Draft:Secrets of Harridge House

Disclosure

I'm Scott Young, a co-creator and co-writer of "Secrets of Harridge House." I have drafted this article to provide a factual and neutral account of the series. Given my involvement, I'm fully disclosing my relationship with the series to adhere to Wikipedia's conflict of interest guidelines. Any feedback or additional editing from independent contributors is welcome.

Secrets of Harridge House
File:Sohh.jpg Original title artwork for Secrets of Harridge House
Genre	Gothic soap opera
Created by	Scott Young John Adams
Written by	Scott Young John Adams Jean Graham Dee Beardsley Cody Lindenberger Haley Hwang Fred Hampton Caleb Mertz-Vega Fiona Mauchline
Directed by	Jeff Basa Scott Young Heidi Hampton Cody Lindenberger Kathryn Hampton
Voices of	Cary Hampton Asher Killian Cece Dietlein Heidi Hampton Asher Honor Hwang Rachel Anderson Anita Kelley Nicole Schader Caleb Mertz-Vega Geoff Moore
Composer	Linda & Mike Badinger
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
No. of seasons	3
No. of episodes	46 (list of episodes)
Production
Producers	Jeff Basa Scott Young Joe Bly Heidi Hampton
Running time	20-30 minutes, 60 minutes
Production companies	Diaz Media Group KNVC Proscenium Players, Inc.
Original release
Release	October 30, 2020 (2020-10-30) – October 30, 2022 (2022-10-30)

Secrets of Harridge House was an American Gothic full-cast audio soap opera that originally aired on KNVC 95.1 FM, Carson City’s community radio station, from October 30, 2020, to October 30, 2022. The show follows the Harridge family and the residents of Harridge, Nevada, focusing on their interactions and the supernatural events in the town. The series is available free of charge wherever podcasts are heard.

History

On April 27, 2020, Scott Young conducted a virtual table reading of a screenplay he was developing. Covid-19 lockdowns had been in effect for over a month, and he invited creative people to participate via Zoom. The table reading featured 48 people voicing the characters and lasted 4 hours. Among the participants was Joe Bly, the Program Manager at KNVC 95.1 FM, a community radio station in Carson City, Nevada.

The next day, Young received emails from the voice actors expressing their enjoyment of the reading, with particular praise for Bly’s performance. During a subsequent conversation, Bly suggested adapting the screenplay for radio, leveraging his position at KNVC. A 6-page proposal titled Skeletons in the Closet was developed into Secrets of Harridge House, with Joe Bly leading the development efforts at KNVC.

By late July, Young and Bly partnered with Proscenium Players, Inc. (PPI), a local theater company. Jeff Basa, representing Proscenium Players, Inc. (PPI), took on the role of Executive Producer. The project received unanimous support from the PPI board on August 10, 2020, who set a premiere date for October 30, 2020, with an initial 13-episode season.

The series was developed by Scott Young and John Adams as an homage to the 1960s soap opera Dark Shadows. Although inspired by Dark Shadows, Young emphasized that the stories and characters of Secrets of Harridge House have no direct connection to the former.

Production

While discussing old-time radio programs, Young and Bly developed the concept of Skeletons in the Closet, a story about three siblings returning to their family home after their birth mother's death. They soon discover that the inhabitants of the house are harboring secrets. The proposal for Skeletons in the Closet was promptly developed and embraced for further production at KNVC.

In late July 2020, Bly secured interest from Jeff Basa at Proscenium Players, Inc. The team had to quickly prepare for a presentation to the PPI board. Young and John Adams created a promotional script, which Bly recorded with actors and enhanced with sound effects and music. This promo was presented to the PPI board on August 10, 2020, securing their support.

Auditions for the series began on August 25, 2020, and continued for three sessions. By September 10, 2020, the main cast for the first six episodes was announced. The cast, spread across the United States, recorded remotely using the cloud-based app Zencastr. Recording for Episodes 1 and 2 started on September 18, 2020, and premiered on KNVC on October 30, 2020.

The first season concluded with Episode 13 on February 5, 2021. Throughout production, Adams developed stories for upcoming episodes, while Young managed the remote recording process.

Key roles were:

• Issy – Cary Hampton
• Drew – Asher Killian
• Cate – Cece Dietlein
• Sandra – Heidi Hampton
• Blake – Asher Honor Hwang

Supporting cast included various other characters, each contributing to the unfolding drama of Harridge House.

The series' sound engineering, led by Joe Bly, involved blending remote recordings using various audio techniques. Music composed by Linda & Mike Badinger added to the show's gothic atmosphere, supplemented by other curated pieces.

Broadcast History

Secrets of Harridge House originally aired on KNVC 95.1 FM on Friday evenings, repeating on Sunday following the station’s top-rated show, Pop Culture Kaboom. The Sunday time slot was chosen to reach a broader audience. In the second and third seasons, Secrets of Harridge House aired on KNVC on Sunday evenings following Pop Culture Kaboom, then repeated on Fridays.

Starting with the second season, the show expanded to a full half-hour format. In addition to the core episodes, five special episodes were produced, enhancing the series' storylines and engaging the audience.

Episodes were also made available as podcasts shortly after their broadcast, reaching a wider audience and contributing to the show's popularity.

Storylines

The series follows the Harridge family and other town residents as they navigate through complex relationships and uncover supernatural secrets. Major storylines include:

• **The Siblings Return:** The central plot revolves around the three siblings who return to their family home and uncover dark secrets.
• **Mysteries of Harridge:** Various town mysteries are explored, including the origins of the supernatural forces at play.
• **Interpersonal Dynamics:** The show delves into the intricate lives and loves of the characters, blending gothic elements with soap opera drama.

Reception

Secrets of Harridge House received positive reviews for its engaging storylines and innovative production methods during the COVID-19 pandemic. In September 2023, it was named one of the Top 100 Indie Dramas of all time by Goodpods, and has remained on this list every month since.

Secrets of Harridge House recently achieved 600,000 downloads through distribution as a podcast.

Online reviews commented positively on the plot and audio production quality. The show’s podcast format also garnered a significant audience, reflected in strong download numbers and listener feedback.

Media

Secrets of Harridge House is available in digital format as an audio series. Episodes can be accessed through various podcast platforms, and the series has yet to be released on physical media.

Revivals, Remakes, and Sequels

In 2024, discussions began on continuing the series with a new format or a potential television adaptation. A one-hour TV pilot that could lead to a full series was written by Young and series writers Jean Graham and Joe O'Connell.

Notes

• The name Harridge references a character from the TV show Dark Shadows, though the story and characters of Secrets of Harridge House are original.
• The series was produced during the COVID-19 pandemic, utilizing remote recording techniques to ensure safety.

See also

• List of Secrets of Harridge House episodes

External Links

• [Official Website](https://secretsofharridgehouse.com/)
• [Official KNVC website](https://knvc.org/)
• [Proscenium Players, Inc.](https://www.prosceniumplayers.org/)