Rocky Horror Timeline

Below is a list of important dates in Rocky Horror history. This page is, and always will be, a "work in progress". If there are errors, or important missed additions, please drop us a line using our E-mail form.

1970s ??? 1980s ??? 1990s ??? 2000s ??? 2010s

1973
Jun 16, 1973:
The Rocky Horror Show, originally written by Richard O'Brien, has its first preview showings at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs, Sloane Square, London, England. The show plays later that year at the Classic Cinema followed by the King's Road Theatre. 2,960 performances, and various other locations in England later, the show closes on Sep 13, 1980.

1974
Mar 19, 1974:
The Rocky Horror Show has its first US preview showings at the Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles, CA. The show ends up having a successful 9 month run.

Oct 23, 1974:
Filming begins on The Rocky Horror Picture Show, at Oakley Court / Bray Studios near Windsor, England.

Dec 21, 1974:
The Rocky Horror Picture Show wraps up principal photography.

1975
Mar 10, 1975:
The Rocky Horror Show starts its run on Broadway at the Belasco Theatre, New York, NY. The run ends on Apr 5, 1975, after only 3 previews and 45 showings.

Aug 1975:
The Rocky Horror Picture Show has its worldwide premiere in London, England.

Sep 26, 1975:
The Rocky Horror Picture Show has its US premiere at the UA Westwood Theater (now called Mann Festival Theater), Los Angeles, CA.

Sep 29, 1975:
The Rocky Horror Picture Show's general US release date.

1976
Apr 2, 1976:
RHPS has its first midnight showing around April Fool's Day at the Waverly Theater (now called IFC Center), New York, NY - the start of Rocky Horror's "audience participation" phenomenon.

Sep 1976:
RHPS audience members start to talk back and yell things at the screen.

1977
Apr 1977:
Audience members start throwing things at certain points with the film, the first "props".

Spring 1977:
The Rocky Horror Picture Show Fan Club is created by Sal Piro and other fans of the film.

1978
As RHPS grows in popularity, creator Richard O'Brien works on a script for a sequel, Rocky Horror Shows His Heels. This script was later re-worked into The Brad and Janet Show, which eventually became Shock Treatment.

1979
The RHPS soundtrack LP is released in the US for the first time.

1980 (5th Anniversary)
Nov 1980:
Filming begins on Shock Treatment, at Lee International Studios (now Fountain Television Studios) in Wembley, England.

Nov 10, 1980:
Recording of the Shock Treatment soundtrack begins at Regents Park Recording Studios, London, England.

1981
The Shock Treatment soundtrack is made available in LP and cassette.

The Rocky Horror Treatment, a documentary hosted by Sal Piro about the RHPS / Shock Treatment experience, airs on late-night cable.

Aug 1981:
Shock Treatment has its American premiere at UA Cinemas, Fresno, CA. Lou Adler, Michael White, Richard O'Brien and his son Linus are all in attendance. Fresno, CA RHPS cast Creatures of the Night hosts the event.

Dec 1981:
After many delays, Shock Treatment is released to theatres on a limited basis.

1983
Shock Treatment is released on VHS.

The 2-LP RHPS Audience Participation Album (Say It!), complete with audience callbacks, is released.

1985 (10th Anniversary)
Oct 31, 1985:
RHPS celebrates its 10th Anniversary at the Beacon Theater, New York, NY. Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn, Little Nell, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, Meatloaf, and Jonathan Adams are in attendance. The RHPS Fan Club becomes the officially recognized international fan club by 20th Century Fox, with Sal Piro as Fan Club president.

1986
A CD version of the RHPS Soundtrack is released.

1989
May 12, 1989:
A CD of the RHPS Soundtrack is released with two new remixes of The Time Warp.

1990 (15th Anniversary)
The 4-album RHPS 15th Anniversary Box Set is released on CD and cassette.

Jul 1990:
Sal Piro's book about the RHPS experience, Creatures of the Night, is published.

Oct 18, 1990:
The City of Los Angeles declared it "Rocky Horror Picture Show Day".

Oct 20, 1990:
RHPS celebrates its 15th Anniversary on Soundstage 14 at 20th Century Fox Studios, Century City, CA. Tim Curry, Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn, Little Nell, Barry Bostwick and Meatloaf are in attendance. The event also marks the first apperance of a newly-mixed stereo track of the film, using masters from the soundtrack album.

Nov 8, 1990:
RHPS is released on VHS for the first time for a retail price of $89.95. The video includes the stereo track, documentary footage and a Time Warp video. A laserdisc is released later that year without the documentary.

1993
RHPS finds a new online home: alt.cult-movies.rocky-horror.

Oct 25, 1993:
RHPS has its US broadcast TV premiere on the Fox network, complete with (edited) audience participation.

1994
May 3, 1994:
A CD version of the Shock Treatment soundtrack is released.

Jul 5, 1994:
The Rocky Horror Show has its 21st Birthday party at the Duke of York's Theatre, London, England. Richard O'Brien and Patricia Quinn are in attendance.

