The Penny Dreadful Hour; or, A Feast of Early-Victorian Street Literature and Stories (no AI)

Finn J.D. John/ Pulp-Lit Productions
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This is the podcast that carries you back to the sooty, foggy streets of early-Victorian London when a new issue of one of the "Penny Dreadful" blood-and-thunder story paper comes out! It's like an early-Victorian variety show, FEATURING ... — Sweeney Todd ... — Varney, the Vampyre ... — Highwayman Dick Turpin ... — mustache-twirling villains ... — virtuous ballet-girls ... —wicked gamblers ... ... and more! Spiced with naughty c**k-and-hen-club songs, broadsheet street ballads, and lots of old Regency "dad jokes." A fresh episode every Sunday and Thursday evening. Join us!

  1. 2d ago

    157. “The pies are made with human flesh!” — Hanged Today in History: A teen-age mother executed (for shoplifting!) in 1771. (Part One of a two-part “Ha’penny Horrors” episode).

    Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch, for a weekly one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of early-Victorian London! This is a special half-episode. The second half of this Ha’penny Horrors episode will be released next week. For COMPLETE SHOW NOTES, including art and links to resources, see ⁠⁠pennydread.com/discord.⁠⁠ ———— IN TODAY'S "HA’PENNY HORRORS" HALF-EPISODE: 03:15: HANGED TODAY IN HISTORY (Oct. 18, 1771): A teen-age wife and mother of two, thrown into desperation after a Royal Navy press gang kidnapped her husband, tried to shoplift a bit of fabric in a store. She was hanged for this “crime.”11:15: SWEENEY TODD, THE BARBER OF FLEET-STREET, Chapters 116-117: Our scene opens in Mrs. Lovett’s pie shop, about five minutes before 9:00. The place is crammed with customersl, all very excited about getting one or more pies. The first 100 pies comes up without incident. The second, though, is abit more troublesome. As Mrs. Lovett works away at the windlass, she is annoyed by a tall stout man who keeps trying to get her to let him crank the winch. He gets her super angry, and she cranks at the winch like it’s for a wager, although really it does seem unusually heavy. — When it reaches the top, she finds out why…. GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS HALF-EPISODE: DUSTMEN: (from intro patter) Like the modern “sandman,” the dustman is the bringer of dreams.FLUE FAKERS: (ibid) Chimney-sweeps.KNIGHT OF THE BLOCK AND CLEAVER: (ibid) A mildly contemptuous reference to a butcher or butcher’s assistant. CORINTHIAN FINN (ibid): This nickname is a reference to Corinthian Tom, the rakish hero of Pierce Egan’s Life in London; or, or The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn Esq. and his Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom (1821) and the original Tom of “Tom and Jerry” fame. A “Corinthian” was a sporting man of rank and fashion.CHAFFING-CRIB (ibid): A room where drinking and bantering are going on.18th BARON DUNWICH (ibid): A fictional title, adopted as a nod to Edward J.M.D. Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany (author Lord Dunsany) and a reference to “The Dunwich Horror” by H.P. Lovecraft.HOISTER MOT: (from Hanged Today) A shoplifter-ette.DOCK YARDERS: (from outro patter) Sketchy looking men who loiter or skulk around for no apparent reason.STALLERS: (ibid) Accomplices.PRIME AND FLY: (ibid) Two words that both mean “excellent.”

    157. “The pies are made with human flesh!” — Hanged Today in History: A teen-age mother executed (for shoplifting!) in 1771. (Part One of a two-part “Ha’penny Horrors” episode).

  2. Oct 11

    156. The villain Marchdale slips into the dungeon, dagger in hand! — The life and times of James MacLaine, a.k.a. “The Gentleman Highwayman.” — Christabel. (The “Graanum Gothicks.)

