The DS Announcer

[Joeytrom]

Does anyone know why he stopped doing the voiceovers for actor replacements or the end credit "DS is a Dan Curtis production"?

When Dr. Woodard was replaced with Peter Turgeon...it was a different announcer saying it and after that they used the DS cast members.

Did they have another announcer doing the commercial breaks?

[doombuggy69]

My guess it was a budget saving move on Dan Curtis' part to just use the various cast members to announce on the show, and stop using the main ABC announcer. I recall some actors saying at the Festival many years ago that Curtis got them to do that as a favor and never paid them for doing that.  As for the commercial break announcements, those all ended in 1968, along with the "DS will return in just a moment" spot.  

Curtis was notorious for saving every penny he could. Notice that after 1967, there were no longer any extras in the Blue Whale scenes anymore.  I find it very strange that the budget for the show was so high in 1966 when they were getting terrible ratings. But then when the show took off in 1968 with higher ratings, the budget kept getting smaller and smaller each year!  I have always wondered why ABC allowed that because they had such a huge daytime hit on their hands.

[ShadowsAtlanta]

Speaking of tight budgets and lack of DS extras, I will never forget the scene in 1840...

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... when Quentin is on trial for witchcraft and we keep hearing this canned "crowd noise" in the courtroom.  It is over-the-top loud, but we never see even a single on-looker!    Too funny!  

             Joe

[doombuggy69]

Joe,

I at least commend them for using the sounds of a crowd.  Even though we didn't see them, it added to the atmosphere.  

I recently received some episode kinescopes of ABC's soap "General Hospital" from 1968. They are about the same time frame as what we are seeing now on Sci Fi.  On GH, they would use over 9 characters per show, and Curtis would never allow more than 5 or 6 to be on DS at one time! The production values were better on GH, but DS still shines as a better show overall.  GH was still using the worst sounding organ music you could imagine.  

[Dr. Eric Lang]

My guess it was a budget saving move on Dan Curtis' part to just use the various cast members to announce on the show, and stop using the main ABC announcer. I recall some actors saying at the Festival many years ago that Curtis got them to do that as a favor and never paid them for doing that.  As for the commercial break announcements, those all ended in 1968, along with the "DS will return in just a moment" spot.  

Curtis was notorious for saving every penny he could. Notice that after 1967, there were no longer any extras in the Blue Whale scenes anymore.  I find it very strange that the budget for the show was so high in 1966 when they were getting terrible ratings. But then when the show took off in 1968 with higher ratings, the budget kept getting smaller and smaller each year!  I have always wondered why ABC allowed that because they had such a huge daytime hit on their hands.

That IS strange, isn't it? They even went so far as to do costly location footage for the first year of the show; suddenly it's a big hit in the ratings and they have to cut corners? Was it because all the money went to sets and special effects (hard to believe!)

[Paul]

;DCould you explain about the 1968 General Hospital kinescopes? Are they available any where? Could I get my hands on them? You may e-mail me privately if it is allowed and you prefer.

[tripwire]

and what about in the 1795 scene where vicki is shot as bradford and the jailer struggle for the gun, all of a sudden you hear that canned rumblings from down the stairs...and what about the generic tire squeal and crash as vicki and barnabas almost run jeff clark over?  

[Cassandra]

and what about in the 1795 scene where vicki is shot as bradford and the jailer struggle for the gun, all of a sudden you hear that canned rumblings from down the stairs...and what about the generic tire squeal and crash as vicki and barnabas almost run jeff clark over?  

LOL!! Im beginning to wonder if they use something like this for those "3 knocks" that we always hear when someone comes to the door.  ?!?