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* [[Crystal Reed]] as Allison Argent, Scott's love interest and member of the Argent werewolf hunters
* [[Crystal Reed]] as Allison Argent, Scott's love interest and member of the Argent werewolf hunters
* [[Dylan O'Brien]] as Stiles Stilinski, Scott's sarcastic human best friend
* [[Dylan O'Brien]] as Stiles Stilinski, Scott's sarcastic human best friend
* [[Tyler Hoechlin]] as Derek Hale, a mysterious Beta werewolf
* [[Tyler Hoechlin]] as Derek Hale, a mysterious Alpha werewolf
* [[Holland Roden]] as Lydia Martin, Allison's best friend and a Banshee
* [[Holland Roden]] as Lydia Martin, Allison's best friend
* [[Colton Haynes]] as Jackson Whittemore (Seasons 1–2),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hypable.com/2012/10/12/mtv-confirms-that-colton-haynes-is-leaving-teen-wolf/ |title=MTV confirms Colton Haynes leaving 'Teen Wolf' • Hypable |publisher=Hypable.com |date=2012-10-12 |accessdate=2013-01-15}}</ref> the school's lacrosse team captain and Lydia's boyfriend
* [[Colton Haynes]] as Jackson Whittemore (Seasons 1–2),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hypable.com/2012/10/12/mtv-confirms-that-colton-haynes-is-leaving-teen-wolf/ |title=MTV confirms Colton Haynes leaving 'Teen Wolf' • Hypable |publisher=Hypable.com |date=2012-10-12 |accessdate=2013-01-15}}</ref> the school's lacrosse team captain and Lydia's boyfriend


Revision as of 23:23, 25 August 2013

Teen Wolf
File:Teen Wolf season 2 intertitle.png
Genre
Developed byJeff Davis
Starring
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes48 (36 aired) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers
ProducerJoseph P. Genier
Production locations
Running time40 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkMTV
ReleaseJune 5, 2011 (2011-06-05) –
present
Related

Teen Wolf is an American television series developed by Jeff Davis for MTV. It is loosely based on the 1985 film of the same name. The show's central character is Scott McCall (Tyler Posey), a high school student and social outcast who is bitten by a werewolf while looking for a dead girl in the woods. Scott attempts to maintain a normal life, keeping the fact of his being a werewolf secret from everyone, with the exception of his best friend "Stiles" Stilinski (Dylan O'Brien), who helps him through the changes in his life and body, and another mysterious werewolf, Derek Hale (Tyler Hoechlin).

Teen Wolf premiered on June 5, 2011, following the 2011 MTV Movie Awards.[1] The second season premiered on June 3, 2012 after 2012 MTV Movie Awards. On July 12, 2012, Teen Wolf was renewed for a third season, which includes 24 episodes and the production location was moved to Los Angeles, California.[2] The third season premiered on June 3, 2013 at 10 pm,[3] giving the series a new high on ratings.[4] The series has received a generally positive response from critics, earning a score of 61 out of 100 on review site Metacritic.[5]

Plot

Main article: List of Teen Wolf episodes

The series revolves around social outcast Scott McCall, a high school student living in the town of Beacon Hills. Scott's life drastically changes when he is bitten by a werewolf, becoming one himself. He must henceforth learn to balance his problematic new identity with his day-to-day teenage life. The following characters are instrumental to his struggle: Stiles, his best friend; Allison, his love interest who comes from a family of werewolf hunters; and Derek, a mysterious werewolf with a dark past. Throughout the show, he strives both to keep his loved ones safe and maintain the relationships he shares with each person around him.

