True werewolf lovers are well aware that good werewolf dramas are few and far between! Werewolves have been popular in fiction since the concept was first introduced, yet there have not been near as many good werewolf-themed movies or TV shows to justify the enthusiasm. Yes, the 1980s were good for the genre, and we got to see some of the best werewolf films, but in this video, we will highlight an underappreciated masterpiece that had fallen under the radar.
Frank Lupo produced this television series, which lasted for one season and 29 episodes. Eric Cord, an unlucky victim of the werewolf curse, is the protagonist of the story. He is trapped in a terrible situation and must find a way to break his curse, and the episodes revolve around his efforts to track down the werewolf bloodline’s originator.
Aside from having an intriguing plot, the series also had a high terror factor. This was not a horror show, and each episode was intended to be regarded seriously. The two-hour premiere episode was nothing short of a gripping horror film, and the subsequent episodes just added to the program are excellent. We have got a great throwback of this treasure from the past for you today, and all you werewolf enthusiasts are in for a treat!
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Werewolf – the Pilot episode explored and the show in a nutshell
If morning shows the day, Werewolf showed signs of brilliance right from the pilot episode! What a beginning it was! We see someone in a cowboy hat who seems to be a bounty hunter gearing up for something serious. The prologue suggests that his belief system has been shaken and previously, as a resident of Brooklyn, the only evil he knew of were street punks. Now, he has to deal with something far more sinister, something supernatural! The next scene takes us to a nightclub, where some youngsters are having a fun time.
A young lady walks out of the nightclub into a deserted parking lot. She hears an unexplained growling and is visibly shaken. Her male companion joins her soon, but they barely get into their car, when something big and powerful lands on the roof of the car. The growling grows louder, and the fate of the young couple is known the next day when we learn that they had been found dead, mauled by a mysterious killer.
We are soon introduced to a young college student Eric Cord, and he is seen chilling by the pool with his girlfriend Kelly. Life seems to be fun and carefree for him, and little does he know about the horrors that are in store for him! Kelly’s father appears and warns them about venturing out alone at night because of some freakishly strong and beastly killer on the prowl. Things take a serious turn when Eric comes back home.
His pet dog seems to be behaving strangely, and he is shocked to find his best friend and roommate Ted Nichols in a somewhat disoriented state. He watches Ted loading a revolver with silver bullets and there is a look of desperation on his face that makes it obvious that this is not some harmless prank! Ted reveals that he is the one responsible for the several unsolved killings in the recent past, and he claims to be a werewolf. Eric initially tries to laugh it off, and he doubts the mental state of his best friend.
However, he is in a dilemma when Ted shows him the sign of a pentagram embedded in the palm of his hand. He warns Eric that this sign is an indication of an upcoming transformation, and he hands over the loaded revolver to Eric to spare him of his miseries. Ted doesn’t want the killings to continue, and once he transforms there is no turning around.
Despite his pleas to end his life, Eric still thinks that his best buddy is delusional, but he agrees to tie him up until midnight. If he changes into a werewolf, Eric would act accordingly, and if not, he would get some help for his friend. Thus begins a patient waiting period, during which Ted explains the entire process of him being changed into a werewolf.
While he is firmly tied to a chair, Ted narrates how it all started the previous summer when he was working on a fishing boat. This boat was captained by Janos Skorzeny and one day when Ted was walking back home, he was attacked by a werewolf. Although he managed to survive, three days following the attack, a pentagram appeared on his palm. Soon afterward, he was transformed into a vicious werewolf, and he went on a killing spree.
In his transformed state, he has no control over his actions, and he could do nothing to stop himself from killing innocents. Now, he feels that death is the only answer to his problems, and his friend Eric can be the only savior here. He also informs Eric that the only way to stop this curse was to kill the original werewolf who started it all.
When the clock struck the midnight hour, Eric’s worst fears came to life when Ted started to transform. The pentagram on his hand starts to bleed and Eric watches in horror as his best friend slowly changes into a werewolf. In his werewolf state, Ted has unbelievable powers and he breaks free from his bondage.
Eric manages to shoot and kill him, but the werewolf manages to bite Eric on his shoulder. After being killed, Ted’s body reverts back to its human form and the neighbors arrive to see what appears to be a crime scene!
Clearly, Eric is the prime suspect in the murder case, and after recovering in the hospital from the bite injuries he is arrested. However, because of his clean track record and for being a good student, he is released on bail. But this is not the worst of his problems! Eric realizes that the bite from the werewolf has inflicted him with the curse as well. He finds a similar pentagram as Ted’s on his hand as well.
