Cast members from the original Dark Shadows TV series reunite for two special full-cast audio sequels, released by Big Finish Productions this month (July 2026).
Originally broadcast from 1966 to 1971, Dark Shadows, celebrates its 60th anniversary this year with a 60th Anniversary Festival in Hollywood at the end of this month.
Dark Shadows has been part of the huge Big Finish catalogue of audio adventures for some years now. During its original run, it span off into a Gold Key comic, a newspaper strip, collected back in 2024, board games, and spawned to feature films.
A TV soap opera with a Gothic twist its setting, the town of Collinsport, Maine, was not just home to your usual family quarrels and love affairs, but to vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and all things supernatural.
The show built up a large fan following, and after it came off the air, it never really went away. In 2003, the stage play Return to Collinwood (also the title of an official book about the series, published in 2012, by series star, Kathryn Leigh Scott), was performed at the Dark Shadows Festival, featuring many of the TV series’ original cast, who gathered again the next day in a Manhattan recording studio to perform it as an audio drama.
In 2005, a follow-up, Vengeance at Collinwood, was performed onstage at the Dark Shadows Festival in Hollywood. While this story was never produced in studio, the live show was recorded.
For the first time, the audio drama version of Return to Collinwood and the stage recording of Vengeance at Collinwood will soon be released in one package. This new box set also includes a dramatic reading of two classic short spooky stories by the late Jonathan Frid, who played one of Dark Shadows’ best remembered characters, Barnabas Collins, as well as an archive interview with him.
The ensemble of the two full-cast audio stories is entirely composed of alumni from the original TV series, including David Selby as the immortal Quentin Collins, who has travelled the world since leaving Collinwood, Nancy Barrett as the paranormal expert Carolyn Stoddard Stuart, and the late Lara Parker as the witch Cassandra Collins/Angelique.
Also on the cast list are Kathryn Leigh Scott as Maggie Evans, John Karlen as Willie Loomis, Roger Davis as Ned Stuart, Marie Wallace as Jessica Loomis, Christopher Pennock as Sebastian Shaw, Donna Wandrey as Mrs. Franklin, James Storm as Dr. Robert Harper, Terry Crawford as Violet Chavez Collins, Jerry Lacy as Tony Peterson/Spirit Of Reverend Trask, and Kathryn Leigh Scott as Maggie Evans Haskell.
“It’s truly amazing that six decades after Dan Curtis launched Dark Shadows, the series continues to enthral legions of original viewers as well as new followers,” said Producer Jim Pierson, author of Dark Shadows Resurrected, and producer/director of many PBS documentaries. He was also official consultant on the Warner Bros. film, Dark Shadows, and the longtime archivist and literary executor of the Dan Curtis estate, producing compilations and releases of Dan Curtis productions.
“The first-time release of the sequel Vengeance at Collinwood is particularly poignant as it features a wonderful performance by beloved late actress Lara Parker, who plays to perfection the part of vengeful witch Angelique.
“It’s also a fitting tribute that the story, along with Return to Collinwood, is written by Jamison Selby, son of Dark Shadows actor David Selby, who portrays the mysterious Quentin Collins. This is a tremendous anniversary gift to all the fans.”
Dark Shadows: Return to Collinwood & Vengeance at Collinwood is now available to pre-order for just £24.99 (download to own) or £35.99 (download to own + collector’s edition CD box set), exclusively from bigfinish.com
All the above prices (including pre-order and multibuy bundle discounts) are fixed for a limited time only and guaranteed no later than 30 September 2026.
Please note: the collector’s edition CD box set is strictly limited to 1000 copies and will not be re-pressed
• More Dark Shadows special releases from Big Finish
The Stories
The stories included in this release are:
Return to Collinwood by Jamison Selby (two discs)
Following the passing of matriarch Elizabeth Collins Stoddard, a seance is held to contact her spirit. The wandering Quentin Collins returns from travels as mysteries surrounding the Collins family unfold, including the reading of Elizabeth’s will.