    SHOW NOTES for EPISODE 23 (Season Six) (Oct. 11, 2026) Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of early-Victorian London! ———— For COMPLETE SHOW NOTES, including art and links to resources, see ⁠⁠pennydread.com/discord.⁠⁠ ———— IN TODAY'S "GRAANUM GOTHICS" EPISODE: 01:50: ON THIS DREADFUL DAY (Oct. 11, 1852): A servant girl suffered a psychotic break, and murdered her mistress’s infant child. 05:20: VARNEY THE VAMPYRE; or, THE FEAST OF BLOOD, Chapter 68-69: Marchdale sneaks back to the ruined abbey with a dagger in his hand, planning to cut Charles Holland’s throat as he lies there chained to the floor. But … Charles Holland is no longer chained to the floor. He’s waiting till 2 a.m. before taking his leave, according to his promise to Varney. What will happen when Marchdale finds him there … and free of his chains? 39:45: CATCHPENNY BROADSIDE: “The Drunkard’s Catechism,” a half-joking treatise on the evils of Demon Rum. 49:50: THE LIVES OF THE HIGHWAYMEN: They called him “The Gentleman Highwayman,” and when he was caught, half the women in London seemed to be in love with him. His name was James MacLaine, and he was the highway robber who robbed and accidentally almost shot Horace Walpole, the author who invented the Gothic novel. 1:03:25: CHRISTABEL, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Part 2 of 2: Christabel brings her new friend, the demonic Geraldine, to meet her father, Sir Leoline, who is utterly charmed by her. Just then Christabel sees an evil gleam in Geraldine’s eye, and cries out a warning to her father; but it’s too late …. 1:18:20: A FEW SQUEAKY-CLEAN DAD JOKES from the early-1800s' most popular joke book: "Joe Miller's Jests; or, The Wit's Vade-mecum." GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE: JACK PUDDINGS (from outro patter): Clownish fellow.HOP MERCHANTS (ibid): Dancing teachers.MASTER OF THE MINT (ibid): A gardener (who grows and tends all sorts of plants, including mint). CORINTHIAN FINN (ibid): This nickname is a reference to Corinthian Tom, the rakish hero of Pierce Egan’s Life in London; or, or The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn Esq. and his Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom (1821) and the original Tom of “Tom and Jerry” fame. A “Corinthian” was a sporting man of rank and fashion.SHE-LION (ibid): A shilling. CHARLIES (ibid): Watchmen.TOWN TABBY (ibid): An old gentry lady.BLUE RUIN (ibid): Gin.HEEL TAPS (ibid): The liquor left in the bottom of the glass after one has taken a drink. “No heel taps” basically means “Everybody chug.”CATCH A FLAT (from broadside “The Drunkard’s Catechism”): A flat was a sucker, basically.BARREL FEVER (ibid): A hangover.SWAG (from The Lives of the Highwaymen): Stolen goods, not including money and other fungible assets.ANGLING COVE (ibid): Buyer of stolen goods; that is, a fence.SUFFERER (ibid): Has two meanings: either a tailor, or a sovereign (a gold £1 coin).JOE MILLER: A famously stone-faced Elizabethan actor who, like Leslie Nielsen, managed to be uproariously funny by acting super sober and serious. Naming a jokebook after Joe Miller was itself an inside joke.DRAGGLE-TAILS (ibid): Prostitutes who are about to age out of the profession. HEDGE CREEPERS (ibid): Low-level thieves. SWELL COVE OUT OF LUCK (ibid): A formerly wealthy rake who has fallen on hard times. 18th BARON DUNWICH (ibid): A fictional title, adopted as a nod to Edward J.M.D. Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany (Lord Dunsany) and a reference to “The Dunwich Horror” by H.P. Lovecraft. Lovecraft places Dunwitch “far, far west of Arkham (Massachusetts).” And in fact Corinthian Finn’s sky-parlour is situated about 3,200 miles nearly due west of Newburyport, so it fits!There are more! But we're out of space. For the complete glossary of flash-cant terms, plus art for various show elements, see ⁠pennydread.com/discord⁠.

    156. The villain Marchdale slips into the dungeon, dagger in hand! — The life and times of James MacLaine, a.k.a. “The Gentleman Highwayman.” — Christabel. (The “Graanum Gothicks.)