Cast

Main article: List of Teen Wolf characters
  • Tyler Posey as Scott McCall, a teenager whose life changes after he becomes a werewolf
  • Crystal Reed as Allison Argent, Scott's love interest and member of the Argent werewolf hunters
  • Dylan O'Brien as Stiles Stilinski, Scott's sarcastic human best friend
  • Tyler Hoechlin as Derek Hale, a mysterious Alpha werewolf
  • Holland Roden as Lydia Martin, Allison's best friend
  • Colton Haynes as Jackson Whittemore (Seasons 1–2),[6] the school's lacrosse team captain and Lydia's boyfriend

Development and production

In June 2009, MTV announced that they would be adapting Teen Wolf into a new television series "with a greater emphasis on romance, horror and werewolf mythology".[7] This is the second television adaptation of the film. An animated version aired on CBS in 1986–87. Australian director Russell Mulcahy directed the pilot presentation and serves as executive producer and in-house director.[8] MTV's Teen Wolf became a re-imagining of the Michael J. Fox film from 1985 with the creator and executive producer, Jeff Davis developing a darker, sexier and edgier version than the original. Davis' desire was to make a thriller with comedic overtones with a tone more similar to that of the The Lost Boys. Once the show was a go, Davis lined up Mulcahy, who added the horror to the project.[9] According to Davis, it all started with an idea to do a homage to Stand by Me, in the beginning, where the kids go out and search for a body in the woods and it's not quite what they expect. On the werewolf look they went for something a little more Pan's Labyrinth. Guillermo del Toro's creatures were an inspiration, describing them as beautiful, elegant and scary, at the same time.[9]

The title card from season one.

Casting announcements were all announced in December 2010, with the main cast being, Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed, Tyler Hoechlin, Dylan O'Brien, Holland Roden, and Colton Haynes. Posey was cast as the lead Scott McCall, a dorky high-school student who after being bitten by a werewolf, starts to notice changes in himself, Reed playing Allison Argent, a sweet new girl at school who is immediately attracted to Scott, Hoechlin playing Derek Hale, a handsome local boy who in fact is a vicious and predatory werewolf, and O'Brien playing Stiles, Scott's best friend. Roden playing Lydia Martin, Jackson Whittemore's popular and controlling girlfriend, and Haynes playing Jackson Whittemore, Scott's lacrosse teammate and rival.[10]

Production on twelve episodes began in October 2010 in Atlanta, Georgia.[11] MTV released a sneak peek of the first eight minutes of the pilot on their website, on May 31, 2011. Teen Wolf episodes are composed by music composer Dino Meneghin.[12] As of Season 2, the opening credits of the show changed dramatically to a longer format featuring the main characters appearing whilst performing an action (such as Colton Haynes performing a lacrosse throw), along with the respective names of the actors. The new opening credits also feature the show's new theme song.[13] In June 2012, the series received conditional approval for a California film and TV tax credit.[14] At Comic-Con 2012, the cast confirmed that the show had been renewed for a longer third season, comprising twenty-four episodes.[15] In June 2013, the series was selected again for a California tax credit.[16]

Differences and similarities from films

The original film is about a typical awkward team sports playing teenager named Scott dealing with high school and life as a werewolf. In both versions, Scott reaps the benefits of werewolf stardom, achieving confidence and acceptance from his peers with his newly discovered powers and has a close friend named Stiles.[17][18][failed verification]

There are significant differences between the film and TV series. MTV's version is a drama/comedy with a darker tone while the 1985 film was simply a comedy. The humor in the new series is a darker humor but pays tribute to the original feel of the movie.[citation needed] In promos before airing, the producers said they were influenced by Joss Whedon's high school drama series Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Whedon's central premise was: "High school as a horror movie. And so the metaphor became the central concept behind Buffy, and that's how I sold it." The writers have confirmed they have no intention to include vampires but other creatures may be considered.[19] There is also a surprising amount of violence and horrific images in the new series, this includes a dead body that has been torn in half, scenes of people being burned alive, as well as multiple fight scenes that result in deaths or grievous wounds and hallucinations of torture.

