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Dark Oracle
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| Dark Oracle | |
|---|---|
| Created by | Jana Sinyor |
| Developed by |
|
| Starring | |
| Theme music composer | Gary Koftinoff |
| Composer | Gary Koftinoff |
| Country of origin | Canada |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 2 |
| No. of episodes | 26 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
|
| Producers |
|
| Running time | 23 minutes |
| Production companies | Cookie Jar Entertainment[a] Shaftesbury Films |
| Original release | |
| Network | YTV |
| Release | October 2, 2004 – June 1, 2006 |
Dark Oracle is a Canadian teen fantasy television series that premiered in 2004 on YTV. It was created by Jana Sinyor, and co-developed by Heather Conkie. In 2005, Dark Oracle won the International Emmy for Best Children's and youth program.
Premise
[edit]Dark Oracle follows the adventures of teenage twins Cally and Lance Stone who discover a comic book that gives them clues about the future of their lives. As they are suddenly thrust into a comic book world of danger, fear and uncertainty, the twins learn that Dark Oracle has a hidden agenda that threatens their very existence. In a unique blend of live action and comic book style animation, the two confront their animated alter egos, Violet and Blaze, who possess the uncanny ability to manipulate their future. With events in the comic book world influencing ones in their own world, Cally and Lance struggle to stay one step ahead of their dark counterparts, or face a very unpleasant fate. The stakes become higher still, with Violet and Blaze trying to escape into the real world to wreak further havoc.
Dark Oracle starred Paula Brancati and Alex House as Cally and Lance Stone, along with Jonathan Malen as Dizzy, Lance and Cally's long-time childhood friend and Danielle Miller as Sage, who sparks Lance's interest.
"One of the things that drew us to Dark Oracle, is that it applies a strong high concept, of a comic book coming to life, to the lives of ordinary high school kids. Visually it is going to look amazing, and it is a terrific arena for great dramatic stories as Lance and Cally have to figure out how to deal with the predictions of the comic," explained Suzanne French, producer at Shaftesbury Films.
Dark Oracle's second season took a different turn from the first season, with the comic book characters intervening directly with the main cast. Dizzy and Sage learned about the comic and are going to have their own experiences with it.
Cast and characters
[edit]Main
[edit]- Cally Stone (Paula Brancati): Twin sister of Lance, pretty and prides herself on being level-headed. She's also the last person who would believe in a comic book that could warp you into new worlds. When she finds herself surrounded by the supernatural, she's faced with believing that anything can happen. In the comic book she is the figure Violet.
- Lance Stone (Alex House): Cally's twin brother, prefers video games and comics to real people. Unlike his sister, he is very shy and tends to keep to himself. When he finds himself drawn into the comic world and meets Sage, this self-proclaimed oddball starts to come out of his shell. In the comic book he is the figure Blaze.
- Dizzy (Jonathan Malen): Lance's best friend, and like Lance he shares a passion for gaming and comics. It's no question that high school poses challenges for Dizzy, especially with his crush on Cally. But with a little time he is able to shake his geek persona and become not-quite-cool... but almost. After a while Lance and Cally decide to tell him about the comic book.
- Sage LaPierre (Danielle Miller): She works at Gamers Cave Comic Book Store and becomes Lance's girlfriend. She doesn't notice the supernatural events around her, although at one point she and Dizzy are told by Lance and Cally all about the comic book. She and Lance break twice over the course of the series due to the comic's influence. Vern has often tried to get her from Lance, but never succeeds.
Supporting
[edit]- Doyle (Mark Ellis): He is the owner of Gamers Cave Comic Book Store. He spends a great deal of time in the back of his store, which also doubles as a meeting place for the secretive club of Necromancers. Lance and Cally have a suspicion that he is somehow connected to the strange comic book.
- Annie (Barbara Mamabolo): She is Cally's best friend. She and Cally fight very often since the appearance of the comic. When they fight, Annie hangs out with Kathleen until they make up again. Annie will support Cally in almost everything. She disappears in season 2, never learning about the comic book, and is never mentioned again.
