Dark Shadows: New Audio Dramas from Big Finish

 WOW!  Jonathan Frid (!), John Karlen and Barbara Steele too?!  Well, really, who can pass that up?  

 ~Penny Dreadful~

that's news!

i've skipped the audiodramas after the first one. the stories didn't captivate me after the novelty of hearing those "iconic' voices together again wore off.

but frid and karlen together again is a real temptation. i'll pick this up.

That trailer is gorgeous.  Barbara Steele's voice literally sends chills up my spine.

Can't wait!

G.

Yes, the addition of Barbara Steele is a brilliant stroke. Kudos to whoever worked out that deal! 

i've skipped the audiodramas after the first one. the stories didn't captivate me after the novelty of hearing those "iconic' voices together again wore off.

but frid and karlen together again is a real temptation. i'll pick this up.

I agree completely. I don't care much for the stories, but Frid and Karlen together will be a treat.

I've yet to be disappointed by any of the CDs. Blood Dance arrived today, and of course; I dropped everything and listened! As usual it did not disappoint. It was great to hear Lisa Richards again. Did anyone else get their copies?

Blood Dance arrived today, and of course; I dropped everything and listened!

Dang. I'm kinda looking forward to getting mine. 

I was surprised mine arrived so quickly. I thought they were sent out on the 30th. If so, that's pretty speedy for a transatlantic delivery! It's a fantastic story!

I've yet to be disappointed by any of the CDs. Blood Dance arrived today, and of course; I dropped everything and listened! As usual it did not disappoint. It was great to hear Lisa Richards again.

I thought Echos of Insanity was horrible. Every track was redundant. Willie goes on and on about his past with Jason and sounds like a raving lunatic. And how is it that every bar in Singapore is equipped with Blue Whale jukebox music? Very sloppy, folks. Research, people.
A pal of mine wrote a grand story of Willie's early involvement with Jason. It is nothing short of brilliant. I love that the folks who make these CD's have gone to tremendous efforts to bring together the actors from the original show, but the writing stinks. Please look at what the fans are writing. There's a lot out there that is quite nicely done and true to our characters.

Thanks for that frank review, Janet.  I was completely uninspired by the trailer for the very first audiodrama (the name escapes me) because the writing just seemed so cookie-cutter, even though the voices and the music were of our beloved show.

Even with utterly banal writing, however, the thought of hearing Steele, Frid and Karlen's voices in a drama is just too exciting to turn away.  As far as I'm concerned, those three could read aloud from the Manhattan phone book and it would be fascinating.  If the story is rotten, however, this will definitely be a one-off for me. 

In general, real writers don't seem able to get jobs now-a-days.  Anyone out there see the "remake" of Clash of the Titans?

G.

I love that the folks who make these CD's have gone to tremendous efforts to bring together the actors from the original show, but the writing stinks. Please look at what the fans are writing. There's a lot out there that is quite nicely done and true to our characters.

We announced earlier this year that they were accepting Dark Shadows unsolicited story submissions, but despite a large number of requests for guidelines, we've actually received very few outlines that met our submission instructions. I'm still very interested in reading ideas from new writers, so perhaps it's worth repeating that posting.

Prospective writers: If you're interested in writing for the Dark Shadows audio dramas, we now have a set of writing guidelines for listeners with story ideas. For more information, email webmaster@collinwood.net

To date, we've produced over a dozen CDs with a variety of writers, and we do try to touch upon as many different facets of the show and its characters as possible. Inevitably, a varied range of stories means that not everything will appeal to all listeners, but rest assured that a great deal of time and attention is invested in our scripts, and maintaining the integrity of the show is always a paramount concern across the board.

Cheers

Stuart Manning
Series Producer, Dark Shadows

This "real" writer will be happy to provide a complimentary clothespin for the nose of anyone who needs it. Just drop me a line.

I have been very impressed with the CDs so far.  I was pleasantly surprised by the dramatic readings. After hearing the audio dramas, I was a tad disappointed about the switch in format. I've never been a fan of audio books that are read by a single reader. I thought these would be flat and tedious at times. I was sure I'd enjoy them but not nearly as much as I would an audio drama. These are different. They are written to be like two handed plays. Told in first person, each story minimizes interaction between large numbers of characters thereby eliminating the need for the narrator to relate extended dialogs and taken on multiple roles. The setup emphasizes two characters and the dynamics and dialog between them. Sometimes, with skillful vocal work an actor can channel an absent character as Kathryn Leigh Scott did for Grayson when reading Julia's lines in Clothes of Sand.  Alec Newman was chilling in that one. The story weaved itself between Maggie's childhood and her recovery following her escape from Barnabas in 1967.  The Ghost Watcher also had Alec create a different type of character, a swashbuckling hero who may not be all that he seems to be.  Skin Walkers was a chilling account of the lost period in Quentin's life after 1897.  My personal favorite is The Path of Fate. While it's technically a dramatic reading, it's almost a full audio drama. True it's told mostly from the POV of Angelique, with Quentin as the secondary character. Both Selby and Parker create a dual role with the aid of SFX.  I found this scarier than anything done on the show.  Curse of the Pharoah is a sequel to the Leviathan story. While that period was never my favorite, the audio format works well here allowing us to create the monster that could not be shown on DS. I've yet to find one I did not like. I was surprised also by the range of the characters used. I thought they would limit themselves mostly to the main 4 used in the audio dramas. So far in addition to the regulars, they've used G Trask, Carolyn, Marie Wallace in a new role and Jenny in an upcoming release, Lisa Richards as a new character, and I'm especially looking forward to Doctor Who's Leela, Louise Jameson. I had such a crush on her when I was a kid. Who am I kidding? I STILL DO!!  I am very  thankful that Big Finish is giving us NINE CDS of new Dark Shadows this year.  If I had to choose between them and a new movie, Johnny Depp would lose. And yes, I am eagerly anticipating the movie.

This "real" writer will be happy to provide a complimentary clothespin for the nose of anyone who needs it. Just drop me a line.

Where? I will send you the story. Just tell me where you want it.

Eh? I have no idea what that means; I was merely offering a handy remedy for those suffering from stinky storyitis.