The future of Collinwood is threatened with the unexpected arrival of Cassandra Collins, alias immortal witch Angelique, who shares a dangerous secret with Quentin about their dark past.
Vengeance at Collinwood by Jamison Selby (one disc)
Vengeance at Collinwood was recorded live on stage at the Dark Shadows Festival at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in 2005.
Long absent attorney Tony Peterson returns after several decades away from Collinsport, appearing at the Blue Whale pub run by Willie Loomis and his wife Jessica. He learns that his former flame Carolyn Stoddard, Quentin Collins and others reside at the Collinwood estate.
Possessed by the spirit of his ancestor, Reverend Trask, Tony is particularly interested in seeking revenge against Cassandra Collins, Angelique the witch, who evaded prosecution and caused Trask’s demise.
Bonus Disc: Jonathan Frid – Drama and Dialogue
Dark Shadows actor Jonathan Frid performs haunting readings of two classic short stories, The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe and The Water Ghost of Harrowby Hall by John Kendrick Bangs, and discusses his role as the legendary vampire Barnabas Collins in a radio interview from 1968.
Big Finish is currently operating a digital-first release schedule. The mail-out of collector’s edition CDs may be delayed due to factors beyond their control, but all purchases of this release unlock a digital copy that can be immediately downloaded or played on the Big Finish app from the release date
• Dark Shadows special releases from Big Finish
Dark Shadows 60th Anniversary, organised by the Dark Shadows Festival – Jim Pierson | 10.00am – 4.00pm, 31st July 31 – Sunday 2nd August 2026 The Westin Los Angeles Airport, 5400 Century Blvd. in West, Los Angeles, California | Tickets available here
The final Dark Shadows Festival – a cast reunion and fan gathering. Dark Shadows actors planning to participate are: David Selby, Kathryn Leigh Scott, Terrayne Crawford, Roger Davis, James Hall, Jerry Lacy, Sharon Smyth Lentz, Donna McKechnie, Lisa Richards, James Storm, Marie Wallace, Donna Wandrey, and from the 1991 prime time series, Joanna Going, Rebecca Staab, and Roy Thinnes. More guests to be announced. All appearances subject to change.
The weekend will include performances by the actors on stage, autographs, Q&A sessions, a luncheon, Dark Shadows memorabilia sale, collectibles auction, costume contest, a trip to ‘Collinwood’, and rare screenings of Dark Shadows videos never seen before.
Dark Shadows: The Best of the Original Gold Key Series: The Best of the Original Series by D.J. Arneson (Writer), Arnold Drake (Author), Joe Certa (Artist) | AmazonUK Affiliate Link
Published in 2012, a collection of the best stories by Hermes Press from its complete reprint of Gold Key Comics’ television tie-in of the supernatural suspense series.
The comics collected in this volume are completely digitally restored and present twelve complete issues, carefully selected from the entire thirty-five book run of the feature, presenting archetypal tales of vampires, werewolves, and the supernatural, together with a huge photo supplement and informative essays on the series.
Dark Shadows the Complete Newspaper Strips by Ken Bald (Author, Artist), Daniel Herman (Editor) | AmazonUK Affiliate Link
Out of print for five years, the iconic gothic romance vampire television series Dark Shadows was so popular and influential that it was adapted in numerous media. In addition to finding its way into 35 Gold Key comic books – all collected by Hermes Press in five hardcover volumes, Dark Shadows was also adapted into one of the most striking comic strips of the 1970s, running for only one year, from March 14, 1971 through March 11, 1972, with stand out, eye-catching artwork by seasoned comic book and comic strip artist Ken Bald. Hermes Press’ new archival edition of the strip features all of the dailies and Sundays, in their original half page format, and in full color, rarely seen documentary material, stills from the show that were used in preparation of the strip and more. The final word on this iconic newspaper strip highlighting the most historic and memorial gothic vampire series ever.
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs”, with Dave Hailwood.
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