As I mentioned a few days ago, I recently became editor of the show Werewolf. I decided it would be a good idea to write up a blog entry about it because so few people recall this series. Werewolf was aired in the fall of 1987 as a part of the inaugural lineup for the new Fox Network. Other than a two-hour pilot, it was a 30 minute weekly series following the adventures of young Eric Cord. Eric was a 20-something who had everything going for him. He had recently fallen in love with his childhood playmate Kelly Nichols, and they were trying to find a way to tell her father. Mr. Nichols had taken Eric in a few years earlier when both his parents were killed in a car accident. Kelly's brother, Ted, was Eric's best friend and roommate. In short, Eric was putting the tragedy of his parents' death behind him, and moving into an almost idyllic Southern California life. Then Eric arrives home one night to find Ted sitting alone in the dark, loading a revolver with silver bullets. Ted tells Eric that he's been keeping a dark secret. Ted is a werewolf. He had been attacked on the docks the summer before and since then had been struggling with the beast inside him. But the beast was slowly winning, and Ted no longer believes that he can control himself. So he needs Eric to help him. He needs Eric to use the revolver. Eric refuses, but when Ted transforms into a massive beast he has no choice but to fire. Eric kills Ted, but suffers a bite wound to the shoulder. Now Eric is cursed to transform into a beast with no warning but the appearance of the pentagram on his palm. Going on the information that Ted gave him, he realizes that he must seek out and kill the werewolf who infected Ted, because only by severing the bloodline can the curse be broken. He skips bail and leaves town to search for Skorzeny, the progenitor of the bloodline. Now he is wanted for Ted's murder, and must not only seek Skorzeny but also elude the bounty hunter, Rogan, who has been sent after him. And Rogan knows what Eric is... The series had the same feel as The Incredible Hulk, The Fugitive, and a number of other shows with the hunter/hunted theme. The effects were done by Greg Cannom (one of the better makeup effects people in the business) and the werewolf suit was designed by Rick Baker (a god in the makeup effects world, who did the effects for An American Werewolf In London). The 30 minute format enabled the series to keep tension high, and despite having almost no budget the production values were overall excellent. Overall the show holds up well, 18 years after its first episode aired. However, it is obvious that the art of creating television shows has changed somewhat since this time. The acting in current shows is a bit more nuanced and subtle, so Werewolf can at times seem to be a bit over the top in that regard. Aging aside, if you can ever find a copy of this show (it has yet to be officially released on DVD) it is well worth a viewing. And if you feel like stopping by http://www.tvshowsondvd.com, signing up, and then voting for the show... heck, who am I to stop you. ;) Don't take any silver bullets. Hurdy gur, -Marc