing
the new Dark Shadows project, Curtis will direct
and executive produce a film version of the controversial
book Our Fathers for the Showtime Network.
Our
Fathers was Newsweek editor David France's epic
expose of the paedophilia scandal in the Roman Catholic
Church and its cover-up. Casting is currently underway,
with pre-production beginning in April.
Elsewhere,
Curtis is interviewed and discussed in The Kolchak Scripts.
This limited edition book also contains the previously unpublished
script for the aborted third Kolchak movie Curtis was involved
in, and can be ordered from Amazon by clicking
here.
| New
Directions |
February
26 2004 |
Fans
fearing a standard retreat of Dark Shadows for its
new WB incarnation may be heartened to learn of some
potential plot-twists revealed in new casting scripts issued
today. Highlight
the box with your mouse cursor to read the spoilers...
|
In
a major innovation, new character Kelly Greer now
seems destined to play a crucial role in the new Dark
Shadows. As her and Willie find themselves drawn
into Barnabas' world, expect an exciting new dynamic
amidst the classic story.
The
new script pages explore plot points from the pilot
script, but may be projections for future episodes,
rather than intended for the pilot itself. |
|
With
thanks to BarnabasUndead
| Pilot
Writer Speaks |
February
25 2004 |
In
a new interview for website PopThought,
writer Mark Verheiden touched briefly on his work
scripting the WB Dark Shadows pilot:
"I
wrote the pilot and will be an executive producer on the
show... so 'greatly involved' is definitely the right choices
of words... We’re [currently] prepping to shoot the
pilot, casting to be announced... for Warner Brothers studio
and the WB network."
Speaking
about the show itself, Mark described the format as: "A
gothic drama, set in coastal Maine, about the Collins family
and the mysteries that surround them. To go much further
might spoil some surprises… but I can safely say there
isn’t another show like it on network TV." To
read the full interview, click
here.
With thanks to
BarnabasUndead
| Vote
Dark Shadows! |
February
24 2004 |
Popular
television website The
Futon Critic is currently running a poll on which new
WB drama pilot deserves a timeslot. Happily, Dark
Shadows is currently leading, with around 50 percent
of the vote. To cast a vote, click
here.
With thanks to James Marco
| DVD
Collection 12 |
February
22 2004 |
Dark
Shadows DVD Collection 12 is confirmed for release on
May 25.
The set features episodes 656-695, including the haunting
of Collinwood by Quentin and the return to 1796. Amazon.com
are currently listing the title at a 30% discount with free
shipping:
Pre-order
Dark Shadows DVD Collection 12 from Amazon.com
| Pilot
Casting Begins |
February
22 2004 |
With
director Rob Bowman confirmed, casting is now underway
in the Los Angeles area for the WB Dark Shadows project,
as new faces are sought for the classic roles. Casting script
pages have been issued for Barnabas Collins, Victoria Winters,
Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, Roger Collins, David Collins,
Carolyn Stoddard, Dr Julia Hoffman, Angelique, Willie Loomis,
Joe Haskell and Kelly Greer, a new character.
Although
subject to change, the audition material gives some insight
into the pilot's content, summarised in the box below for
spoiler-sensitive readers. Highlight
the box with your mouse cursor to read the spoilers...
|
Mark
Verheiden's script retells the arrival of Victoria
Winters in Collinsport, along with the release of
Barnabas Collins, as ghosts of the past and the shadow
of the vampire curse threaten the future of their
growing love for one another...
Although
much of this story will be familiar to fans, its telling
is often vastly different, with new characters, plot-twists
and set-pieces. The cast is also reduced, with Maggie
Evans being the most notable omission.
New
characters include Kelly Greer, a college student
and friend for Willie Loomis; and Sophia, a maid at
Collinwood with links to Willie. |
|
With
thanks to James Marco and BarnabasUndead
| Pilot
Director Confirmed |
February
19 2004 |
Variety
reports that Rob Bowman has signed to direct the
WB Dark Shadows pilot. Rob will be a familiar name
to fans, having directed two episodes of the 1991 Dark
Shadows revival. His other credits include numerous
fantasy projects, including Star Trek: The Next Generation,
the feature film Reign of Fire, plus numerous episodes
of The X-Files, including its big screen spin-off.
With
thanks to Fangoria
| Angel
Cancelled as Pilot Details Emerge |
February
14 2004 |
A
fallen Angel seems to bode well for the
WB's Dark Shadows pilot.
The network announced the cancellation of its Buffy
spin-off yesterday, just weeks after WB
executive Jordan Levin insisted that Dark
Shadows posed no threat for the show's
future. For full coverage on Angel, visit
Zap2it.
Elsewhere,
website BarnabasUndead.com
has posted claims from a "reliable source" that
the WB Dark Shadows pilot will shoot shortly
in Vancouver, BC, under the supervision of director David
Nutter.
Nutter
has a strong track-record for directing new pilots, having
helmed the debuts of Smallville, Dark Angel, Roswell
and Tarzan. His other work includes The West
Wing (produced by Dark Shadows' John
Wells) and many episodes of The X-Files. At present,
none of this information is officially
confirmed.
With
thanks to BarnabasUndead
| Good
Morning Angels... |
February
12 2004 |
The
career of Dark Shadows actress
Kate Jackson (Daphne) is dramatised in
the upcoming TV movie Behind the Camera: The Unauthorised
Story of Charlie's Angels; Kate is portrayed by
actress Lauren Stamile. The movie airs on March 8 at 9.00pm
on NBC and is based on Pomegranate Press' Charlie's
Angels Casebook; for more information, visit their
website.
With thanks to Kathryn Leigh
Scott
| Pilot
Reports |
February
3 2004 |
Variety
magazine reported the greenlit status of the WB Dark
Shadows pilot in their February 2 edition, excerpts
of which were picked up elsewhere in the media.
Zap2it ran one of the lengthier pieces, including
recent comments from Buffy supremo Joss Whedon. Read
it by clicking here.
Backstage.com's article confirms that writer Mark
Verheiden will also serve as an executive producer on
the project; read it by clicking here.
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