- Omen (Kristopher Turner): He was turned into a frog by Doyle so he could keep his magic under control. In the first episode of the series, Omen sees Lance and overhears his comment on "how you can learn a lot from a comic". Omen then uses the remainder of his magic to transform a previous comic into Dark Oracle. When Lance was invited to Doyle's gaming group, Omen escapes from his cage, hiding in Cally's backpack. Omen is unknowingly taken to the Stone household. Cally names him Nemo, getting the name from the comic. He doesn't regain his human form until Lance gives Nemo a kiss (taken from the story of the frog prince) and Omen's curse is lifted.
- Vern (David Rendall): He is a fellow goth classmate of Lance and Cally. He is neither a friend, nor a true enemy. He always hangs around Simone who might have feelings for him and tries to learn of the powers Omen and Doyle possess. Sometimes he causes trouble for the twins and other times he comes to their aid. Vern saved Lance's life when he was pushed into the mirror by Vern who meant it to be a harmless prank. The outcome was Lance's evil alter-ego taking over Lance's identity, but Vern helped Cally and her friends dispel him from Lance's body.
- Emmett (Nathan Stephenson): He begins to like Cally, but because of the comic, and Omen, their relationship ends.
Episodes
[edit] | This section needs a plot summary. (May 2020) |
Season 1 (2004–05)
[edit]| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Dark Oracle" | Ron Murphy | Heather Conkie & Jana Sinyor | October 2, 2004 |
| 2 | "Masquerade" | Ron Murphy | Heather Conkie & Jana Sinyor | October 9, 2004 |
| 3 | "Meeting of the Quarter Moon" | Ron Murphy | Heather Conkie & Jana Sinyor | October 16, 2004 |
| 4 | "Paintball Wizard" | Ron Murphy | Jana Sinyor | October 23, 2004 |
| 5 | "Fashion Queen" | Craig Pryce | Heather Conkie & Jana Sinyor | November 6, 2004 |
| 6 | "Scavengers" | Ron Murphy | Tony Elliott | November 13, 2004 |
| 7 | "Crushed" | Craig Pryce | Nicole Demerse | November 20, 2004 |
| 8 | "Recruitment" | Craig Pryce | Heather Conkie | November 27, 2004 |
| 9 | "Idolized" | Craig Pryce | Heather Conkie | January 15, 2005 |
| 10 | "Ticking Clock" | Ron Murphy | Jana Sinyor | January 29, 2005 |
| 11 | "Trapped" | Ron Murphy | Jana Sinyor | February 5, 2005 |
| 12 | "Marionette" | Ron Murphy | Heather Conkie | February 12, 2005 |
| 13 | "Full Circle" | Ron Murphy | Heather Conkie & Jana Sinyor | February 26, 2005 |
Season 2 (2006)
[edit]| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | "Boiler Room" | Phil Earnshaw | Heather Conkie & Jana Sinyor | March 9, 2006 |
| 15 | "It Happened at the Dance" | Phil Earnshaw | Heather Conkie & Jana Sinyor | March 16, 2006 |
| 16 | "Through a Glass Darkly" | Phil Earnshaw | Jana Sinyor | March 23, 2006 |
| 17 | "The Game" | Benjamin Weinstein | R.B. Carney | March 30, 2006 |
| 18 | "House Party" | Benjamin Weinstein | Skander Halim | April 6, 2006 |
| 19 | "The Stalker" | Benjamin Weinstein | Jana Sinyor | April 13, 2006 |
| 20 | "The Familiar" | Paul Fox | Tony Elliott | April 20, 2006 |
| 21 | "Boot Camp" | Paul Fox | Nicole Demerse | April 27, 2006 |
| 22 | "The Trouble with Babysitting" | Paul Fox | Heather Conkie | May 4, 2006 |
| 23 | "Ghosts from the Past" | Paul Fox | Skander Halim | May 11, 2006 |
| 24 | "Life Interrupted" | Ron Murphy | Heather Conkie | May 18, 2006 |
| 25 | "Trail Blaze" | Ron Murphy | Jana Sinyor | May 25, 2006 |
| 26 | "Redemption" | Ron Murphy | Heather Conkie | June 1, 2006 |
Release
[edit]Home media
[edit]Mill Creek Entertainment released the complete series on DVD in Region 1 on August 17, 2010, which includes bonus episodes of Treasure and Mona the Vampire and the movie Sally Marshall Is Not an Alien.[1]
Accolades
[edit]| Award | Year[b] | Category | Recipients | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gemini Awards | 2005 | Best Writing in a Children's or Youth Program or Series | Nominated | ||
| Best Production Design or Art Direction in a Dramatic Program or Series | Nominated | ||||
| Best Original Music Score for a Dramatic Series | Won |