  3. Oct 5

    155. Count Dracula arrives in England! — The Phantom Coach. — Lady Christabel meets a strange, sinister damsel in the forest. (The “Sixpenny Spookies.”) (updated)

    Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of early-Victorian London! This show cycles through four themes over a month-long cycle, one show per week. As today is the first Sunday of the month, this is the SIXPENNY SPOOKIES theme show, featuring a Victorian ghostly shortstory, a chapter of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and other ghostly tales! For COMPLETE SHOW NOTES, including art and links to resources, see ⁠⁠pennydread.com/discord.⁠⁠ ———— IN TODAY'S "SIXPENNY SPOOKIES" EPISODE: 01:45: HAUNTED ENGLAND: The legend of Cumnor Place, supposed to be haunted by the spirit of Lady Amy Dudley, murdered so that her husband could woo Queen Elizabeth I.11:55: VICTORIAN GHOSTLY SHORT STORY, to-wit: THE PHANTOM COACH, by Amelia B. Edwards (1864): A barrister gets lost on a winter day while out grouse hunting on a north-England moor. He wanders past dusk, gets caught in a dreadful snowstorm, and then luckily meets a local man who reluctantly offers him shelter for the night. The man tells him of the wreck of the night mail coach, nine years before … the same coach that our hero is determined to flag down and ride home on. When the snow stops, the barrister goes to catch the coach … but there's something strange about this coach ...40:00: GHOSTLY POETRY, to-wit: Part One of CHRISTABEL, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1797): A baronet’s daughter, Christabel, goes into the woods to pray for her beloved, and there finds a strange, beautiful woman named Geraldine (rhymes with “pine”). She brings the stranger home, but strange signs soon appear that portend that Geraldine is some kind of evil spirit ….56:05: DRACULA, by BRAM STOKER (1897), Chapter 7: The chapter starts with a newspaper cutting in which the correspondent describes a terrible and sudden storm which swept upon Whitby. Amid the storm, a schooner appeared, running before the wind with full sails set. It surged into the harbour and slammed into the beach behind, and as soon as it struck, a great black creature — apparently a dog — leaped to shore and raced away, never to be seen again. The newspaper writer raced to the scene with a crowd of locals, and found the ship completely empty of crew save for one man who had been dead two days — the captain, who had tied himself to the wheel with a crucifix. In his pocket, carefully rolled up and inserted into a corked bottle, was a remarkable document, the last thing he wrote before he died …1:25:20: LORD HALIFAX’S GHOST BOOK: A spooky apparition of a man with the face of a corpse, who appeared at his home at the moment of his untimely death abroad. GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE: COLLEGIATES: (ibid) Inmates in a prison or gaol.CONVEYANCERS: (ibid) Receivers of stolen goods.KNIGHTS OF THE BRUSH AND MOON: (ibid) Drunken fellows running amok in fields and ditches late at night, trying to stagger home. CORINTHIAN FINN (ibid): This nickname is a reference to Corinthian Tom, the rakish hero of Pierce Egan’s Life in London; or, or The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn Esq. and his Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom (1821) and the original Tom of “Tom and Jerry” fame. A “Corinthian” was a sporting man of rank and fashion.CHAFFING-CRIB (ibid): A room where drinking and bantering are going on.NOGGEN OF LIGHTNING: (ibid) Quartern (1/4 of an Imperial pint) of gin.BITE YOUR NAME IN IT: (ibid) Take a big drink.FLOORERS: (from outro patter) Criminals who knock people down in the streets to be “rescued” by their confederates, who pick their pockets as they do.OVERSEERS: (ibid) Prisoners in a pillory.BRIXTON DANCING-ACADEMY STUDENTS: (ibid) Prisoners sentenced to help work the tread-mill at Brixton Prison.There are more! But we're out of space. For the complete glossary of flash-cant terms, plus art for various show elements, see ⁠pennydread.com/discord⁠.

    155. Count Dracula arrives in England! — The Phantom Coach. — Lady Christabel meets a strange, sinister damsel in the forest. (The “Sixpenny Spookies.”) (updated)

  4. Sep 27

    154. Highwayman Dick Turpin sets out to break his friend out of prison! — Sundry spicy street poetry. — Meet our hostess, Miss Davis! (The “Twopenny Torrids + Ninepenny Naughties”)

