Julie Newmar as Julia Hoffman!!!

[Midnite]

JULIE NEWMAR JOINS DARK SHADOWS

"Bloodline" will have a bi-weekly release starting next month.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Very interesting!

Also, until I saw her photo on the cover, I'd totally forgotten that Susan Sullivan has also worked on the Big Finish audio dramas.

[Uncle Roger]

Offbeat casting, to be sure. Newmar is certainly an iconic presence and, if nothing else, will provide Big Finish with a ton of free publicity.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

I don't know what I might think if we were actually going to see Newmar in the role. But I strongly suspect that's prejudiced because she was often typecast as the sex kitten - especially in the '60s. But something tells me she's capable of a much wider range of roles if given the chance. And this is a chance. Well, at least vocally.

[The Doctor and K9]

Very interesting!

Also, until I saw her photo on the cover, I'd totally forgotten that Susan Sullivan has also worked on the Big Finish audio dramas.

Long before I realized that Susan Sullivan had a tenuous connection to DS, I was watching Falcon Crest. At first I tuned in just to see David Selby. I followed him from Flamingo Road over to the California Wine Country. I wouldn't have continued to watch either show if I was not genuinely interested in the program. Big Finish capitalized on the connection and the rapport Sullivan had with Selby on F.C. She plays a love interest for Quentin.

[Gothick]

Here's a nice note about Julie Newmar's performance from a review on the Collinsport Historical Society blog:

But let’s get to the Catwoman-sized elephant in the room. Julie Newmar is absolutely incredible as The Second Dr. Julia Hoffman. Cleverly “regenerated” not unlike Andrew Collins’ (who also impresses in these opening installments) new Barnabas, Newmar folds into the cast beautifully with an honorable, very specific performance. Newmar’s timbre and line delivery is slightly odd and purists might be a bit off-put by a new actor playing Hoffman, but for my money, she’s perfect. There was only one Grayson Hall and there is only one Julie Newmar. But both of them stand well aside each other at the moment. I mean, it would have to take a true disaster for Newmar to ever disappoint me, but I really think you all will love her. I can’t wait to see what else she does with the good doctor.

G.

[Uncle Roger]

Julia is an extremely valuable character to the DS franchise and if Big Finish wants to use Julia, they really had no choice other than to recast. Julie Newmar is an excellent, though highly unexpected choice, to carry on the legacy. She and Grayson are two iconic but very different actresses.
And, if Jonathan Frid referred to himself as the Johnny Weissmuller of Dark Shadows, what possible epithet could be bestowed on Grayson? The Tarzan parallel would be Maureen O'Sullivan but that would be a disservice to both ladies.