Notes
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Dark Oracle DVD news: Announcement for Dark Oracle - the Complete Series | TVShowsOnDVD.com". Archived from the original on 2010-08-19. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
External links
[edit]- Dark Oracle at Cookie Jar Entertainment
- [1] Archived 2008-06-20 at the Wayback Machine, TV.com listing for Dark Oracle
- [2], Dark Oracle clip
- Dark Oracle at IMDb
Dark Oracle
View on Grokipediafrom Grokipedia
Overview
Premise
Dark Oracle centers on 15-year-old fraternal twins Cally and Lance Stone, who unexpectedly discover a mysterious comic book titled Dark Oracle in their possession. The comic contains cryptic and ominous panels that eerily predict future events in the twins' lives, drawing them into a web of supernatural occurrences that mirror the illustrated adventures within its pages.[11] The comic's central characters are Violet, Cally's animated alter ego, and Blaze, Lance's counterpart, who embody darker, uncensored versions of the protagonists. These figures appear in animated sequences interspersed throughout the series, providing guidance, warnings, or manipulations that influence the twins' decisions and outcomes. The blend of live-action storytelling with comic book-style animation underscores the show's unique format, where the animated elements directly intersect with the real world.[4] The narrative weaves teen drama, mystery, and fantasy elements, as the comic's prophecies impact everyday challenges like school rivalries, family conflicts, and personal development for Cally and Lance. Attempts to avert the foretold events often paradoxically fulfill them, exploring tensions between fate and free will while highlighting the twins' evolving sibling bond. This setup blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction, forcing the protagonists to question the extent to which their lives are scripted by the comic.[12]Production background
Dark Oracle was created by Jana Sinyor and co-developed by Heather Conkie for the Canadian youth network YTV as a teen fantasy series.[3] The show premiered on October 2, 2004, and ran for two seasons totaling 26 episodes until 2006. It was produced by Decode Entertainment (later known as part of Cookie Jar Entertainment and subsequently WildBrain) in association with Shaftesbury Films.[6] Principal photography took place in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.[13] The series employed an innovative format that blended live-action footage with animated comic book sequences to depict the supernatural elements tied to the titular comic book. Sinyor served as a key writer and producer on the project, contributing to multiple episodes alongside Conkie, who acted as executive producer.[8] Direction was handled by a team including Ron Murphy, who helmed several episodes.[8] Development of Dark Oracle stemmed from Sinyor's collaboration with Conkie, which marked a significant step in her career and allowed for exploration of teen-oriented supernatural themes through the comic book narrative device.[14] The production focused on creating engaging, low-stakes adventures for young audiences while integrating animation to visualize the predictive and ominous comic panels central to the story.[3]Cast and characters
Main characters
Cally Stone is portrayed by Paula Brancati, who plays the shy and artistic twin sister responsible for interpreting the prophetic visions in the Dark Oracle comic book. Brancati also provided the voice for Violet, Cally's animated doppelganger. Throughout the series, Cally's arc centers on her gradual development of confidence as she navigates the supernatural dilemmas posed by the comic's omens. Brancati, born in 1990 in Markham, Ontario, began her acting career at age nine in television, film, and theatre, with Dark Oracle marking her first leading role at age 14, for which she received a Gemini Award nomination.