Aug 16, 1994:
A CD version of the RHPS Audience Participation Album (Say It!) is released.

Dec 10, 1994:
Cosmo's Factory, which later becomes one of the largest Internet sites dedicated to RHPS, goes online.

1995 (20th Anniversary)
The RHPS Official Fan Club starts its own website at www.insv.com/rhps.

May 1, 1995:
Sal Piro's book Creatures of the Night II is published.

Sep 5, 1995:
A new RHPS CD is released: RHPS: Sing It!, the RHPS soundtrack without the main vocals.

Oct 20-21, 1995:
RHPS celebrates its 20th Anniversary at the Roxy Theatre and the Pantages Theatre, Los Angeles, CA. Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn and Barry Bostwick are in attendance.

Oct 1995:
RHPS airs on VH1, along with a special on the film hosted by Meatloaf, and becomes their top-rated programming to date.

Dec 20, 1995:
RHPS is released in a 20th Anniversary laserdisc box set for a retail price of $124.98. The video includes a THX-certified 1.85:1 letterbox transfer, the stereo track, an audience participation track, deleted scenes "Once in a While" and "Superheroes" as supplements, outtakes, a documentary, a 24K gold CD of the soundtrack, and the Sal Piro book Creatures of the Night II.

1996
Fox replaces some original prints of RHPS with new stereo prints that include the scene "Superheroes", not commonly included in prior US releases. This thrills some fans because of the added scene and upsets other fans who prefer the original mono sound mix.

Mar 22, 1996:
The RHPS Official Fan Club moves to a new address: www.rockyhorror.com.

Apr 12, 1996:
At an Albany, NY RHPS / Shock Treatment convention, both movies are performed, and RHPS Fan Club President Sal Piro announces the creation of the Shock Treatment Fan Club, with the new presidents "Mad Man" Mike and Bill Brennan.

Oct 1996:
An unsuccessful Halloween cross-promotion with Budweiser beer and RHPS is tried.

Dec 1996:
An unfinished script for a sequel to RHPS, Revenge of the Old Queen, surfaces on the Internet. The film is never made.

1997
Sep 16, 1997:
The Rocky Horror Collection CD box set is released.

1998
Sep 15, 1998:
RHPS is released in a Special Edition VHS, with the 1990 stereo track. There are also separate Spanish subtitled and 1.85:1 letterbox releases. These releases include deleted scenes "Once in a While" and "Superheroes" as supplements.

1999
Sep 1999:
RHPS creator Richard O'Brien is rumored to have written a script for a sequel to Rocky Horror. The finished product never surfaces.

Oct 1999:
VH1 airs RHPS along with new Pop-Up Video, Where Are They Now?, and Behind The Music specials.

2000 (25th Anniversary)
Mar 7, 2000:
RHPS Criminologist Charles Gray dies at the age of 71.

Oct 3, 2000:
RHPS is released on a 2-disc DVD in the US, carrying all the features over from the 20th Anniversary laserdisc release. It also features the option to have "Superheroes" in the film, a 1.66:1 anamorphic transfer and a newly-mixed 5.1 surround track, as well as (finally!) the original mono track. Richard O'Brien and Patricia Quinn even have a commentary track! A VHS is also released at the same time, featuring "Superheroes" in the film and a stereo mixdown of the new 5.1 track. A new CD soundtrack is also released on this day: RHPS: 25 Years of Absolute Pleasure.

Oct 13-14, 2000:
RHPS celebrates its 25th Anniversary at the Cashman Field Center and the Hard Rock Cafe, Las Vegas, NV. Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn, Sal Piro, and Dori Hartley are in attendance.

Oct 19, 2000:
The second Broadway run of The Rocky Horror Show starts its previews at Circle in the Square Theatre, New York, NY. The show goes on for 2 years, has 437 performances, and is nominated for 4 Tony awards.

Oct 29, 2000:
VH1 airs RHPS and their related specials. They also premiere Rocky Horror 25, a celebrity karaoke special hosted by Ashton Kutcher. Patricia Quinn, Richard O'Brien and Nell Campbell, as well as Jesse L. Martin, Bijou Phillips, Eric McCormack, Wallace Langdon, Amber Benson, Anthony Stewart Head (who played Frank-N-Furter in RHS 1990 UK production), and Elisa Donovan sing songs from the film.

2001
Jun 21-24, 2001:
A fan-run RHPS convention, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, is held in Los Angeles. Patricia Quinn and scream queen Elvira make an appearance.

Oct 30, 2001:
A fan-made documentary about the RHPS experience, A Regular Frankie Fan, is released on DVD.

2002
Jul 2002:
A television remake, Rocky Horror: The Second Coming is announced to be in the works, but never sees the light of day.

