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2003
| 2004
Dark Shadows Festival |
November
29 2003 |
The
2004 Dark Shadows Weekend, organised by the Dark
Shadows Festival, will take place on August 13-15, 2004
at the Westchester Marriott Hotel, located in Tarrytown,
NY. Special discount reservations can be made by calling
914-631-2200. Festival membership prices and further details
will be available shortly.
The
initial guest list comprises David Selby (Quentin), Lara
Parker (Angelique), John Karlen (Willie), Kathryn Leigh
Scott (Maggie), Nancy Barrett (Carolyn) and Marie Wallace
(Eve), suggesting that this will be a smaller scale gathering
than in recent years. The schedule of events remains largely
unchanged from past festivals, and includes a Friday tour
of the Lyndhurst Mansion (Collinwood in the MGM films) and
the traditional Sunday banquet with the actors. For
more information visit the Festival
website.
| Merchandise
News |
November
26 2003 |
MPI
Home Video's reissue of Josette's Music Box is
now available
and their second Bobblehead release is a Werewolf,
rather than the previously announced Quentin doll. Both
can be ordered from DarkShadowsDVD.com.
Shown
right is the cover design for Dark Shadows DVD Collection
10, due for release on January 27 2004.
Click on the thumbnail to view a larger version. Amazon.com
are listing the title at a discount pre-order price with
free shipping:
Pre-order
Dark Shadows DVD Collection 10 from Amazon.com
| People
News |
November
26 2003 |
•
David
Selby (Quentin) is visiting Springfield, Missouri' to
read from his poetry books and sign copies. The event takes
place on Friday December 12 from 6.00-8.00pm. For full information,
visit David's newly relaunched website at davidselby.com.
Elsewhere, David is to appear in the upcoming Sci-Fi Channel
horror film Larva.
•
Kate Jackson (Daphne) is
to make a rare signing appearance at the Hollywood Collectors
& Celebrities Show on January 17-18 2004. For more
information, click
here.
• UK fans can catch Kathryn Leigh Scott
(Maggie) at the Star Trek convention Creation,
to be held at London's Hilton Metropole Hotel. Kathryn will
be have Star Trek and Dark Shadows merchandise
on sale. The event runs from January 9-11. For more information,
click
here.
With
thanks to Criseyde, Fran Robert and Kathryn Leigh Scott
| WB
Behind Dark Shadows Pilot |
November
11 2003 |
Following
rumours earlier this week, trade-paper Variety has
confirmed that plans for a new Dark Shadows pilot
are underway for the WB network, previously home
of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. The magazine reports:
"Dan
Curtis is teaming up with John Wells (pictured)
to executive produce the new take on Shadows, being
developed by Warner Bros. TV and John Wells Productions
for the 2004-05 season as a primetime drama. Mark
Verheiden, the Timecop creator who now serves
as co-executive producer of the WB's hit Smallville,
is set to write the pilot. Details of the new take are under
wraps, with all parties involved declining comment since
a formal deal is still being hammered out."
With
thanks to Variety.com and Dan Holmes
| A
New Dark Shadows? |
November
7 2003 |
Another
year, another new series rumour. Casting website FilmJerk.com
reports:
"John
Wells is working on [a] pilot, that may be a new version
of Dark Shadows. Welles' co-executive producer is
[Dark Shadows creator and producer] Dan Curtis...
The lead vamp is named Barnabas, 'a seductive, dangerous,
complex, athletic, flawed, timeless and handsome man who
will lead us into another world.'" To read the full
article click
here.
In
2002, the Fox network commissioned a Dark Shadows pilot
script, co-written by Curtis that was never produced. John
Wells' television credentials are extensive, including executive
producer credits on E.R and The West Wing.
Speaking
to this site in the summer, Dan Curtis Productions representative
Jim Pierson hinted that: "there's a development
underway for a possible new series again. It's always a
long shot - development is a dime a dozen in Hollywood,
and the chance of getting something on the air is so hard."
With
thanks to Alane Sue Megna
| Sci-Fi
Channel Broadcasts End |
October
23 2003 |
After
months of speculation, ShadowGram reports that Sci-Fi
Channel USA will not continue broadcasting Dark Shadows
in 2004. Dan Curtis Productions comments:
"Sci-Fi
is pursuing different and newer programming opportunities
and will not be reconsidering its decision... Sci-Fi no
longer schedules older shows. Dark Shadows has been
fortunate to be a part of the network for as long as it
has."
However,
fans are assured that: "Discussions are underway to
hopefully find a new TV home for Dark Shadows re-runs."
Speaking to this site in August, Dan Curtis Productions
representative Jim Pierson cited cable channel Soapnet
as a possible alternative broadcaster for the show.
