Wolfblood

Wolfblood
Title screen of Wolfblood
Genre	Fantasy Drama
Created by	Debbie Moon
Starring	Aimee Kelly (Series 1–2) Bobby Lockwood Kedar Williams-Stirling Louisa Connolly-Burnham Leona Vaughan (Series 2–)
Theme music composer	Andy Price
Opening theme	"A Promise that I Keep"
Ending theme	"A Promise that I Keep"
Composer	Andy Price
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original languages	English Welsh
No. of series	3
No. of episodes	39 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Gina Cronk (2012) Spencer Campbell (2013) Lis Steele (2014–)
Producers	Foz Allan (2012–2013) Jonathan Wolfman (2014–)
Cinematography	Tony Coldwell (2012–2013) Andy McDonnell (2014–)
Editors	Matthew Tabern Tim Marchant Calum Ross Belinda Cottrell
Running time	30 minutes approx.
Production companies	CBBC ZDF/ZDFE
Original release
Network	CBBC
Release	10 September 2012 – present

Wolfblood is a British fantasy/supernatural drama television series aimed at teens. It is a co-production between CBBC and ZDF/ZDFE. So far three series have been aired. Series 1 aired from 10 September 2012 to 22 October 2012. Series 2 aired from 9 September 2013 to 21 October 2013. Series 3 aired from 15 September 2014 to 27 October 2014.

Debbie Moon confirmed a fourth series consisting twelve episodes had been commissioned, but could not confirm many specific details.

Genesis

Wolfblood was created after series creator Debbie Moon saw the words "wolf" and "blood" in a book shop, and blended the two words together in her head. The series was commissioned after the BBC Writersroom website announced an open call for children's drama scripts. Moon was among eight writers whisked off to a conference centre in Kent, and, after a few days of intensive development, it became one of two new original children's dramas to be commissioned by CBBC. The series was filmed in the north-east of England by the same crew who filmed Tracy Beaker Returns. Filming locations included Charles Thorp Comprehensive School and the woods of the surrounding Rowlands Gill countryside.

Production for series 1 began in February 2012 and ran until May 2012. It was shot in 3 production blocks: episodes 1–4, episodes 5–8, and episodes 9–13. A second series was confirmed after the final episode of the first series had aired. Filming for the second series began February 2013 and ended May 2013. All of the directors were new to the series, and it was shot in four production blocks: episodes 1–4, episodes 5–8, episode 9, and episodes 10–13. Filming for the third series began in February 2014 and ended in May 2014 and the series aired from 15 September until 27 October 2014.

The second series was accompanied by a 10 part wildlife spin-off series exploring wolves, hosted by Bobby Lockwood. This has been produced by the BBC Natural History Unit, entitled Wolfblood Uncovered; it began airing on 9 September 2013.Wolfblood Uncovered compares scenes in Wolfblood with facts about real wolves, and points out how wolf behavior is reflected in the actions of the characters in the story, such as living in packs, defending territory against rivals, fear of fire and enclosed spaces, reliance on sense of smell and a carnivorous diet.

Plot

The start of the series sees Maddy Smith as she comes closer to her first transformation. She lives with her family in Stoneybridge, Northumbria. When new boy Rhydian arrives at Bradlington High, Maddy recognizes him as a wolfblood. Rhydian, who lives with his foster family, had only recently started to change into a wolf. However, he is unaware of wolfbloods before his move to Stoneybridge. The Smith family claimed him as a distant cousin, and helped him settle in and learn about being a wolfblood. Rhydian becomes friends with Maddy's best friends Tom and Shannon, who are unaware of their friends' secret. Series 1 deals with Maddy and Rhydian trying to balance their lives as wolfbloods and their human sides, all the while trying to keep their secret from being exposed. Rhydian is also visited by his biological family, his mother Ceri and his brother Brynn, who tries to bring him back to his wild wolfblood pack. Ultimately, when Ceri threatens them and Maddy transforms to save them, Shannon, feeling betrayed, threatens to post her photos as evidence online, but is convinced otherwise by Rhydian. Shannon gives all of her evidence to the Smiths, who abandon their plans to leave Stoneybridge, and makes up with Maddy. At the end of the series, Rhydian leaves with his mother and brother to go to the wild wolfblood pack.

