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

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

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

By: Finn J.D. John/ Pulp-Lit Productions
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Summary

 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 cock-and-hen-club songs, broadsheet street ballads, and lots of old Regency "dad jokes." A fresh episode every Sunday and Thursday evening. Join us!Finn J.D. John/ Pulp-Lit Productions Art Literary History & Criticism
Episodes
  • 6.01: To Ambush a Vampire: How Hard Can it Be? Well … — The Ghost-bride of Broseley Road. — The Murderess and Her Minions. (A “Graanum Gothic” episode.)

    6.01: To Ambush a Vampire: How Hard Can it Be? Well … — The Ghost-bride of Broseley Road. — The Murderess and Her Minions. (A “Graanum Gothic” episode.)
    May 10 2026
    SHOW NOTES — for — EPISODE 1 (Season 6)(May 10, 2026)This show cycles through four themes over a four-week cycle, one show per week. This is the GRAANUM GOTHIC theme show, featuring Varney the Vampyre and other Gothic drama. It will be followed by ...The “Twopenny Torrid” theme episode, coming next Sunday;The “Sixpenny Spooky” theme episode, coming two Sundays hence; and finally—The “Ha’penny Horrid” theme episode, coming two fortnights from today. For COMPLETE SHOW NOTES, including art and links to resources, see ⁠⁠pennydread.com/discord.⁠⁠ ———— IN TODAY'S "GRAANUM GOTHICS" EPISODE:03:00: ON THIS DREADFUL DAY (May 10, 1853): A terrible explosion tore through the Duffryn Pit in Glamorganshire, killing dozens of coal miners working in it. ALSO ON THIS DAY (May 10, 1709): The ghost of Broseley Road made her first of what believers in the legend say are many unsuccessful crossings of the River Severn. On this night, Hannah Phillips was on her way home from making preparations for her wedding the following day, and drowned in the river whilst trying to cross it. AND FINALLY (May 10, 1768): An overzealous justice ordered soldiers to fire upon a crowd of unruly protesters who were gathered at Newgate to protest the arrest of popular Mayor John Wilkes, converting an unruly crowd into a dangerous riot. Several innocent bystanders were killed.10:15: VARNEY THE VAMPYRE; or, THE FEAST OF BLOOD, Chapter 55-57: As the embers of Sir Francis Varney’s house start to cool, and the vampire-hunting mob starts straggling off home to bed, the Bannerworths are making ready for their removal from the hall. Soon the coach has come, conveyed them to a cozy little cottage that the Admiral has rented for them, and left Admiral Bell and Mr. Chillingworth alone in the house … waiting for the vampire. Is he coming? We think we can safely assure you, dear reader, that yes, he most certainly is. But … let’s just say complications will ensue.44:40: CATCHPENNY BROADSIDE: Just a short one, more interesting to look at than to read: a rather bad poem on the theme of “Heaven help me, I got the businessman blues,” followed by almost an appeal for charity. The poem is very religious, apparently to get the reader in the mood to practice charity!48:30: THE LIVES OF THE HIGHWAYMEN: A suspiciously black-and-white account of an early-1700s murder-for-hire scheme that bears at least a passing resemblance to the scheme of “Pamela Stone” from the 1995 Gus Van Zant movie, “To Die For.” Was Catherine Hayes guilty? Did she do it? We’ll never really know.1:02:40: 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:DANDY-COCKS: A dandy of small stature (a dandy meant basically the same thing it means today, a sort of empty-headed man of fashion. Like what Bertie Wooster’s fierce gunpowder aunts take him to be.) EARWIGS: Cronies or close friends. GRAANUM: From the term “Graanum gold,” a Flash term for old hoarded money.KNIGHTS OF THE BRUSH AND MOON: Drunken fellows wandering amok in meadows and ditches, trying to stagger home. CORINTHIAN: A fancy toff or titled swell. Used here as a reference to Corinthian Tom, the quintessential Regency rake depicted in Pierce Egan's "Life in London" (usually referred to as "Tom and Jerry"). CHAFFING-CRIB: A room where drinking and bantering are going on. GRUNTER: A shilling. Probably a derivative of another slang term for a shilling, “hog.”GUNPOWDERS: Fierce, usually disapproving old ladies. SHOP LOBBERS: Powdered fops. NIPPERKIN: Half an Imperial pint, which is rather a big dose for eye-water! EYE-WATER: Cheap gin. PIKE OFF: Run away. RED WAISTCOAT: The traditional uniform of the Bow-Street Runners, London’s first real professional police force. THERE ARE MORE! But we're out of space here. Please see complete show notes at pennydread.com/discord!
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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • 5.38: The bloody dagger of her future bridegroom hurled at her feet! — She dreamed a murder, then saw the room in which it was done! — The prophetess spake, and they died! (The “Sixpenny Spookies.”)

    5.38: The bloody dagger of her future bridegroom hurled at her feet! — She dreamed a murder, then saw the room in which it was done! — The prophetess spake, and they died! (The “Sixpenny Spookies.”)
    May 7 2026

    SHOW NOTES — for — MINISODE 38 (Season 5)

    (May 7, 2026)

    ————

    00:40: THE TERRIFIC REGISTER: An account of a widow living in Rome who in 1774 became a prophetess, and predicted the deaths of the kings of Sardinia and France as well as the Pope himself. Her predictions came true.

