Terror at Collinwood: A Dark Shadows Podcast

In the final installment of “The Shadows Behind the Shadows” series, which examines the literary, cinematic, theatrical, and other inspirations for Dark Shadows storylines, I look at the final story arcs of the series – 1995, the Summer of 1970 (aka the Ghosts of Daphne and Gerard), 1840, and 1841 Parallel Time. Influences on Night of D...

Actress, writer, and Dark Shadows star Kathryn Leigh Scott (Maggie Evans, Josette) and screenwriter and playwright John Logan (Michael, Penny Dreadful, Red) return to the podcast to discuss the upcoming Dark Shadows Legacy book. This new hardcover volume is packed with essays about many different aspects of the Dark Shadows pheno...

Welcome to part three of Terror at Collinwood’s “The Shadows Behind the Shadows” series. This episode examines the cinematic, literary, theatrical, mythological, and other influences on the following Dark Shadows story arcs: the 1897 storyline, the Leviathans, and 1970 Parallel Time. In addition, the “housekeeping” segment f...

Join Penny Dreadful for part two of Terror at Collinwood’s “The Shadows Behind the Shadows”, an overview that examines the cinematic, literary, theatrical, and other influences on the following Dark Shadows story arcs: the 1795 storyline, the Creation of Adam & Eve and the Dream Curse, Return to 1796, the Werewolf and the Ghost of Q...

This episode features part one of an overview that looks at the literary, cinematic, and other influences on the following Dark Shadows story arcs: Victoria Winters’ Arrival, Burke Devlin’s Revenge, Laura the Phoenix, the Blackmailing of Elizabeth, and the Introduction of Barnabas Collins. 

Scenic Designer Sy Tomashoff was instrumental in creating the look for Dark Shadows. From the Collinwood Foyer and Drawing Room, to the Old House, to the Collins Mausoleum, and the Blue Whale, Sy’s iconic sets and innovative designs were integral to establishing and perpetuating the feel and mood of the series. For the first time, Sy’s career, with a s...

Although Dark Shadows was a supernatural Gothic drama, there were several characters who displayed humorous traits throughout the series. From the outrageous Carl Collins and Pansy Faye to the eccentric Eagle Hill Cemetery caretaker and the put-upon Mrs. Johnson, this episode takes a look at the lighter side of Dark Shadows. Returning to the podcast to discuss these am...

Jean Graham, née Peacock, was one of the founders of ShadowCon, the original Dark Shadows convention which started in 1977, predating the Dark Shadows Festivals by several years. With the last Dark Shadows convention on the horizon, Jean visits the podcast to talk about her memories of the very first one. She also discusses the challenges of early DS syndication days i...

Guy Haines returns to the podcast! We discuss and share our hopes for the Dark Shadows 60th anniversary event in Los Angeles, happening July 31st-August 2nd, 2026. In addition, we run down the merchandise that has been announced for 2026 thus far and talk about some things we’d like to see. The Monsterama convention in Atlanta (Aug. 7-9) also gets a shoutout. We ...

Danny Horn of the Dark Shadows Every Day blog and author Laramie Dean of the Shadows on the Wall online fanzine return to Terror at Collinwood to discuss the elements and characters that make 1897 such a popular and compelling DS storyline. Other topics include: A character analysis chat about Barnabas Collins, why Quentin Collins is so enjoyable, the 1897 Collins sibl...

This yuletide episode kicks off with information about the 60th Anniversary Dark Shadows Event in Los Angeles, happening July 31-Agust 2, 2026. After that, you’re invited to participate in the anonymous Terror at Collinwood questionnaire to help shape future episodes of the podcast. The second half of the show features a trip down memory lane as Penny D revisits ...

Writer and producer Joseph Lidster visits the podcast for a fun chat about Dark Shadows and his experiences as writer and co-producer on the Big Finish range of Dark Shadows audio dramas! In addition to taking up the DS producing reins at Big Finish, Joe wrote dramatic readings and audio plays such as London's Burning, The Fall of the House of Trask, and Snowflake...

Bob Issel and Mark Rainey return to the podcast to discuss Our Shadowed Past Volume Three, the latest installment in the book series. This edition of the book features more fan memories, artwork, stories, loads of photos, as well as interviews with cast members such as Donna McKechnie, who played Amanda Harris in the original DS, and Joanna Going, who played Victoria W...

2025 marks the 55th anniversary of the 1970 feature film, House of Dark Shadows. To help celebrate the occasion, Ansel Faraj and Darren Gross return to Terror at Collinwood for a lively conversation about the movie. Topics include: First time seeing HoDS, the original screening date in 1970, international screenings, things we liked about the picture, fandom feelings a...

In a very special treat (or trick?) for the Halloween season, the evil mage Count Andreas Petofi visits the podcast to let us all know what he’s been up to. Other topics include: the Hand, Aristede's whereabouts, selling ice cream to Christopher Lee, and much more. Special thanks to Count Petofi’s agent, Dr. Manfred Von Bulow, for helping to arrange this ra...

From March 1971 to March 1972, the Newspaper Enterprise Association syndicated the Dark Shadows daily newspaper comic strip. The strip featured six different stories and was beautifully illustrated by artist Kenneth Bruce Bald. While the comic strip’s writer remains unknown, its story editor was Elliot Caplin. Returning to the podcast to discuss the DS newspaper ...

Nancy Barrett appeared in every single Dark Shadows storyline and in both feature films. A versatile actress with a knack for creating layered, quirky, and fascinating characters, Nancy remained an essential part of DS from beginning to end. Visiting the podcast to discuss each of the wonderful Ms. Barrett’s DS characters are longtime Dark Shadows fans, Joe Flana...

Scott Young is a producer, writer, director and Dark Shadows fan who attempted to pitch a Dark Shadows TV reunion movie in the 1980s. Despite support from several of the original series’ writers and cast members, the Return to Collinwood pitch was not greenlit. In 2014/2015, Scott dusted off the pitch, reenvisioned ...

Curse of Dark Shadows writer and comics creator Craig Hurd-McKenney returns to the podcast to discuss the Kickstarter for the special edition hardback of the new DS graphic novel from Hermes Press. Craig offers some information and clarification regarding the Kickstarter and drops some teases about the book as well as its potential sequels. In addition, he provides det...