My copy of Daytime Gothic II arrived a few days ago. It's really an incredible achievement, and absolutely beautiful, full of photos I've somehow never seen. Several are beautifully finished screen captures Stuart made from the 1968 BBC rehearsal video. Great shots of Grayson, Jonathan, John Karlen and Robert Rodan from that.

This is the site to order:

https://tenacrefilms.bigcartel.com/product/daytime-gothic-ii-celebrating-tvs-supernatural-soap-opera-dark-shadows

I also received just last night my copy of Patty Karapinar's magisterial documentation of Sy Tomashoff's career, spotlighting his work on the DS sets. I've only had time to start looking through that book--it's superb. I happened to spot a rather sad story about one of the stagehands accidentally dropping one of the decanters from Roger's brandy and sherry set in the drawing room. There must have been hell to pay when that happened. I shed a tear, I will confess.

Gothick.

It ran for 195 episodes (one episode from late in the run is missing, but it doesn't really matter that much). There were three thirteen-week storyline arcs. The events you mention happened during the second thirteen week arc. The third thirteen-week arc was when Harding Lemay (who later became a famous, award-winning soap opera scriptwriter in New York) took over nearly all of the scripting. It was IMO when the series "jumped the shark." The most bizarre plot development was having Raxl move into a villain role. I think it's all on youtube if you're ever curious to watch more. On my last re-watch of the final 13 weeks, I found myself enjoying it more than I had done the first time around, when I spent a lot of time mouthing variations on that time honored phrase, W T F, at the screen.

Gothick

That sounds like an awesome storyline of Peyton Place. I think I might have seen one episode of that series. We never watched it (and I think it came on after my bedtime during the original broadcast until nearly the end). And I do not recall it ever being syndicated where I lived. From what I remember, only the first year or two of PP was ever released on DVD. Cubic miles of crap gets released every month while vintage TV gold (case in point, Grayson Hall's episodes of OLTL, but I won't lacerate myself about that) just get left to gather dust in the vaults.

Diana Hyland was quite good in an offbeat role in the TV movie Ritual of Evil, which was restored and issued on Blu-ray a few years ago. That was another one I missed way back when so it was quite a thrill to see it after so many decades had passed.

Btw I just saw that Jule did a discussion of the DS sets with Patty Karapinar whose forthcoming book on Sy Tomashoff's work (publication date will be later this year, I believe) will include a bounty of primary source materials from Sy's archive, including drawings and blueprints. It's on Jule's Resident of Collinwood vlog on the Tube of You. George Hernandez whom I don't know (and the host doesn't introduce him at all) makes really interesting observations, as does Alan Gallant who also participates. Alan is a community theater director and actor who has also built sets. It's just fascinating to hear this group discuss some of the sets we've all loved over the years. I think Patrick McCray joined in the later part of the discussion too.

Best, Gothick

Last Sunday, Jule of the "Resident of Collinwood" vlog on the Tube of You invited myself, my Strange Paradise co-conspirator Curt Ladnier (whose blog here is worth checking out https://maljardinblog.wordpress.com) and "Collinsport After Dark" host Alan Gallant to record a discussion of the very first episode of SP. It's available here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlyrhFIT0hk

Topics include memories of when each of us first encountered Strange Paradise, thoughts about the sets and early storyline, favorite scenes and characters, and some background stuff about the production.

I tried posting it to youtube but that platform seems to block links to Tumbler; there's a very good blog about the first couple of months of SP here:

https://michelles-garden-of-evil.tumblr.com/

cheers, Gothick

Yes, I'm excited to see the book! I wrote the article on the first six months of Grayson Hall's work on DS for it back in early 2024. And my friend Curt Ladnier and I collaborated on the piece about Strange Paradise. We had a lot of fun with that since we're both huge fans of the show. For years, the only references one ever saw to SP in DS fannish publications were brief and derisive, but in recent years I have seen more positive comments about the show, perhaps because most of it is now available for free on YouTube.

Link to order the new volume of Daytime Gothic: https://tenacrefilms.bigcartel.com/product/daytime-gothic-ii-celebrating-tvs-supernatural-soap-opera-dark-shadows

And link for Curt's Strange Paradise blog. The most recent entry is from over a year ago and includes a memorial I wrote for series star Colin Fox.

https://maljardinblog.wordpress.com/

cheers, Gothick

Happy Birthday!

cheers, Go theeeek!

Videos of the Q & A sessions at Lyndhurst have been posted on youtube, as dom reported, by veteran fan Guy Haines.

The guests who attended were KLS, Sharon Smyth Lentz, Marie Wallace, Donna McKechnie, and Matt Hall.

David Henesy couldn't attend due to an emergency situation with his business. Nancy Barrett, who like David had been announced as a possible attendee, also didn't make it.

cheers, Gothick

Hi Dom, it's Steve, just saying Hi. Hope you're having a great summer!

Because you CHOOSE to do so!

big hugs, Steve