    SHOW NOTES for EPISODE 21 (Season Six) (Sept. 27, 2026) For COMPLETE SHOW NOTES, including art and links to resources, see ⁠⁠pennydread.com/discord.⁠⁠ ———— Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of early-Victorian London! Penny Dreadful is a weekly show that cycles through four themes each month. This is the TWOPENNY TORRIDS-theme show. It will be followed by ... The “Sixpenny Spookies” theme episode, coming next Sunday;The “Graanum Gothics” theme episode, coming two Sundays hence; and finally —The “Ha'penny Horrors” theme episode, coming three Sundays from now. Then we’ll be right back around to the “Twopenny Torrids” again, for the fourth Sunday of next month! ———— IN TODAY'S "TWOPENNY TORRIDS" EPISODE: 01:55: STREET POETRY: From a broadside ballad: “Sweet Betty of Billingsgate,” a short and very sweet love ballad. (1805).04:00: BLACK BESS; or, THE KNIGHT OF THE ROAD (starring HIGHWAYMAN DICK TURPIN), Chapter 91-95: In which we find Dick in London, staying with old Matthew Gale at the White Horse Inn in Drury-lane. Matthew has connected him with an old costumier who once worked for the theatre there, and the costumier proceeds to utterly transform Dick into an aged country farmer. His plan is to use this disguise to actually go into Newgate Prison, visit Tom King, and slip him something that will help him escape from custody. So, how will that work? We’ll see …50:30: STREET POETRY: An 1845 broadside ballad: “Is Your Rhubarb Up?” — a rather spicy little bit of street verse about sex. If you have ever seen a rhubarb plant just sprouting from the garden soil, you’ll understand the reference immediately.53:10: INTRODUCING MISS DAVIS: One of the “ladies of the evening” listed and described in Harris’s List of Covent-garden Ladies, a directory for bucks and bloods out on the town in the early 1800s. 56:50: A RATHER NAUGHTY C**K-AND-HEN-CLUB SONG: "Jenny’s Sweet Dream” (about an innocent maiden’s not-so-innocent subconscious mind, which serves her up a rather detailed dream likely involving someone played by Colin Firth circa 1995!)1:01:00: A FEW MILDLY DIRTY JOKES from what passed in 1830 for a dirty joke book: "The Joke-Cracker" by Martin Merryman, Esq. These are not very good today, certainly nothing anywhere near the level of last month’s “coal drop’t from your warming-pan” banger. GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE: LOTHARIOS: (from intro) Rakish young men on the make, would-be seducers.MACE COVES: (ibid) Con artists.KNIGHTS OF THE ROAD: (ibid) Highway robbers.SKY PARLOUR: (ibid) A garret or attic room.CORINTHIAN FINN (ibid): This nickname is a reference to Corinthian Tom, the rakish hero of Pierce Egan’s Life in London; or, or The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn Esq. and his Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom (1821) and the original Tom of “Tom and Jerry” fame. A “Corinthian” was a sporting man of rank and fashion.CYPRIANS: (From the introduction to Hostess Miss Davis) Ladies of easy virtue, a classical reference to the island of Cyprus, supposedly peopled with sexually frisky ladies. SPORTING THEIR BLUNT: (ibid) Throwing money around. JACKY: (ibid) Gin.SLUICE YOUR IVORIES: (ibid) Take a big drink.MORRIS OFF: (from outro) Run away at top speed.BEAKS ON THE NOSE: (ibid) Police detectives or magistrates on an investigation. BLOWINGS: (ibid) Ladies of the evening. WATER-PADS: (ibid) Thieves who work on the river, also known as ack pirates.RUM GAGGERS: (ibid) Crooks who tell crazy stories about misadventures to beg.CROSS-CRIB: (ibid) Thieves’ house.18th BARON DUNWICH (ibid): A fictional title, adopted as a nod to Edward J.M.D. Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany (Lord Dunsany) and a reference to “The Dunwich Horror” by H.P. Lovecraft.

    154. Highwayman Dick Turpin sets out to break his friend out of prison! — Sundry spicy street poetry. — Meet our hostess, Miss Davis! (The “Twopenny Torrids + Ninepenny Naughties”)

  5. Sep 20

    153. Sweeney Todd is nabbed at last! — Bigamy or Murder? The “heiress whisperer” makes his choice! — The murderess who had been Prince Edward’s wet nurse. (The “Ha’penny Horrors.”)

    Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of early-Victorian London! This show cycles through four themes over a month-long cycle, one show per week. As today is the first Sunday of the month, this is the HA’PENNY HORRIDS theme show, featuring a few chapters of SWEENEY TODD, a true-crime story or two from the Penny Dreadful era, and various other grisly tidbits. Next week, the theme changes: Next Sunday will be a “Twopenny Torrids” theme episode — as always on the fourth Sunday of the month;The “Sixpenny Spookies” theme episode comes out two weeks from now, on the first Sunday of the month; and finally—The “Graanum-gold Gothics” theme episode is scheduled for the second Sunday of next month. Then we’ll be right back around to the “Ha’penny Horrids” again, for the third Sunday of next month! ———— For COMPLETE SHOW NOTES, including art and links to resources, see ⁠⁠pennydread.com/discord.⁠⁠ ———— IN TODAY'S "HA’PENNY HORRORS" EPISODE: 01:50: HANGED TODAY IN HISTORY: It was 440 years ago today, on September 20, 1586, that Sir Anthony Babington was hanged, drawn and quartered for conspiring to murder Queen Elizabeth so that Mary Queen of Scots could take her throne. This was the conspiracy that led to Mary’s assassination as well.09:25: SWEENEY TODD, THE BARBER OF FLEET-STREET, Chaptes 114-115: “Charley Green” leaves the shop as instructed, but then stops and peeps through the window to watch developments. Todd, after learning from the “farmer” that he is in London alone and no one at the inn he’s staying in knows he’s going to be shaved, gets excited and goes into the other room to get a “keener razor.” The moment the door closes, the “farmer” jumps out of the chair. He waits and watches as it rotates, bringing a matching chair up from under the floor; then he hops back into the chair and waits for Todd to come out…. To say that Todd is surprised to see him there, in the chair, face still lathered up, would be understating things a bit!38:40: HORRID BROADSIDE: “The Esher Tragedy: Six Children Murdered by their Mother.” (1854) Mary Ann Brough, the woman who had been Prince Edward’s wet nurse, snapped and murdered her six children with her husband’s razor.45:10: YE OLDE MURDERER’S ROOST: A true-crime tale drawn from the colorful history of old England. Today, it’s the story of George Price, a flashy manservant who found himself in a great position to move in on a wealthy widow … only problem was, he was already married. But, of course, that was nothing a little late-night wife-murder couldn’t fix … GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE: MILLERS: (from intro patter) Prizefighters.LADYBIRDS: (ibid) Socially flighty or promiscuous ladies.KNIGHTS OF THE BLADE: (ibid) Swaggering companions who are boastful of their prowess and may also claim a military rank — Captain, Major, Colonel — that they don’t really have a right to. FLASH OF LIGHTNING: (ibid) Glass of gin.SCRAGGED: (from Hanged Today) Executed by hanging.IN QUOD: (ibid) In gaol or prison.KNOWING CARDS: (from outro patter) Clever fellows who are not easily tricked.DING BOYS: (ibid) Rogue, knave, or sly fellow.VIRTUE REWARDED: (ibid) Nabbed by law enforcement or sentenced by a magistrate.JOCK GAGGERS: (ibid) Men who live on their romantic partners’ prostitution proceeds.C**K-CHAFERS: (ibid) Prostitutes.TRULLS: (ibid) Low-end prostitutes.NUNNERY: (ibid) A brothel. 18th BARON DUNWICH (ibid): A fictional title, adopted as a nod to Edward J.M.D. Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany (Lord Dunsany) and a reference to “The Dunwich Horror” by H.P. Lovecraft. There are more! But we're out of space. For the complete glossary of flash-cant terms, plus art for various show elements, see ⁠pennydread.com/discord⁠.

    153. Sweeney Todd is nabbed at last! — Bigamy or Murder? The “heiress whisperer” makes his choice! — The murderess who had been Prince Edward’s wet nurse. (The “Ha’penny Horrors.”)

  6. Sep 14

    152. Varney the Vampire contemplates his prisoner: To kill him, or set him free? — The lovely vampire Clarimonde proves allergic to holy water! — The Lives of the Highwaymen. (The “Graanum Gothics.)

    Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch, for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of early-Victorian London! This show cycles through four themes over a month-long cycle, one show per week. As today is the first Sunday of the month, this is the GRAANUM-GOLD GOTHICS theme show. It will be followed by ... The “Ha’penny Horrors” theme episode, coming next Sunday (the third Sunday of the month);The “Twopenny Torrids” theme episode, coming two Sundays hence (the fourth Sunday); and finally—The “Sixpenny Spookies” theme episode, coming out the first Sunday of next month. Then we’ll be right back around to the “Graanum Gothics” again, for the second Sunday of next month! ———— For COMPLETE SHOW NOTES, including art and links to resources, see ⁠⁠pennydread.com/discord.⁠⁠ ———— IN TODAY'S "GRAANUM GOTHICS" EPISODE: 01:55: ON THIS DREADFUL DAY (Sept. 13, 1854): A young reprobate makes a start on a career of crime by stealing £5 from his mom, buying pistols, and trying to shoot a policeman. Kids nowadays, amirite?06:30: VARNEY THE VAMPYRE; or, THE FEAST OF BLOOD, Chapter 65-67: Varney can see that Marchdale really wants to murder Charles, so he sees him off the premises and then goes below to talk with the young man. What’s he scheming at now? Will Charles get to taste freedom again?39:40: CATCHPENNY BROADSIDE: Dolly Varden hats! They were everywhere in the 1870s … this lighthearted bit of bad street poetry asks, where will they appear next?45:50: THE LIVES OF THE HIGHWAYMEN: You know how “the butler did it” in so many old Vaudeville stories? In the case of butler John Hawkins, he really did … and, after he was fired for it, he became one of England’s most notorious highwaymen.53:55: CLARIMONDE, PART 3 of 3: Clarimonde comes to Romauld again, dressed for the road, and takes him away on a wild black steed. And after that night commences a time in which by day Romauld is a simple country priest, by night he is a wild and debauched young cavalier running amok in Venice: Il Signior Romualdo. Soon he can’t distinguish his dream life from his real life....1:17:35: A FEW SQUEAKY-CLEAN DAD JOKES from the early-1800s' most popular joke book: "Joe Miller's Jests; or, The Wit's Vade-mecum." GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE: BENE FAKERS (from outro patter): Coiners and counterfeiters.DABS IN QUOD (ibid): Prisoners in gaol.KNIGHTS OF THE BRUSH AND MOON (ibid): Drunken fellows running amok in fields and ditches late at night, trying to stagger home. CORINTHIAN FINN (ibid): This nickname is a reference to Corinthian Tom, the rakish hero of Pierce Egan’s Life in London; or, or The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn Esq. and his Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom (1821) and the original Tom of “Tom and Jerry” fame. A “Corinthian” was a sporting man of rank and fashion.CHAFFING-CRIB (ibid): A room where drinking and bantering are going on.GRUNTER (ibid): A shilling. Reference is to a “hog,” another term for a shilling.LAWFUL BLANKETS (ibid): Wives.HICK JOPS (ibid): Country bumpkins.LIGHT BLUE (ibid): Gin.GRIGS: (from outro patter): Merry companions.INGLERS (ibid): Dodgy horse dealers.DRAGGLE-TAILS (ibid): Prostitutes who are about to age out of the profession. HEDGE CREEPERS (ibid): Low-level thieves. SWELL COVE OUT OF LUCK (ibid): A formerly wealthy rake who has fallen on hard times. 18th BARON DUNWICH (ibid): A fictional title, adopted as a nod to Edward J.M.D. Plunkett, 18th Baron Dunsany (Lord Dunsany) and a reference to “The Dunwich Horror” by H.P. Lovecraft.There are more! But we're out of space. For the complete glossary of flash-cant terms, plus art for various show elements, see ⁠pennydread.com/discord⁠. Thank you for your support! Please, if you have a moment, rate us on your podcatcher network. If you’d like to do more, we do have a Patreon page; it’s here: https://patreon.com/pennydread

    152. Varney the Vampire contemplates his prisoner: To kill him, or set him free? — The lovely vampire Clarimonde proves allergic to holy water! — The Lives of the Highwaymen. (The “Graanum Gothics.)

  7. Sep 6

    151. The vampire-courtesan leaves the grave to claim her lover! — A strange ghostly schooner approaches England’s shores. — Two haunted abbeys. (The “Sixpenny Spookies.”)