In this series, Scott plays lacrosse instead of basketball. In the original, Scott inherits the werewolf trait from his father Harold who hid his lycanthropy from his son in the hopes that it would skip a generation, while the Scott on MTV's show gets bitten by a werewolf in the woods. Both Scotts are raised by a single parent, in the film Scott is brought up by his father and his mother is said to have died whilst in the series Scott is brought up by his mother who is divorced from his father. The new Stiles wears T-shirts featuring the Beatles and the Royal Air Force roundel symbol, while the original Stiles favored shirts that included highly-offensive phrases.[17] Another difference is that in the original everyone knew Scott was a wolf: in the modern update it remains a secret to the general population, with some of the plot exploring the resulting problems that arise from keeping his transformation hidden, in addition to Scott's inner conflict about being a werewolf.

There is one reference, in part 1 of the season 1 finale of the series, to which the character Peter Hale mocks lacrosse, and says in his day everyone played basketball.

Series werewolf mythology

Classifications

In the series, there is a hierarchy in place that designates various stations under which werewolves are classified. The highest of these types is an Alpha werewolf. So far, the only two known ways for a Beta or Omega werewolf to achieve Alpha ranking is by killing another Alpha or being a True Alpha, which is only achieved by strength of character and sheer willpower. Also the show hints that there is a natural line of succession within packs. When Laura's family is killed, and her uncle incapacitated, she assumed the role of Alpha within the Hale Pack. Alphas are also the only type of werewolf that can transform humans into werewolves with their bite. Alphas are able to transform to a greater degree than Betas and Omegas, such that they can become hulking wolf-men or fully formed canine wolves depending on their physiology. Alphas' eyes glow red when agitated or in their full hirsute persona. Alphas are typically the leaders of a werewolf pack and are much stronger than all other werewolves. Due to a symbiotic relationship between pack members, the larger the pack, the greater an Alpha's strength, speed, and skill increases. They are often able to subdue members of their own pack, even when driven purely by werewolf instinct, as on an early full moon, simply by roaring. Some rare packs, as depicted in season 3, can be composed entirely of Alpha werewolves, with one dominant leader. If an Alpha kills their Beta, they become stronger, faster, and more powerful. It is unknown if an Alpha can tell if a human they bite will turn from the bite or die from it.

The second type of werewolf is a Beta. These are the most common form of werewolf. Although they have heightened senses, they cannot change out of human form. Their transformation involves the growth of claws and some facial differences, such as the growth of facial hair (which is the case of male Beta werewolves), elongated canines, and a widening of the nose, resembling that of the 1960s television character Eddie Munster. Beta werewolves have glowing blue or yellow eyes when agitated.

The third type and lowest level of werewolf is the Omega. These are lone wolves who have no desire to join a pack. Due to the symbiotic strength, speed, and skill werewolves receive from their pack-mates, the Omega wolf is often considered weakest of the werewolves and are often killed by werewolf hunters as easy prey. Like Betas, Omegas cannot change out of their human form. There are a few ways for a Beta werewolf to become an Omega werewolf: if they leave their pack of their own free will, if they are thrown out of their pack, or if their entire pack is killed, and they are the only survivor. Omega werewolves have the same physical appearance of Beta werewolves. Betas only have four fangs while Omega's entire set of teeth consists of fangs. Omega werewolves can have yellow or blue eyes when agitated.

Other traits

One can become a werewolf by one of two methods: being bitten by an Alpha werewolf or by having biological werewolf parents. Being bitten by an Alpha werewolf is not always successful and some bitten humans die from the bite rather than turn.

A werewolf's physical abilities are increased to an extremely high level. This allows them to do such things as: sense when a person is lying by listening to their heart rate, run incredibly fast by using a combination of both their hands and legs, track a person via their scent, maintain a high endurance level, heal from wounds very quickly, and enhanced strength that allows them to overpower their opponents, humans or most supernatural creatures. The bite, if successful, also cures previous medical conditions such as asthma and epilepsy. Werewolves can come back to life if their bodies are still intact only on the night of a new full moon, on the last night of winter (also known as the Worm Moon). To come back to life, they need the light of the full moon shining on their bodies and a few drops of blood from an Alpha werewolf. If the werewolf brought back to life is an Alpha werewolf, they revert to a Beta classification.

