La malédiction du loup-garou

After recently discovering a short-lived show called "Wolf Lake", I began reminiscing about the best werewolf show that I can remember as a series on television. I miss this show "Werewolf". I remember watching this show on USA on Friday or Saturday nights. It was either preceded by or followed by another great show called "The Hitchhiker". These two shows made for one heck of a night of television watching for not only a young teenage boy (me), but for anybody who enjoys supernatural monsters (i.e. werewolves) and thrilling tales of fantasy. I thought the werewolves on this show were the most vicious, coolest looking werewolves that I had seen yet. And while the pentagram on the palm doesn't go with traditional folklore, I like it. This is definitely a show that I yearn to see as reruns on cable t.v, or better yet, picked up by a network and continued where it left off.

This has to be one of the most creative and imaginative television shows of the 1980's. It's incredible to believe that there were only five postings before this one. Previous reviews have already outlined the plot so it won't be repeated here. Some reviews (here and elsewhere) tend to unjustly compare this series to 'The Fugitive' and 'The Incredible Hulk', as if those are the only two shows centering on a man on the run. Truth to tell, there was a show even called 'Man On The Run' well before the Hulk series, and there were other similarly-themed series like 'Starman', 'The Immortal', 'Otherworld', 'Logan's Run', and even the 'Planet of the Apes' TV series, as well as a parody of 'The Fugitive' that aired at the same time as it did. The idea of a "man on the run" show is as valid as a "hospital show" or a "lawyer show" or "ship in space show" or what have you. It is unfair to simply dismiss 'Werewolf' as just a copy of any similar show that preceded it.

'Werewolf' possessed many original features that separates it from the untold number of horror-themed shows that now flood the channels. Remember, there weren't many shows even like this at the time or before. The driving electric-guitar music, the graphic violence, and the mature themes (for a non-'dramatic' show) make every episode something new to enjoy. This series was the first in a long time, if not the very first, to have a weekly show deal with regular ongoing horror characters in a serious way. There were other shows that dealt with the supernatural, but they were anthologies like 'The Outer Limits'. The original nemesis for 'Werewolf' was played by Chuck Connors, who, through disputes with the producers, was written out and replaced with a new villain called 'Nicholas Remy'. Unfortunately the series was canceled shortly after this occurred and the final resolution has never been told (Sci-Fi Channel, where are you?!). Episodes such as 'The Wolf Who Thought He Was A Man', 'Running With The Pack', 'A World of Difference', 'Nightmare in Blue', and 'To Dream of Wolves' represent some of the best episodes of this too-short series.

Some previous reviewers have complained about the supposed 'inconsistencies' with werewolf lore, like seeing the pentagram on his own palm as opposed to the palm of his next victim. These people obviously know nothing of historical werewolf lore outside of film or else they would realize that the whole palm thing was created by Hollywood in the first place. Almost every culture on earth has legends regarding people transforming into animal form, be it wolf or fox or bear, dating back to the ancient Greek story of King Lycos. ANY Hollywood story must be viewed like any other adaptation, in that the 'facts' were changed where deemed necessary. It is doubtful that any film or television series has followed the historical rules regarding lycanthropy.

The 'Werewolf' TV series was no more accurate or inaccurate than 'The Howling' or 'An American Werewolf in London' regarding established werewolf lore, but it presented a new and creative series that attempted to bring to the screen the best of everything that happened before while not being simply a copy-cat of those stories. This series has many fascinating and compelling levels working in its favor, and it only takes the attention of the viewer to appreciate them.

I remember when I was a little kid back in 1987 I was so fascinated by "Werewolf", a very well made TV series by then newborn FOX network. The premise of the show rang familiar, a lone good guy wanders the country helping people, always on the run from the law. This brings back memories of "The Fugitive". Ofcourse, said lone good guy who was named Eric Cord also uncontrollably transforms into a massively frightening werewolf beast. This harkens back to "The Incredible Hulk" TV series.

Eric Cord is a typical college student who is told by his roommate Ted that he is a werewolf and must be killed. Eric doesn't believe him until he sees Ted actually transform into a werewolf and Eric is forced to kill him with the silver bullet that Ted gave him. Sadly, Eric is bitten, and the curse is passed onto him. Eric must then track down the head werewolf and kill him or her to break the curse. Cord is a wanted fugitive for killing his roommate Ted, and a tough as nails bounty hunter named Alamo Joe Rogan is relentlessly on his trail. Rogan grew up thinking that he could stand up to anything if he could look it in the eye,...if he could look it in the eye that is. So part of Rogan's obsession is confronting Eric's werewolf, and his own fear of the one thing in the world that momentarily scared Rogan sh*tless and made him "blink"---seeing that terrifying werewolf. The special effects by Rick Baker were OUTSTANDING for a TV series made in 1987.

The main difference with Eric Cord and Dr. Banner was that, you knew that the Hulk would never intentionally kill anyone. Even if people attacked the Hulk, he would never kill them. Toss them 20 feet through the air maybey, but "Hulk no kill". A werewolf is a different story. And with Eric Cord's werewolf, there was ALWAYS the lurking menace of his werewolf killing innocents, not just the "bad guys". And in some episodes, Eric's werewolf actually did kill some innocent people. It was clear that towards the end of the 1st season, that Eric was not as in control of his beast as he was in the beginning. (losing control of the werewolf was something his friend Ted warned him about). Unfortunately, the FOX network in all it's grand stupidity decided to cancel "Werewolf" in 1988 after just one measely season and replaced it with that idiot program called "It's the Gary Shandling Show".

The only weak spot about "Werewolf" was that it was only 30 minutes long an episode, when it really should have been a full hour long. This show preceded WB's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" by 10 years, and FOX will never live down canceling this great series.

I watched Werewolf as a young boy, and was fascinated with it, wholly. It was a great show, featuring make up and special effects by monster master, Rick Baker. The story was a re-tread of Bill Bixby's Incredible Hulk, but wherein that beast was a heart of gold, in lies Eric Cord's chest beats the heart of a beast. Cord journeys to find the malevolent sea captain, Janos Skorzeny, portrayed by the late, great Chuck Connors, who was responsible for his transformation. Connors' metamorphosis into his lycanthrope form is second only to An American Werewolf In London. Alas, Werewolf died after only 28 episodes, not the victim of a silver bullet or blade, but the pen stroke of wary Fox executives, who decided Married With Children is better Sunday night fare.

I remember this show from my youth. I remember being pretty into it. The werewolf transformations were incredibly well done... the work by Baker fantastic. I also remember Skorzeny scaring the crap out of me as an impressionable youngster. Really, really creepy character. A shame the show didn't last longer.