    SHOW NOTES — for — EPISODE 18 (Season Six) (September 6, 2026) Join host Corinthian Finn, a.k.a. Finn J.D. John 18th Baron Dunwitch,* for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of early-Victorian London! This show cycles through four themes over a month-long cycle, one show per week. As today is the first Sunday of the month, this is the SIXPENNY SPOOKIES theme show, featuring a Victorian ghostly shortstory, a chapter of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and other ghostly tales. It will be followed by ... The “Graanam Gothics” theme episode, the second Sunday of the month;The “Ha’penny Horrors” theme episode, the third Sunday; and finally—The “Twopenny Torrids” theme episode, the fourth Sunday. Then we’ll be right back around to the “Sixpenny Spookies” again, for the first Sunday of next month! ———— For COMPLETE SHOW NOTES, including art and links to resources, see ⁠⁠pennydread.com/discord.⁠⁠ ———— IN TODAY'S "SIXPENNY SPOOKIES" EPISODE: 01:45: HAUNTED ENGLAND: Lady Elizabeth Hoby, the legend says, whipped her son so severely that he died of his injuries. Her tormented spirit is said to roam Bisham Abbey and its grounds to this day, lamenting her great sin.08:00: VICTORIAN GHOSTLY SHORT STORY, to-wit: CLARIMONDE, by Theophile Gautier (1836), Part 2 of 3 parts: At the parish, memories of Clarimonde haunt Romuald. He settles into his duties there, trying to forget her. Then, a year later, a stranger on a black horse comes to ask Romuald to come with him to provide last rites to a dying noble lady. Off he goes, on the back of the stranger’s horse. Helas, they arrive too late; the heavily-veiled lady has died. Our protagonist prays fervently for her soul for about 10 minutes and gets up to go, but he can’t resist a peek, because he suspects this might be Clarimonde … is it?40:55: GHOSTLY POETRY, to-wit: THE BRIDE OF CORINTH, by J.W. von GOETHE (1810): A young Athenian youth travels to Corinth to claim his betrothed, only to learn she has died. But that night, she comes to him nevertheless, and they pledge their love from beyond the grave …53:30: DRACULA, by BRAM STOKER (1897), Chapter 5: We open with an entry in Mina Murray’s journal — Mina, of course, is Jonathan Harker’s fiancée — and she’s meeting up with Lucy Westeros in the little coastal town of Whitby, where they will be staying for some time. Mina is getting worried about Jonathan, whom she has not heard from since the last strangely-worded letter tersely informing her that he had left Castle Dracula and arrived in Bistritz. — Meanwhile, Dr. Seward is taking a special interest in the case of Renfield, the lunatic patient. Renfield had been showing really strange, creepy, and sadistic behaviors with flies and spiders that he has caught in his room. Dr. Seward thinks he would be a homicidal maniac if loose in the world….1:24:10: LORD HALIFAX’S GHOST BOOK: The Ghost of Bolton Abbey (yes, another haunted abbey!) — a haunting attested to by no less a personage than H.R.H. King Edward himself! GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE: SWADDLERS: (from intro patter) Medicine-show blokes or street preachers.OVERSEERS: Persons being punished in the pillory.KNIGHTS OF THE BRUSH AND MOON: (ibid) Drunken fellows running amok in fields and ditches late at night, trying to stagger home. YARD OF TAPE (ibid): Large serving of liquor, usually gin (white tape) or brandy (red tape).BLUE RUIN (ibid): Gin.SLUICE YOUR GOB: Take a big drink.NAPPERS: (from outro patter) Sheep rustler.WHIDDLERS (ibid): Talkative fellows.MASTER OF THE ROLLS (ibid): A baker.SHERRY OFF: (ibid) Run away. There are more! But we're out of space. For the complete glossary of flash-cant terms, plus art for various show elements, see pennydread.com/discord. Thank you for your support! Please, if you have a moment, rate us on your podcatcher network. If you’d like to do more, we do have a Patreon page; it’s here: https://patreon.com/pennydread

    151. The vampire-courtesan leaves the grave to claim her lover! — A strange ghostly schooner approaches England’s shores. — Two haunted abbeys. (The “Sixpenny Spookies.”)

  8. Aug 29

    150. OOPS! ALL VAMPIRES! Dracula en route to Carfax! — The vampire-courtesan Clarimonde fixes her eye on a young novitiate! — Moonlight revives the murdered vampire!