    05:35: EARLY VICTORIAN GHOSTLY SHORT STORY, to-wit: LEIXLIP CASTLE, by CHARLES MATURIN: In which, we meet the family of Sir Redmond Blarey — the baronet and his daughter, Miss Anne. Miss Anne wants to know who she is destined to marry, as aristocratic girls often did back then; so she lets an old crone, a servant of the family named Collogue, cast a spell that will show him to her. —— The spell works, sort of; a demonic figure appears, casts a bloody dagger down at her feet, and tells her she will know her future husband by that; and disappears. —— Then a pale, corpse-like suitor comes to call at the family manse …

    35:45: A SHORT GHOST STORY from the scrapbook of Charles Lindley, Viscount Halifax. In which: Lady Goring had a vivid dream of a man murdering an elderly lady, then staging the scene to look like a suicide, in a room of a house she’d never seen. A few months later, she was touring houses to rent, and recognized the house! The previous tenants had left it … after the wife’s mother shot herself, they said.

    39:25: A STREET BROADSIDE on the topic of ghosts, death, and ruin: “The Queer Little Man” (about a ghost, or so he thought) and “Stay a Little Longer” (a merry shopkeeper’s ditty).


    GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE:

    • ROMONERS: (from intro patter) Swindlers who pretend to have occult powers.
    • OWLERS: (ibid) Smugglers, who move goods about by night when owls are out and about.
    • KNIGHTS OF THE BRUSH AND MOON: (ibid) Drunken fellows running amok in fields and ditches late at night, trying to stagger home.
    • RAG: (From broadside ballad) Money.
    • IT’S ALL MY EYE: (ibid) It’s all nonsense.
    • DUN: (ibid) Bill-collector.
    • NAILED: (ibid) Arrested.
    • SHERRY OFF: (from outro patter) Run away.
    • FLATS: Suckers.
    • GET FLY TO THE FAKEMENT: (ibid) Get wise to the con.
    • CORINTHIAN: (ibid) A fancy toff or titled swell. Used here as a reference to Corinthian Tom, the quintessential Regency rake depicted in Pierce Egan's "Life in London" (usually referred to as "Tom and Jerry").
    • MOABITES: (ibid) Bailiffs.
    • PHILISTINES: (ibid) Another word for Moabites.
    • CRAPING COVES: (ibid) Hangmen. “Crape” is a reference to the mourning worn by “hempen widows” after their husbands have been executed.
    • YE OLD STONE PITCHER: (ibid) Newgate Prison.
    • PADDINGTON FAIR: Execution day at Tyburn, which is in Paddington Parish. Paddington is also a pun, as “pad” was a flash word for “thief” or “robber.”


    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
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    45 mins
  • 5.37: Sweeney Todd tries to murder Mrs. Lovett! — The hangman hanged, and for a shocking crime! — Trial and punishment of a cruel highway robber. (A “Ha’penny Horrid” Minisode.)

    5.37: Sweeney Todd tries to murder Mrs. Lovett! — The hangman hanged, and for a shocking crime! — Trial and punishment of a cruel highway robber. (A “Ha’penny Horrid” Minisode.)
    May 3 2026

    SHOW NOTES — for — MINISODE 37 (Season 5)

    (May 3, 2026)

    ————

    • 00:01: HANGED TODAY IN HISTORY (April 3): One of the most notorious men to ever serve as a public executioner in England got that way by engaging in a shocking murder himself … that would be John “Jack Ketch” Price, launched into eternity at Tyburn On This Day 308 years ago!
    • 08:45: SWEENEY TODD, THE BARBER OF FLEET-STREET, Chapters 101-102: The boat with Todd and Mrs. Lovett in the stern makes great headway down the Thames. When it gets to London Bridge — the old bridge, with the narrow abutments that choked the river down to a roaring cataract at ebb tides — both passengers insist on being ferried through rather than getting out on the upstream side. While they are shooting the rapid, Todd knocks Mrs. Lovett overboard with a heavy blow to the head. … is this curtains for Mrs. Lovett? Will Sweeney Todd get away with this? We shall see.
    • 37:00: HORRID BROADSIDE: “Account of the TRIAL AND EXECUTION of JOHN AUSTIN Convicted at the OLD BAILEY on Saturday, Nov. 1st, 1783, of a Cruel Highway Robbery on JOHN SPICER, a Poor Man.” (1850s) The headline about covers it — but Mr. Austin played an unusually long game in setting his mark up for this dreadful crime, which he executed with an accomplice and a cutlass.


    GLOSSARY OF EARLY-VICTORIAN SLANG USED IN THIS EPISODE:

    • SHARKS: Lawyers.
    • TOPPING COVES: Hangmen.
    • KNIGHTS OF THE WOODEN RUFF: Prisoners serving a sentence in the pillory.
    • RUM BEAKS: Judges and magistrates who can be bought off.
    • RESURRECTION MEN: Body snatchers — fellows who dig up fresh-buried corpses to sell for a few guineas at the nearest medical college as cadavers.
    • TIP OUR RAGS A GALLOP: Run away as fast as we can.
    • GRABS: Law enforcement personnel.
    • TOUCH, or PUT THE TOUCH ON: To arrest.
    • HELL CATS: Dangerous ladies who frequent the “hells” (gambling dens).
    • BLACKLEGS: Professional gamblers who cheat to win.
    • SPICE ISLANDERS: Swindlers. A double pun: Mace is a spice; a mace-man is a swindler; so a Spice Islander is, as it were, a resident of Swindle Island.
    • SPEELING-CRIB: A “hell” (gambling den).
    • COVENT GARDEN: London neighbourhood that was, in the Regency and early Victorian, famous as a place where bloods, bucks and choice spirits went to sport their blunt. Upscale gambling hells and brothels were conveniently close by the Royal Opera and Drury-lane Theatre.
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    47 mins
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