Sep 3, 2002:
A 1-disc version of the RHPS DVD is released. The 2-disc version goes out of print.

2004
Jul 23-25, 2004:
An fun-filled RHPS convention is held in New York, NY.

2005 (30th Anniversary)
The Rocky Horror Trivia Game is released. The game includes 1,500 trivia questions written by Sal Piro.

Jun 13, 2005:
RHPS' Dr. Scott, Jonathan Adams, passes away at the age of 74.

Dec 16, 2005:
www.rockyhorror.com, the RHPS Official Fan Club's website, is re-designed for the first time since its introduction in 1994.

Dec 27, 2005:
The US Library of Congress' National Film Preservation Board adds RHPS to its National Film Registry.

2006
Mar 16, 2006:
The Rocky Horror Show starts its new tour in the UK.

May 3, 2006:
To celebrate the Royal Court Theatre's 50th birthday, the Rocky Horror Tribute Show is performed at the Royal Court. Richard O'Brien, Patricia Quinn, Little Nell, Anthony Stewart Head, Christopher Biggins, Perry Bedden, and Michael White, Sue Blane and Kimi Wong are there.

May 22, 2006:
An RHPS / Shock Treatment DVD box set is released in the UK.

May 29, 2006:
www.rockyhorror.com gets another re-design.

Sep 5, 2006:
A Shock Treatment DVD is released in the US with 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen and 5.1, 2.0 and Spanish audio tracks. The disc features trailers, featurettes, and commentary by Shock Treatment Fan Club presidents "Mad Man" Mike and Bill Brennan. The disc is made available separately, as well as in a box set with the previously out of print 2-disc RHPS DVD.

Oct 2006:
More rumors about a Rocky Horror remake surface, this time with Marilyn Manson in the lead role of Frank.

Oct 13-14, 2006:
A fan-run RHPS / Shock Treatment convention, Queens of the Desert, is held at the Loft Cinema, Tucson, AZ. Sal Piro and RHPS Transylvanian Perry Bedden are in attendance.

2007
Jan 1, 2007:
Sue Blane, RHS, RHPS and Shock Treatment costume designer, receives an MBE (Members of the Order of the British Empire) Award for services to drama.

May 11-12, 2007:
The Downhome Decadence cast in Huntington, WV, holds the We Are... Rocky! convention, with performances of RHPS, Shock Treatment and Phantom of the Paradise.

Jul 26-29, 2007:
Midnight Insanity in Long Beach, CA, holds The Pirates of Transylvania convention, with performances of RHPS and Shock Treatment. Sal Piro is in attendance.

2008
Jul 23, 2008:
Variety posts an article that MTV is planning to remake The Rocky Horror Picture Show for television.

2009
May 15-16, 2009:
The Celluloid Jam convention is held in Fort Mitchell, KY, with showings of Phantom of the Paradise, Shock Treatment and RHPS. Kimi Wong O'Brien and Perry Bedden are in attendance.

Fall 2009:
Auditions are held in Los Angeles, New York, and London to assemble what would later be known as the North Denton Aristrocrats (NDA) shadowcast. The cast performs the entire film to be released as a special feature on the 2010 Blu-ray release.

2010 (35th Anniversary)
Sep 23-25, 2010:
The Los Angeles, CA RHPS cast, Sins O' The Flesh, hosts 7 Deadly Sins Con in downtown Los Angeles, with showings of Clue, Shock Treatment and RHPS. Cliff De Young, Jessica Harper, Lou Adler, John Goldstone, Barry Bostwick, and Sal Piro all make appearances.

Oct 18, 2010:
New rumors of a RHPS remake surface, this time with Glee creator Ryan Murphy as director.

Oct 19, 2010:
RHPS is released on high-definition Blu-ray in the US, with a 1.66:1 transfer from a 4K/2K scan of the original camera negative, newly-mixed 7.1 DTS-HD MA surround track, and a mono track. The 7-song soundtrack album for Fox's Glee episode The Rocky Horror Glee Show is also released the same day.

Oct 26, 2010:
The Rocky Horror Glee Show is aired on the Fox Network.

Oct 28, 2010:
A special RHPS event is held at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, CA, to benefit The Painted Turtle. The NDA Cast, along with Khasan Brailsford, Danny DeVito, Jorge Garcia, Lucas Grabeel, Melora Hardin, Ricki Lake, George Lopez, Julian McMahon, Lea Michele, Matthew Morrison, Jack Nicholson, Nicole Scherzinger, and Evan Rachel Wood perform the show. Tim Curry, Barry Bostwick, and Lou Adler are also in attendance, as well as Jami Gertz and Burt Bacharach.

Oct 31, 2010:
West Hollywood, CA holds its Annual Halloween Carnaval with a Rocky Horror Picture Show theme. 8,239 people are recorded as dancing The Time Warp, breaking all previous Guinness Book records. On the same day, Fox Movie Channel holds a 24-hour marathon of RHPS.