[3][15][16] Lance Stone, Cally's fraternal twin brother, is played by Alex House as the outgoing and athletic skeptic who initially dismisses the comic's eerie predictions. His character development highlights moments of vulnerability and an increasing dependence on his sister to resolve the unfolding mysteries. House, a Canadian actor born in 1986, also provided the voice for Blaze, Lance's animated counterpart in the comic sequences, drawing on his experience in voice acting.[3][17] Dizzy, enacted by Jonathan Malen, serves as Lance's quirky best friend and a tech-savvy companion who aids in unraveling the comic's cryptic clues, while harboring a crush on Cally. Malen, known for roles in Canadian television, brought a geeky enthusiasm to the character, emphasizing Dizzy's passion for gaming and comics.[3] Sage, portrayed by Danielle Miller, is Lance's girlfriend and a popular student whose involvement introduces romantic and social dynamics to the protagonists' challenges. Miller, born in 1988 in Toronto, Ontario, featured Sage as one of her breakthrough television roles early in her career.[3][18]Supporting characters
Doyle, portrayed by Mark Ellis, is the enigmatic owner of the Gamers Cave comic book store and a mentor figure to the twins, often providing cryptic advice and harboring secrets related to the Dark Oracle's origins.[3] Annie, portrayed by Barbara Mamabolo, is Cally Stone's best friend and a central supporting figure in the first season, often drawn into the twins' secretive world surrounding the Dark Oracle comic book. Her role emphasizes family-like bonds among peers, as she provides emotional support to Cally amid the supernatural events, though their friendship frequently strains due to Cally's need to conceal the comic's prophetic nature. Annie's unexplained disappearance at the onset of season 2 heightens the overarching mystery, influencing family dynamics by leaving Cally without her primary confidante and prompting reflections on loss and unresolved secrets. Omen, played by Kristopher Turner, functions as the recurring antagonist and comic book nemesis to the twins' alter egos, Violet and Blaze, embodying the darker forces that propel the narrative's supernatural threats. As a shape-shifting entity—often appearing as a frog or a high school student—Omen blurs the boundaries between the real world and the comic, serving as the originator of the cursed publication and facilitating themes of hidden dangers and moral ambiguity through his manipulative interventions. His human counterpart in the school setting adds layers of peer intrigue without overshadowing the leads. Vern, enacted by David Rendall, is a goth classmate who recurrently interacts with Lance and Cally, offering an eccentric, occult-interested perspective that complements the show's mystical elements. Hanging out with peers like Simone, Vern neither fully allies nor opposes the twins, instead complicating subplots involving dark arts or school rivalries, which underscore themes of peer pressure and adolescent identity exploration. His involvement in minor arcs, such as experimenting with supernatural rituals, highlights the everyday risks of curiosity in the twins' heightened reality.[19] Other supporting players include school peers like Hutch (Philip Riccio), a bully figure who appears across multiple episodes to represent social hierarchies and conflicts, and Kathleen (Shaunna Hamat), who temporarily fills relational voids, such as during Annie's absences, amplifying tensions around friendship and exclusion. These characters, including occasional guest arcs from figures like Principal Pratt (Tim Post), reinforce the series' exploration of family secrets through external pressures, without delving into the protagonists' core arcs.[8]Episodes
Season 1 (2004–05)
