David Selby on Inside Appalachia radio program

David Selby (Quentin Collins) was interviewed about his new book, A Better Place, on this weekend's episode of Inside Appalachia, a radio program produced by West Virginia Public Broadcasting. The show is now archived on the IA web site:

http://www.wvpubcast.org/radio/insideapp/112605.asp

The interview with Selby begins approximately 35 minutes into the program. This interview will be available online for about a week before it is removed.

Dark Shadows DVD Collection 23

Dark Shadows DVD Collection 23 will be released on March 28, 2006. It will include episodes 2002-2041 featuring Barnabas' and Julia's arrival in 1840. The set includes interviews with television critic Mark Dawidziak, cameraman Nick Besink, Kate Jackson (Daphne Harridge), and writer Sam Hall (husband of actress Grayson Hall).

To pre-order this DVD set from Amazon and support this site through your purchase, click here. To see other Dark Shadows DVD offerings, visit the DVD section of my Dark Shadows Store.

Dark Shadows DVD Collection 22

Dark Shadows DVD Collection 22, containing episodes 1062-2001, will be released on January 31, 2006. This 4-disc set features Barnabas and Julia's strange visit to 1995, their return to 1970, and the events leading up to the 1840 storyline, including the appearance of the ghost of Daphne Harridge. This set features bonus interviews with Kate Jackson (Daphne Harridge), John Karlen (Willie Loomis), James Storm (Gerard Stiles), and cameraman Nick Besink.

To pre-order this DVD set from Amazon and support this site through your purchase, click here. To see other Dark Shadows DVD offerings, visit the DVD section of my Dark Shadows Store.

AOL and Warner Brothers Launch In2TV

Today, America Online and Warner Brothers announced a new broadband service called In2TV that will offer classic Warner Brothers television series on demand with limited commercials. Among the series to be offered when the service debuts in January 2006 are Falcon Crest, featuring David Selby (Quentin Collins) as Richard Channing, and Scarecrow and Mrs. King, starring Kate Jackson (Daphne Harridge).

Complete details are contained in the AOL press release.

James Storm on Stage in California

As recently reported by Shadowgram, James Storm (Gerard Stiles) is currently appearing on stage as Baylor in the Athena Theatre's production of Sam Shepard's A Lie of the Mind at the Flight Theatre at the Complex at 6472 Santa Monica Blvd. in Hollywood. The play opened on October 27 and will continue through November 20. Performances are Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 7 pm.

A Lie of the Mind received the New York Drama Critics Award for Best Play of the Year when it was first presented at the Promenade Theater in New York City in December 1985. The play tells the story of two families torn apart when a husband brutally beats his wife. James Gammon portrayed Baylor in the original Broadway production.

For additional information, please visit the Athena Theatre's web site. The site includes a video trailer for the production with images of James Storm.

Jamison Selby Movies

For years, Dark Shadows fans have tossed around the name of David Selby's (Quentin Collins) son as an interesting bit of trivia. Jamison Selby was named after the young boy played by David Henesy in the show's 1897 storyline. In 2003, however, Jamison Selby earned his own spot in the Dark Shadows world by writing Return to Collinwood, a radio drama styled sequel to the original series that was performed at the Dark Shadows Festival in Brooklyn. He penned a sequel to it, Vengeance at Collinwood, which was performed at the 2005 Dark Shadows Hollywood Weekend.

Selby was not the first child of a Dark Shadows actor to be involved in a later incarnation of the show. Matthew Hall, son of actress Grayson Hall (Dr. Julia Hoffman) and writer Sam Hall, was one of the writers for the 1991 Dark Shadows series, which was recently released on DVD.

In addition to his writing, Jamison Selby has done some work as an actor. One of his films, Puddle Cruiser, will debut on DVD in early December. The film stars Jay Chandrasekhar as a college student trying to woo another student whose ex-boyfriend is a rugby player named Traci Shannon, portrayed by Jamison Selby in a supporting role.

If you would prefer to see Jamison Selby in a lead role, then check out One Take. The film focuses on his character's journey after mysteriously receiving a photo in the mail of himself with his dead girlfriend.

David Selby Movies Coming to DVD in November

A couple of David Selby's (Quentin Collins) movies will be released on DVD in November.