Sci-Fi
broadcasts
will continue on weekdays until the end of 2003, with pre-emptions
planned on November 11, 27 and 28, along with December 25,
26. The last transmission will be on December 30, ending
roughly a month before the show's final episode.
With
thanks to ShadowGram
| Chris
Pennock On Stage |
October
23 2003 |
Chris
Pennock (Jeb Hawkes) is to fill a longstanding ambition
and essay the role of George in the classic play Who's
Afraid of Virginia Woolf? The production takes place
at The Actor's Studio, 8341 De Longpre Avenue, West Hollywood
on October 24-26 and November 1-2 and 6-7. Performances
run from 7.00pm. Tickets
are free, but reservations are advised as seating is limited.
To make reservations, telephone the box office on: 323-769-6425.
With
thanks to ShadowGram
| DVD
Collection 10 Confirmed |
October
16 2003 |
Dark
Shadows DVD Collection 10 is now confirmed for release
on January 27 2004.
The set features episodes 575-614, taking viewers up to
Joe's breakdown at the hands of Angelique. Amazon.com are
listing the title at a 30% discount with free shipping:
Pre-order
Dark Shadows DVD Collection 10 from Amazon.com
| DVD
Collection 9 |
October
12 2003 |
MPI
Home Video have confirmed the extras for the upcoming
DVD Collection 9. Click on the cover graphic for
a larger version:
|
Dark
Shadows DVD Collection 9 ·
Released November 25
 ·
Episodes 535-574,
presented on four disks
· Disc 1: Alexandra
Moltke interview
· Disc 2: Jonathan Frid interview
· Disc 3: Lara Parker interview
· Disc 4: Robert Rodan interview
· Collectable postcard
· Region 0 Encoding/NTSC (Compatible with
players worldwide)
Order
now at a discount price from Amazon.com
|
|
| Florence
Stanley: 1924-2003 |
October
11 2003 |
Florence
Stanley, who provided the sobbing voice of Josette's
ghost in the early episodes of Dark Shadows, passed
away on October 3 following complications from a stroke.
She was 79. Her final credits included a guest spot in Mitchell
Ryan's (Burke Devlin) Dharma and Greg and the
recent feature film Down With Love. To read a full
obituary from the Miami Herald, click
here.
With
thanks to Fran Robert
| Frid's
Fan Farewell |
October
11 2003 |
The
organisers of Jonathan Frid 's (Barnabas Collins)
Halloween one-man show in Collingwood, Ontario have made
the following announcement:
"The
November 1st performance of Jonathan Frid's Spoofs and
Spooks will likely mark Jonthan's retirement from the
stage after a 50 year career. Jonathan
is arranging for a meeting place after the November 1st
show in Canada for fans to meet him, take photographs, videotape
and get autographs.
The
theatre where the performance will be has a small lobby
and needs to close soon after the performance is over. At
this gathering, Jonathan will sign one item per person;
the item can be any photo, program or book but no other
kind of item, please. You can also choose to have him sign
the program from the November 1st performance if you prefer.
He looks forwarding to meeting those who trekked all the
way up to Canada to see this show. The location of the gathering
will be convenient to the theater, and probably announced
at the time of the show. You should continue to check Jonathan's
website
for updates."
To
read our previous news coverage of the show, click here
and here. If you attend the after-show
reception, please feel encouraged to share your photographs
and reports with this site.
With
thanks to Nancy Kersey
| House
of Dark Shadows |
October
11 2003 |
The
1970 Dark Shadows spin-off movie House of Dark
Shadows will screen on Turner Classic Movies on Sunday
October
12 at 12.30am (PT), 3.30am (ET).
| Radio
Kathryn! |
October
7 2003 |
Kathryn
Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans) will be a guest on the October
27 edition of radio talk-show Sci-fi Overdrive, discussing
Dark Shadows and her career. The show airs on Monday
mornings from 2.00am-6.00am US Eastern Time on 24 US radio
stations and on the web via www.scifioverdrive.com.
With
thanks to Joey Reynolds
| Second
Jonathan Frid Performance Confirmed |
October
4 2003 |
A
second date has been added to Jonathan Frid's (Barnabas
Collins) Halloween one man show, Jonathan Frid's Spoofs
and Spooks, in Collingwood, Ontario. A performance will
now also run on November 1. For full details on how to attend,
read our previous coverage by clicking
here.
| Sci-Fi
Broadcasts |
October
4 2003 |
Sci-Fi
Channel USA is to pre-empt broadcasts of Dark Shadows
repeatedly during October. The show is off the air until
October 10, with a screening on October 13 before another
break from October 14-20. ShadowGram
reports: "This is part of a schedule shift to accomodate
re-broadcast of Steven Spielberg's Taken miniseries
and other special programming."
With
thanks to ShadowGram
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