All Beta werewolves initially possess yellow eyes. Their eyes become permanently blue if they take an innocent human life. Derek and Peter Hale, along with Jackson Whittemore, are known werewolves who possess blue eyes in their Beta forms, resulting from Derek killing his first love, Peter for unknown reasons thus far, and Jackson from his time as the Kanima.

Werewolves are highly allergic to wolfsbane and, like other supernatural creatures, are weakened by mountain ash. Werewolves are physically unable to cross into territories that have been surrounded by mountain ash, especially in its powdered state due to its potency. Also, it is revealed that werewolves lose their powers under a lunar eclipse.

The new full moon brings about a natural wildness to werewolves, sometimes causing the werewolf to act out violently. New werewolves often restrain themselves during this period so they do not do harm to humans or draw attention to themselves. With practice, this lunar side-effect can be mentally controlled. Genetic werewolves can gain control over their werewolf abilities and animal side, much faster than bitten werewolves, due to the fact they were born werewolves, and it is part of their nature.

Symbols also have significance among werewolves. The spiral symbol represents an intent for revenge or a vendetta (both highly common amongst werewolves).

One way a werewolf can communicate is by lengthening their nails and driving them into the back of another werewolf's neck. This process will either imprint a series of memories from the attacker into the victim, or remove memories from their mind. As Peter has demonstrated, the process can work both ways as seen when he extracted Isaac's memories. According to Peter, this skill is used exclusively by Alphas, due to the high risk involved.

It is unknown if the bites from Beta and Omega werewolves are deadly or harmless to humans. It is unknown if the abilities of werewolves, such as enhanced strength and speed, are at their peak in both human and wolf forms, or only in wolf form, or only at night during a full moon. It is unknown if werewolves can heal from a slit throat or a broken neck. Though Peter was killed by Derek slitting his throat, he was still recovering from having been burnt alive, which may have weakened him. It is unknown if werewolves can regenerate their arms and legs. It is unknown how Omega werewolves officially become part of a pack of werewolves. It is unknown how Beta werewolves officially leave his or her pack.

Reception

Critical

The series has generated a generally positive response from professional critics, with some praising it as better quality when compared to other shows by MTV. According to Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the show holds an average score of 61 out of 100, which indicates "Generally favorable reviews", based on fourteen reviews.[5] Metacritic also lists the show as the second-highest rated MTV series by professional critics behind Awkward.[20] Linda Stasi, a writer from the New York Post, awarded the series' premiere a perfect score, stating, "Not only is it really well thought out, but the good-looking kids in the show can actually act."[21] Verne Gay from Newsday also reserved high praise for the show, calling it a "winner and best of all, fun".[22] David Hinckley of New York Daily News commented favorably on the series, ending his review with "Werewolves, pretty girls, dumb bullies and lacrosse. What more, really, could you ask of high school?"[23] Film critic Rex Reed is a notable fan of the series, calling it "the sexiest show on television today."

Some critics had a less positive reaction toward the first episode. Troy Patterson from Slate gave it a mixed review, referring to it as "light and passably witty supernatural drama".[24] James Poniewozik from Time magazine also had mixed feelings towards the show, saying, "The pilot isn't bad, exactly—it's well-paced if a little dour in spots and there's some decent CW-esque banter—but it's pretty much entirely what I would have expected from any supernatural teen drama".[25]

Following the first season finale in August 2011, Ian Grey of indieWire gave the series a positive review[26] and Angel Cohn of Television Without Pity named it the third best new show of the summer.[27] BuddyTV ranked Teen Wolf #4 on its list of 2011's best new TV shows.[28]