Season 1 of Dark Oracle comprises 13 episodes that aired on YTV in Canada from October 2, 2004, to February 26, 2005, introducing the Stone twins' discovery of the prophetic comic book and their first forays into navigating its supernatural predictions.[20] The season establishes the core mechanics of the comic's influence on the protagonists' lives, blending everyday teen dilemmas with eerie foreshadowing that often manifests in dangerous or emotionally charged scenarios.[3] The narrative arc focuses on Cally and Lance Stone developing a cautious reliance on the Dark Oracle comic, which provides cryptic visions of upcoming events, while they grapple with its unreliable and sometimes malevolent guidance. Initial episodes highlight the twins' introduction to the comic's power, setting up recurring themes of sibling cooperation amid personal conflicts, and bringing in supporting characters like their quirky friend Dizzy Dean and the enigmatic Sage, who becomes entangled in their visions.[20] This foundational season builds tension through standalone yet interconnected stories that explore the comic's origins and escalating stakes, culminating in attempts to confront its source.[3] Production for Season 1, handled by Shaftesbury Films, emphasized the innovative mix of live-action and animated comic sequences, with the pilot episode "Dark Oracle" specifically crafted to hook viewers by immediately demonstrating the comic's zapping effect and prophetic accuracy in a high-stakes confrontation.[3] Early buzz around the season led to notable recognition, including a win for the International Emmy Award for Children and Young People in 2005, shortly after its airing, and Gemini Award nominations for best writing and performance in a children's or youth program.[21]| Episode | Title | Air Date | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dark Oracle | October 2, 2004 | Cally and Lance argue over comics at Gamerz Cave, where a zapped issue of Dark Oracle begins foretelling their lives, culminating in Cally facing a dangerous bully encounter predicted by the book.[22] |
| 2 | Masquerade | October 9, 2004 | Lance participates in a risky midnight graveyard game, putting himself, Cally, and newcomer Sage in peril as the comic's clues unfold.[20] |
| 3 | Meeting of the Quarter Moon | October 16, 2004 | Lance uncovers that his friend Doyle is part of a mysterious secret society, while Cally notices troubling changes in her crush Jack's behavior.[20] |
| 4 | Paintball Wizard | October 23, 2004 | After school humiliation, Lance seeks payback against bully Dizzy in a paintball match that spirals into chaos guided by the comic's visions.[20] |
| 5 | Fashion Queen | October 30, 2004 | Cally desperately tries to avert a humiliating fashion show disaster foretold in Dark Oracle, testing her resourcefulness and social standing.[20] |
| 6 | Scavengers | November 13, 2004 | A community scavenger hunt forces Cally and Lance to compete against each other, with Lance cheating by using hints from the latest comic issue.[20] |
| 7 | Crushed | November 20, 2004 | Following a fight with her best friend Annie, Cally bonds with new girl Claudia, only for the comic to predict the friendship's catastrophic turn.[20] |
| 8 | Recruitment | November 27, 2004 | Lance is recruited into Doyle's secret society, while the store mascot Nemo schemes to break free from his Gamerz Cave confines amid comic omens.[20] |
| 9 | Idolized | December 4, 2004 | To mend her rift with Annie, Cally casts dubious magic spells from the comic, inadvertently causing her popularity to explode out of control.[20] |
| 10 | Ticking Clock | January 29, 2005 | The comic foretells the death of Lance's dog Blaze at midnight, prompting the twins to intervene, complicated by tensions in Sage and Lance's budding relationship.[20] |
| 11 | Trapped | February 5, 2005 | Lance becomes wary of Cally's new romantic interest Omen, whose charming facade hides deceptions revealed through the comic's warnings.[20] |
| 12 | Marionette | February 12, 2005 | In a bid to end the prophecies, Cally attempts to destroy the Dark Oracle comic, unleashing unintended and disastrous consequences.[20] |
| 13 | Full Circle | February 26, 2005 | The twins uncover the comic's mysterious origins and make a final push to eradicate its hold on their lives.[23] |
Season 2 (2006)
