In 2004 Big Finish Productions were granted a licence by Dan Curtis Productions to make original audio drama productions based on the original run of the Dark Shadows televison series that ran from 1966 to 1971.

Full Cast Edit

As a continuation of the original 1966-1971 daytime series, the full-cast audio plays take place at during the beginning of the 1980's, after we last saw the present-day characters, and before the audio drama Return to Collinwood. David Selby, Lara Parker, John Karlen and Kathryn Leigh Scott all reprise their roles from the television series. Andrew Collins has been cast in the pivitol role of Barnabas Collins. Additional cast members from televised episodes include: Nancy Barrett, Robert Rodan, Jerry Lacy, David Warner, Lysette Anthony, Alec Newman, James Storm and Marie Wallace. The full cast audio plays are produced for Big Finish Productions by Stuart Manning.

Dramatic Readings Edit

The general ambition of the Dramatic Readings is to tell stories using at least one character that appeared in the original 1966-1971 daytime series. A typical release in the range uses just two actors, a musical score and some foley work and sound design, making the end result sit somewhere between an audio book and a full-cast drama. All the plays add to the their main characters' televised continuities.

In general, the Dramatic Readings have a fairly standard format. They usually comprise of one 60 minute episode, with the emphasis of the story being on the interaction between whichever two actors that feature. Earlier releases in the range often would have one of the actors perform any other characters that appear. For example, in Echoes of Insanity, John Karlen also provides the voice for Dr. Julia Hoffman as Willie Loomis recalls a particular encounter with that character. As the series has developed there has been a tendency for every character that appears to be voiced by a separate actor. This ranges from three actors appearing in Dress Me In Dark Dreams to The Fall of the House of Trask which features fifteen. Another example would be The House By The Sea which contrives a reason why other characters are being imitated, as events are being dictated, by the character featured, for the purposes of an audio recording.

Each play can be listened to as self-contained story whilst also linking into the continuity of the TV series. For example, the Leviathan mythos, which featured in televised episodes, is further explored in Curse of the Pharaoh and The Crimson Pearl. Occasionally plot threads between plays link into each other. The events of The Skin Walkers are referred to in Operation Victor. Some plays form loose story arcs. The ongoing story of the Trask family links The Wicked and the Dead, The Carrion Queen, The Poisoned Soul and The Fall of the House of Trask together. Other plays expand upon the known fates of their principal characters. For instance, Josette Collins’ life after her death in 1795 is told across Final Judgement and The Lost Girl. A developing alliance between Tony Peterson and Cassandra Collins features in The Death Mask, The Voodoo Amulet and The Last Stop.

Release 1 to 14 are produced by Stuart Manning, 15 to 32 are produced by James Goss & Joseph Lidster, 33 and onwards are produced by Joseph Lidster & David Darlington. The following is a complete table of all the plays released to date:

¹Due to a delay in production of The Haunted Refrain, numbers 31 and 32 were released out of order.

Special Releases Edit

Podcasts Edit

See also Edit

• Chronology (audio dramas): A timeline covering the continuity of the original televised series incorporating the Big Finish audio dramas.
• Vortex: A monthly magazine published by Big Finish.

External links Edit

• Big Finish Dark Shadows Store