ShadowGram #439 - DS on "Supernatural" tonite / "Ghost Nation" / Decades channel

[Midnite]

SHADOWGRAM – THE OFFICIAL DARK SHADOWS NEWS ONLINE UPDATES
Wednesday, October 7, 2020
SHADOWGRAM UPDATE # 439
 
-- A DARK SHADOWS "SUPERNATURAL" SURPRISE
-- COLLINWOOD FEATURED IN "GHOST NATION" SPECIAL ON THE TRAVEL CHANNEL
-- DARK SHADOWS ON DECADES

 
***** A DARK SHADOWS "SUPERNATURAL" SURPRISE
 
The long-running horror-fantasy drama series "Supernatural" returns to the CW Network this week to finish out its 15th and final season with a several episodes originally scheduled to air this past spring before COVID-19 disrupted production.
 
Episode 14 of Season 15 entitled "The Last Holiday" debuts at 8pm Eastern/Pacific on Thursday evening, October 8 and will include a special homage scene involving the original "Dark Shadows" daytime series.  "Supernatural" executive producer Robert Singer is a former associate of DS creator Dan Curtis. As is today's standard with television programming, the episode will subsequently be available for viewing via on demand and streaming outlets.
 
***** COLLINWOOD FEATURED IN "GHOST NATION" SPECIAL ON THE TRAVEL CHANNEL
 
The national cable television outlet The Travel Channel is presenting their third annual paranormal programming event called "Ghostober," which includes a special two-hour Halloween special "Ghost Nation"  which takes place at Seaview Terrace, the original TV "Collinwood" in Newport, Rhode Island that was seen in the 1966-71 daytime version of "Dark Shadows."  The spooky special premieres on Saturday, October 31 at 8pm Eastern/Pacific.
 
***** DARK SHADOWS ON DECADES
 
The national retrospective digital channel Decades has been airing original DS episodes for the past two years at 12midnight Eastern/9pm Pacific time, spanning the first 260 reruns beginning with the April 1967 introduction of Barnabas, covering the entire 1795 storyline and including the early 1968 modern day episodes with the appearance of Dr. Lang.
 
Starting this week, Decades has revised their schedule and is airing two episodes of DS back to back from 5-6am Eastern/2-3am Pacific.  They will continue to air only the 260 episodes previously seen on the channel.

[Mysterious Benefactor]

And sometimes we complained about the time periods during which Sci-Fi showed DS!!

But then, Decades has already run those 260 eps twice, so we can't complain too much that they've moved them to 5am. Plus, most people who want to see them probably DVR them, so it doesn't really matter what time they're on...

[Gothick]

Exciting update about DS Halloween Reunion special to be broadcast live on you tube!

G.

The blurb: Dark Shadows Tricks and Treats!
The Dark Shadows actors will do an hour-long broadcast live on Hallowe'en, Saturday, October 31, (6 pm PT/9pm ET).
Join us to watch live on HALLOWE'EN, SATURDAY, OCTOBER 31 at 6 pm PT/9 pm ET.
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNXgS0lMRsCdWbvNtUKHgww
Dark Shadows actors Lara Parker, David Selby, Nancy Barrett, Marie Wallace, James Storm, Roger Davis, Sharon Smyth, Christopher Pennock and Kathryn Leigh Scott are confirmed for the one-hour broadcast moderated by Ansel Faraj and Jack Fields. Looking forward to a great Hallowe’en Dark Shadows treat! — with Lamar Rickey Hawkins.

[Josette]

Wow!  That sounds interesting - thanks for letting us know, Gothick!!

[Mysterious Benefactor]

Yes, thanks for sharing the info, Gothick. 

[Gothick]

A friend sent me this short note about the brief clip from an episode of DS on SUPERNATURAL this past week. Here's what he wrote:

Thanks, also, for the tip on the DARK SHADOWS homage in the latest episode of SUPERNATURAL.  I watched it last night, and the DS connection, while amusing, didn't amount to much.  Basically, in one scene, Sam and Dean break in on a couple of vampires who are watching an episode of DS.  We actually see a brief clip from the episode (one the installments from the 1795 storyline) and hear some dialogue between Jonathan Frid and Thayer David.  Before Sam and Dean interrupt the proceedings, one of the vampires muses to the other, "How come on TV vampires live in mansions, but we live in this dump?"  Now that SUPERNATURAL is in its final season, it's doing a lot of this sort of "fan service," throwing in extraneous touches that are amusing but don't really add anything to the story.  In fact, this episode has an even bigger shout-out to the movie GHOSTBUSTERS.  I've enjoyed SUPERNATURAL immensely, but after 15+ years I think it's time for the series to bow out gracefully. (end quote)

So there you have it. I think the series has actually been doing a lot of self-referential stuff for years now, from what a friend who watches regularly has told me, but it's nice to see that they acknowledged DS.

G.

[Josette]

What a wonderful "ZOOMcast"!!!  Especially as someone who has never been to a reunion, it was fantastic to see so many of them live, as they are today, and interacting with each other.  And, from what I've read over the years about David Henesy never attending or having anything to do with it, it was amazing to see him as one of the participants!!!!  Absolutely fantastic!!