    Join guest host COUNT CHOCULA, filling in for Corinthian Finn for a one-hour-long spree through the scandal-sheets and story papers of early-Victorian London! This show cycles through four themes over a month-long cycle, one show per week. As today is the fifth Sunday of the month, this is a bonus show: OOPS! ALL VAMPIRES! It’s a solid wall of blood-curdling fun. Our regular sequence will start afresh for September with next week’s “Sixpenny Spookies” episode, which will be followed by ... The “Graanam Gothics” theme episode, the second Sunday of the month;The “Ha’penny Horrors” theme episode, the third Sunday; and finally—The “Twopenny Torrids” theme episode, the fourth Sunday. Then we’ll be right back around to the “Sixpenny Spookies” again, for the first Sunday of October! ———— For COMPLETE SHOW NOTES, including art and links to resources, see ⁠⁠pennydread.com/discord.⁠⁠ ———— IN TODAY'S "SIXPENNY SPOOKIES" EPISODE: 02:45: DRACULA, by BRAM STOKER (1897), Chapter 5: We turn to an exchange of letters between Miss Mina Murray (soon to be Harker, if he survives) and her childhood friend, Miss Lucy Westenra. We learn that, on May 24 — a few days before Jonathan Harker’s desperate attempt to get the Szgani to post a letter for him — one of which is from a physician in charge of a London lunatic asylum. Could this be the asylum next door to Carfax, soon to be Count Dracula’s new home? This doesn’t bode well, does it?21:30: GHOSTLY POETRY, to-wit: THE VAMPYRE, by John Stagg (1810): Herman’s best friend Sigismund died a few weeks ago; but now he visits every night and feasts upon his heart’s best blood. As he feels death approaching, he asks his wife Gertrude to stay up and watch for the vampire ….31:00: VICTORIAN GHOSTLY SHORT STORY, to-wit: CLARIMONDE (original title: La Morte Amoreuse), by Theophile Gautier (1836), Part 1 of 3 parts: Young Romauld had always wanted to enter the church and never even thought about women. But at his investment ceremony, he makes eye contact with a gorgeous dame in the gallery and obsession begins to take over his life. Her name, he learns, is Clarimonde, and she is a notorious courtesan. But … is that all she is? Or is she something worse?58:15: VARNEY THE VAMPYRE; or, THE FEAST OF BLOOD, Chapter 64: Brave Mr. Tom Eccles hurries pistol in hand toward the old ruins where the vampire disappeared, prey to considerable doubts and fears. The plan is to hide a handkerchief there so his friends can see next day that he did it, and can thereby win his wager. As he nears the spot, Mr. Marchdale accosts him, claiming to be on a mission to find the vampire and shoot him. They hide in the ruins. Soon Varney appears and Marchdale urges Eccles to shoot him. He does, but instantly regrets it, crying, “Now I’m a murderer!” But Marchdale warns they must finish him off at once or the moonlight will revive him. Eccles wants to wait and watch to see if that happens. So … will it? GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE: BLOODS AND CHOICE SPIRITS: (from intro patter) Young, high-spirited rakes on the town.KNIGHTS OF THE CLEAVER: (ibid) Butchers. CLARET: Slang for blood, although usually used to refer to a nosebleed. Starting a nosebleed by punching someone in the sniffer was “drawing a cork and starting the claret.”SLUICE YOUR TOMBSTONES: Take a drink.BLACKLEGS: (from outro patter) Crooked gamblers.RUM BLADES: Good but rakish companions.KNIGHTS OF THE POST: Prisoners being punished at the pillory.SHERRY OFF: (ibid) Run away. FLATS: (ibid) Suckers. GET FLY TO THE FAKEMENT: (ibid) Get wise to the swindle. BOLT THE MOON: (ibid) Leave in the middle of the night. BRUSH OFF: (ibid) Leave. Note this phrase means something slightly different today. FOOTNOTE: Special co-host Count Von Count wants you to know that "This special OOPS! ALL VAMPIRES! Episode of the Penny Dreadful Hour podcast is brought to you by the numbers 86 and 47! Ah ah ah!”)

    150. OOPS! ALL VAMPIRES! Dracula en route to Carfax! — The vampire-courtesan Clarimonde fixes her eye on a young novitiate! — Moonlight revives the murdered vampire!
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This is the podcast that carries you back to the sooty, foggy streets of early-Victorian London when a new issue of one of the "Penny Dreadful" blood-and-thunder story paper comes out! It's like an early-Victorian variety show, FEATURING ... — Sweeney Todd ... — Varney, the Vampyre ... — Highwayman Dick Turpin ... — mustache-twirling villains ... — virtuous ballet-girls ... —wicked gamblers ... ... and more! Spiced with naughty c**k-and-hen-club songs, broadsheet street ballads, and lots of old Regency "dad jokes." A fresh episode every Sunday and Thursday evening. Join us!

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