Ratings

The series' premiere attracted a total of 2.17 million viewers.[29] After airing its third episode, Teen Wolf was reported to be heading into its fourth week with tremendous momentum following a 23% increase among persons 12–34, with a 1.6 in the demo. With double digit percentage gains among total viewers and key demos, Teen Wolf was the #1 show in its timeslot with women 12–34.[30] The first season finale attained a series high in persons 12–34 (1.9) and 2.1 million viewers overall, as well as being first in its timeslot among teens and females 12–34.[31]

Season Originally aired
Timeslot Season premiere Season finale Episodes TV season Viewers
(in millions)
1 Monday 10/9c June 5, 2011 (2011-06-05) August 15, 2011 (2011-08-15) 12 2011 1.73
2 Monday 10/9c June 3, 2012 (2012-06-03) August 13, 2012 (2012-08-13) 12 2012 1.69
3 Monday 10/9c June 3, 2013 (2013-06-03)  () 24 2013 TBD

Other media

Books

In June 2012, MTV Books released the book On Fire, by Nancy Holder. The cover art features Tyler Posey with glowing yellow eyes, with a fire red background. The book tells the story of Scott McCall and the first season of Teen Wolf.

Comic

A comic themed upon the show was released in September 2011 by Image Comics.[32]

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Nominee Result
2011 Teen Choice Award Choice TV Fantasy/Sci-Fi Nominated
Choice Summer TV Show Nominated
Breakout Star Tyler Posey Nominated
Choice Summer TV Star – Male Nominated
Choice Summer TV Star – Female Crystal Reed Nominated
Choice TV Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi Nominated
2012 Saturn Award Best Youth-Oriented Series on Television Won
Teen Choice Award Choice Summer TV Show Won
Choice Summer TV Star – Male Tyler Posey Won
Choice Summer TV Star – Female Crystal Reed Nominated
Imagen Award Best Actor/Television Tyler Posey Nominated
ALMA Award Favorite TV Actor – Leading Role Won
2013 Saturn Award Best Youth-Oriented Series on Television Won
Young Hollywood Award Best Ensemble Tyler Posey, Crystal Reed, Dylan O'Brien, Tyler Hoechlin, Holland Roden Won

Broadcast

  • Teen Wolf is broadcast at 10/9c on Mondays in the USA on MTV.[33]
  • Teen Wolf is broadcast at 10e/7p on Mondays in Canada on MuchMusic.[34]
  • Teen Wolf was broadcasted at 8 pm GMT on Thursdays in the UK on Sky Living HD for the first two seasons. The channel has no plans to show the third season.[35]
  • Teen Wolf is broadcast at 7:30 pm on Wednesdays in Australia on Fox8.[36]