Now, the only person who can help him is his girlfriend Kelly who also happens to be Ted’s sister. He manages to convince her to lock him up before he transforms, but the following morning he wakes up to a broken door.
Just when he thinks that he broke out and killed innocents, Kelly reveals that she was the one who broke in and he was locked up all night. However, another killing had occurred that night, and Eric realizes that there is another werewolf out there on the loose. Maybe, this is the one that infected Ted in the first place!
Eric is determined to get to the bottom of this, as he also wants to get rid of the curse. So, he heads to the boatyard, searching for the original werewolf. He senses the presence of a werewolf nearby, and this is when he meets Captain Janos Skorzeny. He has a brief conversation with Janos and he is convinced that he is the werewolf who started it all.
Meanwhile, he heads to a motel and asks Kelly to tie him up and call the police on an anonymous tip. He knows that the change is near, and he doesn’t want to be caught off-guard. Kelly does as instructed, but once she leaves, she is kidnapped by Janos Skorzeny who intends to make her his next target.
On the other hand, a bounty hunter in a cowboy hat named Alamo Joe is on Eric’s trail for jumping bail. Rogan finds him in the motel and keeps him confined in his truck. However, soon after being captured Eric changes into a werewolf and breaks free. Alamo Joe shoots at him multiple times, but he watches in shock as bullets have no impact on his body.
Eric senses Skorzeny’s trail because of his heightened senses and he heads to a cabin lair, where he had taken Kelly. The two werewolves engage in an animalistic duel, and the cabin catches fire during the fight. Skorzeny manages to escape in the confusion, and Eric is knocked unconscious.
He wakes up the next morning to find Kelly unharmed near the cabin. She is in a state of shock because of the turn of events, and Eric tells her that he has made up his mind to go after Skorzeny to end the werewolf curse permanently. The bounty hunter, meanwhile, is on his trail and this time Alamo Joe has armed himself with silver bullets! What will be the outcome of this nail-biting contest?
The following episodes offer some answers, if not all. Most of the consequent 30-minute episodes involve Eric wandering from one place to another in search of Skorzeny, who he believes to be the root of all evil. He takes up odd jobs, befriends various characters along his path, and transforms into his werewolf self every now and then. There are some epic werewolf battles, some iconic twists, and much more that await you in this well-made werewolf series. If you haven’t watched it already, it is high time that you did!
This Short-lived series was werewolf horror at its finest
The legend of lycanthropy had a worthy platform in this show, and that is saying something considering the buffet of werewolf TV shows available today. So what is it that makes us rank this show as one of the holy grails of the genre? Well, for starters, the wonderful premise made sure that the series had your attention right from the start. The pilot episode, which ran for two hours long, might have been a bit slow-going, but once the narrative picked up pace there was no stopping it. Even after all these years, the story seems fresh, and it is no surprise that Werewolf is regarded as one of Fox’s network’s best short-live shows out there.
The plot is a tribute to some of the old horror movies and shows, but no one can question the originality of the narrative. As you get involved with the story, you start to feel for Eric and his helplessness. The episodes are nicely balanced in terms of content and while the show majorly caters to a young audience, some episodes deal with some truly dark subject matter.
This show was made on a shoestring budget, but the makers still got some terrific effects into play. The werewolf transformations are fun to watch, and the makeup effects are on point as well. Be prepared for some surprising twists and turns in the story, and the episodes are surely going to keep you on the edge of your seats. As for the acting performances, John J. York does a fine job as the protagonist, and Chuck Connors steals the show as Captain Janos Skorzeny.
The typical 80s-style soundtrack is soothing to our ears, and the only complaint that we have is the duration of the episodes being too short. After the pilot episode, the remaining ones are just thirty minutes and they leave the viewer asking for more. The FOX channel had a hilarious marketing gimmick to popularize the show, and they displayed a toll-free number on the screen to call if someone saw or knew a werewolf.
You would be surprised to know how many people actually called the number! However, it was a disastrous decision to cancel the show abruptly just when it was lining up for excellence. It still remains one of our finest 80s memories, and this classic TV horror certainly deserves a lot more appreciation.
Our Final Words
They don’t make shows like these anymore! Yes, that is our biggest regret as we refresh our memories with the brilliance of this 80s show. Werewolf shows today are way more about drama and romanticism, and somewhere the raw fear quotient has gone missing. Besides, the breathtaking practical effects and the typical 80s no-nonsense narrative are a thing of the past now.
Unfortunately, we never got to know the end of the story because of the untimely cancellation of the show. While there are literally no chances of someone completing the story arc, we can bet that it would have been a timeless classic had the TV series got a chance to give us closure. As of now, all you can do is go and check out this unsung hero, and we can bet you wouldn’t be disappointed!
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