DVD Review - Wolfblood: Season One - Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer

Wolfblood: Season One
Studio: New Video Group
Release Date: December 31, 2013
Retail:$19.95
ASIN: B00F1BFZXA
Running Time: 5 hours 38 minutes
Rating: NR

Review:

Arriving tomorrow on DVD is the fantasy/supernatural British television series Wolfblood: Season One, featuring thirteen exciting episodes. The half-hour series aired on CBBC in 2012 and will return next year for a third season. It premiered in United States back in October on the Disney Channel.

Wolfblood centers on 14-year-old Maddy Smith, who is living with her parents in Northumbria, Stoneybridge. Maddy and her parents are keeping a dark, dark secret - they are wolfbloods (werewolves)! It hasn't been easy keeping the family secret from her best-friends, Shannon Kelly and Thomas (Tom) Okanawe, especially when her first transformation is approaching.

Her world is turned upside down when a new student, Rhydian, arrives at Bradlington High. Maddy instantly suspects he is one of her kind. She quickly learns that he is living with his new foster parents and that he is a wolfblood, possibly a distant cousin. Her parents help him settle in his new environment and help him understand about his heritage.

Life in Stoneybridge isn't easy for Maddy and Rhydian, as their friend Shannon is hunting the 'beast' that terrified her as a child. She is determined to catch a picture of the 'beast' that roams the forest. To make matter worse, a beast-hunter arrives in town looking for a werewolf and Rhydian's relatives track him down.

The thirteen episodes on the 2-Disc set are:

Lone Wolf
Mysterious Developments
Family Ties
Cry Wolf
Occam's Razor
Maddy Cool
Dark Moon
Wolfsbane
A Quiet Night In
Call of the Wild
Eolas
Caged
Irresistible

Bonus Features include Behind-the-Scenes, Interviews with the Cast and Meet Your Favorite Characters.

Late one night back in October, I was flipping through the television channels and I stopped on the Disney Channel, as I don't normally see a British series or movie on the channel. From what I could tell it was about a teenage girl being hunted by wolves. Like I said it was late at night, so I turned off the television after a few minutes. After a quick Google search the following day, I learned that I had been watching a British television series called Wolfblood. Being a fan of the werewolf genre, I attempted to view more episodes, but things happen and I didn't get a chance to watch it. Luckily, I got an advanced copy of the Wolfblood: Season One DVD the same week the TV from a Black Friday (well, Thanksgiving) Sale arrived at Walmart, so the series is the first thing I watched on my first HDTV.

In world where werewolves are mostly known from the Twilight movies, the series Vampire Diaries or its spinoff The Originals, it was a nice to surprise to find a new take on the myth that isn't cheesy or campy. The young actors in Wolfblood give great performances. The series is aimed for young adults, so there are a few episodes dealing with the typical teenage plot, like one of Maddy's friend's has a crush on her, cheating on a school test and fitting in with the cool crowd, but never once does the series feels clichéd, mostly thanks to great writing. Overall, I enjoyed watching Wolfblood: Season One and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the genre or is looking for a series you can watch with your teenagers. I'm hoping the Disney Channel will air the second season sometime soon.