References

  1. ^ Bricker, Tierney (February 2, 2011). "'Teen Wolf': MTV announces premiere date". Zap2it. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
  2. ^ "'Teen Wolf' Renewed". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 25 July 2012. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ Swift, Andy. "'Teen Wolf' Season 3 Premiere Date Revealed". Hollywood Life. PMC. Retrieved 25 March 2013.
  4. ^ O'Connell, Michael (April 6, 2011). "TV Ratings: MTV's 'Teen Wolf' Hits Highs With Season 3 Premiere". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 26, 2013.
  5. ^ a b "Teen Wolf: Season 1". Metacritic. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  6. ^ "MTV confirms Colton Haynes leaving 'Teen Wolf' • Hypable". Hypable.com. 2012-10-12. Retrieved 2013-01-15.
  7. ^ Jon Weisman (2009-06-23). "MTV greenlights eight projects". Variety. Retrieved October 21, 2010.
  8. ^ "Russell Mulcahy Piloting MTV's Teen Wolf to Twilight Glory". Dreadcentral.com. Retrieved October 14, 2010.
  9. ^ a b Radish, Christina (10 June 2011). "Exclusive: Producer Jeff Davis and Director Russell Mulcahy Talk TEEN WOLF". Collider. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  10. ^ "Breaking News -Development Update: Monday, December 14". The Futon Critic. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
  11. ^ "MTV Builds Slate of Scripted Programming with 2011 Premieres of Original Series "Teen Wolf" and "Skins"". The Futon Critic. Retrieved November 25, 2010.
  12. ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1567432/fullcredits#cast
  13. ^ Tim Stack. "'Teen Wolf': Watch the very sexy (and very wet) new opening credits -- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 06/09/12. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  14. ^ Verrier, Richard (June 4, 2012). "MTV show 'Teen Wolf' takes a bite out of state film tax credits". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 5, 2012.
  15. ^ sausage2. "SDCC 2012: Official Teen Wolf Panel Video (Part 1)".{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  16. ^ Patten, Dominic (June 4, 2013). "'Entourage' Movie, 'Justified', 'Teen Wolf' & 'King And Maxwell' Among Winners Of California Tax Credit Production Lottery". Deadline.com.
  17. ^ a b McLaughlin, Katie (9 June 2011). "The Throwback: Did 'Teen Wolf' need a reboot?". CNN. Retrieved 11 June 2011.
  18. ^ Barr, Merrill (11 June 2011). "Channel Guide: 'Teen Wolf' Barks, But Doesn't Bite Yet". Film School Rejects. Retrieved 11 Jun 2011.
  19. ^ Casablanca, Ted; Boone, John (July 26, 2011). "Will Teen Wolf Be Venturing Into Vampire Territory?". E!. Retrieved July 26, 2011.
  20. ^ "MTV: MTV's Scores". Metacritic. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  21. ^ Stasi, Linda (May 23, 2011). "Fangs-giving Day: 'Teen Wolf' lives up to the expectations". New York Post. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  22. ^ Gay, Verne (June 1, 2011). "'Teen Wolf': Boys will be werewolves". Newsday. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  23. ^ Hinckley, David (June 3, 2011). "Room for one more: 'Teen Wolf' will have 'em howling for another wistfully romantic fantasy". New York Daily News. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
  24. ^ Patterson, Troy (June 3, 2011). "Teen Wolf: MTV updates the classic teen movie with more scares, more sex, and lacrosse". Slate. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  25. ^ Poniewozik, James (June 3, 2011). "TV Weekend: Teen Wolf". Time. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
  26. ^ Grey, Ian (August 21, 2011). "GREY MATTERS: With ALPHAS, TEEN WOLF and FALLING SKIES, genre TV mourns the loss of family". indieWire. Retrieved August 22, 2011.
  27. ^ Cohn, Angel (August 26, 2011). "TWoP 10: Best New Scripted Shows of This Summer". Television Without Pity. Retrieved August 27, 2011.
  28. ^ "The 11 Best New TV Shows of 2011". BuddyTV. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  29. ^ Gorman, Bill (June 7, 2011). "Sunday Cable Ratings: 'MTV Movie Awards' Leads Night, 'Game of Thrones' Series High, 'Real Housewives,' 'ABDC' & Lots More". TV by the Numbers. Retrieved June 22, 2011.
  30. ^ Gorman, Bill (14 June 2011). "'Teen Wolf' Roars In Its Third Outing, With Double Digit Gains Among Total Viewers And Key Demos". tv by numbers. Retrieved 14 June 2011.
  31. ^ Ng, Philiana (August 16, 2011). "'Teen Wolf' Closes Out Season on High Ratings Note". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 17, 2011.
  32. ^ "MTV.com - Comic - Teen Wolf #1, pt. 1". MTV Comics. 2011-06-06. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  33. ^ "Teen Wolf on MTV.com".
  34. ^ http://www.muchmusic.com/tv/teenwolf/
  35. ^ "Teen Wolf on Sky Living HD".
  36. ^ "Teen Wolf on Fox8".
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