Girl in Blue, which is also known by the title U-Turn, stars David Selby and Maud Adams. This Canadian film was originally released in 1973. Here's how the film is described:

Scott Laithem (David Selby) is a successful corporate attorney who seems to have it all: money, a nice apartment and a devoted girlfriend, Bonnie (Gay Rowan). However, what he doesn't have is the beautiful blonde woman (Maud Adams) he saw four years earlier, but never knew. Feeling the pressure of Bonnie's need for commitment, Scott decides one morning to search for the "one that got away"...the Girl In Blue. His search is romantic, funny, exciting and passionate. This is a story of love and desire - of dreams and memories. It is unguarded ardor, both emotional and sensual, smoldering in the wake of a moment.

The Affair was originally released on DVD in 2004. David Selby has a very brief appearance in this film which has been repackaged for sale at a lower price. Here's how it's described:

Trapped within the modernist confines of her remote canyon home and stifling marriage to her uptight architect husband Paul (Horatio LeDon), lonely housewife Jean (Kelsey Oldershaw) finds liberation and comfort in the arms of Viggo (Andy Mackenzie), her free-wheeling and decidedly bohemian lover. Somewhere between the extremes of her new-found freedom and the ordered structure of her marriage lies the path to true happiness... if only she can find the way.

Click on either film's title above or use the links below to purchase them from Amazon and a portion of the proceeds will help to support my web sites. Thanks!

New Book by David Selby

A Better Place, the latest book by David Selby (Quentin Collins), was released in October 2005. Here's how the publisher describes the book:

A Better Place is a loving tribute to West Virginia. The book is part memoir and part social commentary by native West Virginian David Selby, who has had a long, distinguished acting career. He is probably best known for his roles as Quentin Collins on the TV series Dark Shadows and Richard Channing on Falcon Crest.

In A Better Place, Selby re-visits the West Virginia of his youth and examines the lasting effects of an Appalachian upbringing. He voices concerns about current problems facing West Virginia, concerns he feels compelled to face in the wake of 9-11.

Some chapters are touchingly devoted to family members, such as "The Carpenter," his hard-working father’s story, and "A West Virginia Doctor," about his father-in-law who founded a hospital in Mullens. He writes with reverence about his mother who grew up in a coal camp, but upon leaving it, never looked back.

Selby discusses the state’s absentee landlords, pollution, and chronic appearance at the bottom of most national indicators of health and well-being. He compares out-of-work Latinos in L.A. to unemployed coal miners in West Virginia. Selby examines the pride and prejudice of mountaineers. He quotes his favorite authors as he tries to make sense of a chaotic world but looks toward a hopeful future for West Virginia.

A heartfelt and genuine look at West Virginia and its people.

The book is available from The West Virginia Book Company.

New Look for News Page

In order to make the News page of the site a little bit easier to update, I've moved it to Blogger. Hopefully, this will make for more frequent site updates.

Dark Shadows Alumni on Rockford Files First Season

The first season of The Rockford Files comes to DVD on December 6, 2005. A number of Dark Shadows cast members made appearances on The Rockford Files during this season, which originally aired in 1974-1975.

Roger Davis (Peter Bradford) and Abe Vigoda (Ezra Braithwaite) appear in "The Kirkoff Case." George DiCenzo, who was Dark Shadows' associate producer but went on to an acting career, appears in "Tall Woman in Red Wagon." Lara Parker (Angelique) appears in "Sleight of Hand." Thayer David (Prof. Stokes) appears in "Say Goodbye to Jennifer."

If you're interested in purchasing this DVD set, please use this Amazon link so that your purchase will help support my web site. Thanks!

Dark Shadows' Hannah Stokes Dies

Paula Laurence (Hannah Stokes) died on October 29 at the age of 89. Laurence appeared in the 1970 parallel time storyline as the aunt of twin sisters Angelique and Alexis Stokes. Interviews with Laurence appear on Dark Shadows DVD Collection 20.

Though her role on Dark Shadows was brief, Laurence was far more familiar to Broadway audiences for a career that spanned almost 70 years. To learn about her stage career, read her obituary on the Playbill web site.