Dark Shadows: New Audio Dramas from Big Finish

Another whole new series of dark shadows audio cd's is getting ready to be released by big finish with the first two in the series becoming available in july and the rest in the months following september if I read right. however you can preorder the whole set at a discounted price starting now .

I purchased the first four CD's and they were awesome and the last one left off with a cliff hanger.
so I wonder what is going to happen with the next series now and I am going to order it as well.

We're currently in the process of updating Big Finish's Dark Shadows Reborn minisite - www.darkshadowsreborn.com - and this should be live very soon.

However, in the meantime, you can read more about July's new releases, complete with trailers and cover art, plus pre-order online at www.bigfinish.com/Dark-Shadows

The latest Dark Shadows CD releases - "Clothes of Sand" and "The Ghost Watcher" are discussed on the Big Finish Production Blog, available to read on the main BF site.  Check it out:

http://www.bigfinish.com/blog.aspx

I am gonna eventually get them all when I win the lottery and can buy virtually every DS thing in site.  Yeah I wish.  I do plan to collect them over time and now after hearing the praise about Alec playing Barnabas it makes me even more ill that I have not seen the pilot! Shucks....

It seems that anything I have heard about the second batch of stories seems to imply that they are not going to continue with the story arc of the first four CD's. Is the new batch of CD's just going to be dramatic readings? The whole appeal of the first four CD's is that we were getting a new story line with actor interaction like a radio drama. Is the new approach due to budget restrictions?

The Dramatic Readings releases are a secondary range to keep Dark Shadows moving along for Big Finish between the full-cast seasons. Series two is currently being written, and will resolve the cliffhanger we left The Rage Beneath on, fear not. The logistics of coordinating our overseas cast for the full-cast recording blocks - and we're trying to make series two as big and ambitious as we possibly can - made the idea of doing some simpler, character-led releases in the meantime an attractive one.

The "talking book" format - and I hate them being called that, because they aren't books - allows us to tell some more character-heavy stories and to feature some of the characters played by cast members no longer with us. And it allows us to do some offbeat stuff, like getting Alec Newman onboard. Ever since Big Finish got the license to do Dark Shadows, I'd hoped we'd get Alec to do something for us, and he's utterly brilliant. I'm bound to say that, obviously, but really, he is.

So those are the reasons. Some logistical, some creative, but I think we've found already just how well this format works for Dark Shadows, and we've got high hopes for these stories.

Hope that clears things up.

it allows us to do some offbeat stuff, like getting Alec Newman onboard. Ever since Big Finish got the license to do Dark Shadows, I'd hoped we'd get Alec to do something for us, and he's utterly brilliant. I'm bound to say that, obviously, but really, he is.

You'll get no argument from many of us here. The more I see of Newman's work, the more impressed I am. If only we could have seen more of what he might have done with Barnabas.    But the Big Finish CDs are an excellent way to expose more DS fans to Newman - and that it also happens to be in a DS setting is just icing on the cake. 

Your not the only one MB.  It makes me sick to my stomach to think about what he could have done.  I am TOTALLY ONBOARD the Johnny Depp project, but I love television. I only like a handle full of Tv's shows these days.  I was  mostly referring to  the format.  There is so much more that can be explored versus a movie or even a three movie franchise. After pouring throw several reviews of the DS 2004 pilot it makes my stomach turn.  I love Marley Shelton as well!  Maybe she could do some stuff for Big Finish?

Stuart,
Thanks for taking the time to reply. Yes it clears everything up! Yes these dramatic readings will tide my wife and I over until we get a full cast season! 

I just wanted to take a moment to say I listened to both "Clothes of Sand" and "The Ghost Watcher" last night (wonderfully creepy to listen to while sitting in the dark as the wind thrashes the trees outside). I found them both fantastic!

Clothes of Sand was very well done. Nice to see the branch of supernatural creatures expanding. [spoiler]I rather liked too how we didn't get a definitive answer as to what The Sandman was, an elemental, a demon? I hope he returns in the series. His victims being dressed in "clothes of sand" was morbidly delightful. [/spoiler]

The Ghost Watcher I particularly enjoyed. I'm really hoping Alec Newman can be involved in future projects. He was fantastic, loved his voice. The story itself was intensely spooky, also very sad. I'd have liked to have kept up the journal narration between the two a bit more, it reminded me of Dracula's format. The imagery was extremely vivid in my mind, great writing.

I look forward to the next releases!

If anyone is interested in a story in the Big Finish contintuity, I just wrote a totally unauthorized and unofficial tale that postulates what Barnabas might have been doing between Book of Temptation and The Christmas Presence.  If anyone would like to read it, contact me privately and I'll send it off. 

I'm really looking forward to The Path of Fate, the advance title for the next BF CD. 

Big Finish has just posted some news items at their site.  I won't anyone's time or energy posting what's up there.  It's www.bigfinish.com  As of this moment, the Dark Shadows Reborn site does not have the updated info. 
I'm pretty excited, new DS for Christmas!

Oh sweet! Can't wait to get those.  Thanks for the heads up.

i just got the first 4 stories tonight, buut i haven't had the time to start listening to the 1st one. & i would also have LOVED seeing "Alec Newman" a VERY Gifted actor to boot. i don't know if anyone has seen him in the tv version of "Dune" a few yrs. back but he was Fantastic as "Paul" that's really the ONLY thing i've seen him do unfortunally. buut i am looking forward to hearing him play "Barnabas" in this format even IF we can't have him on tv as it SHOULD BE!  anyways as for "Marley Shelton" i don't think she'll have the time since she's doing "The Elventh Hour" here in the states now. which i think is a "GREAT SHOW! buut who knows maybe

she might do it, ya NEVER know i guess.

I think JG should reprise her role of Victoria. That would just be awesome to me.