The second season of Dark Oracle premiered on YTV on March 9, 2006, and concluded on June 1, 2006, consisting of 13 episodes that escalated the supernatural elements introduced in the first season by having comic book characters like Blaze and Violet directly influence the real world.[24] This season arc deepened the threats posed by the Dark Oracle comic, focusing on the twins Cally and Lance Stone's efforts to protect their friends and family from interdimensional incursions, while resolving key character arcs such as Dizzy's social ambitions and Sage's vulnerabilities, culminating in a series finale that addressed the comic's origins and the twins' ongoing battle for control.[25] Production continued under the original creative team led by creators Jana Sinyor and Heather Conkie, with improved visual effects for the comic-to-reality transitions, reflecting advancements in post-Season 1 budgeting and technology at Decode Entertainment.[26] The season's episodes are summarized in the following table:| Episode | Title | Air Date | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2x01 | Boiler Room | March 9, 2006 | Nearly a year after the events of Season 1, the Dark Oracle comic mysteriously returns, predicting dangers tied to Dizzy's initiation into Vern's fraternity; Cally and Lance reveal the comic's powers to Dizzy and Sage to avert a boiler room catastrophe.[25] |
| 2x02 | It Happened at the Dance | March 16, 2006 | The comic foretells a deadly accident involving a red sports car at a school dance, prompting Cally to intervene with her crush Emmett, while Sage is pulled into a mirror and replaced by her malevolent comic counterpart.[25] |
| 2x03 | Through a Glass Darkly | March 23, 2006 | The evil comic Sage impersonates the real Sage, pursuing a romance with Vern that leads to a near-drowning incident, allowing Cally and Lance to reverse the mirror spell and restore order.[25] |
| 2x04 | The Game | March 30, 2006 | Lance becomes obsessed with an online video game, uncovering through comic clues that his opponent is the villainous Blaze, who uses the game to manipulate real-world events against the twins.[25] |
| 2x05 | House Party | April 6, 2006 | Cally and Lance reluctantly host a house party that spirals into chaos as predicted by the comic, with Vern discovering the Dark Oracle and attempting to exploit its powers, forcing the twins to contain the fallout.[25] |
| 2x06 | The Stalker | April 13, 2006 | The comic depicts Dizzy achieving rock star fame, but an obsessive fan named Juniper emerges as a real stalker, leading Cally and Lance to use the comic's predictions to protect him from escalating threats.[25] |
| 2x07 | The Familiars | April 20, 2006 | Vern summons a supernatural familiar through dark rituals to aid his schemes, complicating Dizzy's budding romance with Rebecca, while Cally and Lance consult the comic to dismantle the creature before it possesses anyone.[25] |
| 2x08 | Scent of a Skeleton | April 27, 2006 | During a group camping trip, the comic warns of disappearances linked to skeletal apparitions, requiring Cally and Lance to decipher clues and rescue their friends from a haunted forest entity.[25] |
| 2x09 | Babysitter | May 4, 2006 | While babysitting, Cally confronts Violet's attempt to possess her body via the comic, with Lance racing against time to intervene and prevent a permanent takeover.[25] |
| 2x10 | Ghosts from the Past | May 11, 2006 | Vern steals the Dark Oracle comics to summon a figure from the comic realm, exacerbating Cally's jealousy over Emmett's ex-girlfriend and forcing the twins to reclaim the artifacts.[25] |
| 2x11 | Life Interrupted | May 18, 2006 | Omen grants Vern a wish that traps Lance inside the comic world, prioritizing the rescue of Blaze over Lance, leaving Cally to navigate the consequences alone.[25] |
| 2x12 | Trail Blaze | May 25, 2006 | With Lance stranded in the comic and Blaze impersonating him in reality, Cally's plan to expose and swap them back fails, heightening the supernatural invasion.[25] |
| 2x13 | Redemption | June 1, 2006 | Cally grapples with guilt over delaying Lance's rescue as Violet and Blaze orchestrate a final scheme to replace the real-world teens, but the twins unite with their allies to defeat the antagonists and secure the comic's containment.[25] |