Series 2 is set three months after the series 1 finale. Rhydian flees from the angry alpha of the wild wolfblood pack, Alric. He returns to the Smiths and Stoneybridge, having been driven away by Alric for having taken his daughter, Jana, to a human village. Jana moves to Stoneybridge also, claiming that she was exiled from the pack, although she is sent by Alric to bring Rhydian for punishment. Jana, however, begins to fall in love with the human world, and makes friends with Maddy, Rhydian, Shannon, and Tom. At the same time, it is seen that Shannon has not given up collecting evidence of the Smiths, though she does so in secret, stating that she wants to use the evidence to protect the wolfbloods. Tension is caused by the wolfbloods wanting Shannon to delete the evidence, but Shannon, not wanting to let go of something she had been dedicated to her whole life, assures it will not be used to expose the wolfbloods. However, realizing that she can not both keep research of the wolfbloods and protect their secret, she deletes her research. Eventually Rhydian's mother, Ceri, returns and calls Jana back to become the wild wolfblood pack's new leader, as Alric has been exiled. Jana leaves, but Rhydian stays, stating that his life is in the human world and with the people he loves. Rhydian also helps Alric make peace with his new status as a lone wolf. Meanwhile, a boy at Maddy's school, Liam, has become obsessed with werewolves, his ancestor having been a werewolf hunter. Through an underground tunnel that Maddy inadvertently helped him find, he breaks into the Smiths' house and steals a dog chew with the Smiths' DNA on it. He sends this to the researcher Dr. Whitewood, exposing the wolfblood secret. Despite Rhydian's attempts to recover the DNA and research, the Smiths realize that it is too late, and leave to join the wild wolfblood pack. At the final scene, Maddy wants Rhydian to come with them but he declines, because if he goes at the same time the Smiths do, the police will think the Smiths has kidnapped him. Before Maddy leaves with her parents to the wild wolfblood pack, Maddy and Rhydian confess their love and Maddy says goodbye to her friends.

Series 3 is set a couple of months after Maddy and her family left Stoneybridge. Friendships are tested to the limit and lessons are learned about trust, leadership, and responsibility. Rhydian confronts new challenges, great danger, as well as a mysterious conspiracy. Rhydian becomes heartbroken after the departure of Maddy and her family and his discovery about what happened to them. Jana returns from the wild wolf pack in dire need of help, bringing with her new allies. Together with his friends, Tom, Shannon, and Jana, Rhydian must focus on life beyond school and Stoneybridge. Dr. Whitewood also reappears, still desperate to find evidence of wolfbloods. Rhydian discovers that new allies may not be what they seem and old enemies make their presence felt. As the series accelerates towards a climax, Rhydian must unite his pack or their species will face extinction.

Cast

Main Cast

• Aimee Kelly as Madeline "Maddy" Smith (Series 1–2)
• Bobby Lockwood as Rhydian Morris
• Kedar Williams-Stirling as Tom Okanawe
• Louisa Connolly-Burnham as Shannon Kelly
• Leona Vaughan as Jana (Series 2–)

Episodes

Main article: List of Wolfblood episodes

Series		Episodes	Originally aired
			First aired	Last aired
	1	13	10 September 2012 (2012-09-10)	22 October 2012 (2012-10-22)
	2	13	9 September 2013 (2013-09-09)	21 October 2013 (2013-10-21)
	3	13	15 September 2014 (2014-09-15)	27 October 2014 (2014-10-27)
	4	12	TBA	TBA

DVD

All three seasons are available on DVD in the United States, Australia and Germany (the latter has also released the series in Blu-ray format). They are also available in many other countries via Amazon and other online retailers. A United Kingdom DVD release for all the seasons may happen eventually, but there are no details on when that will happen yet.

Awards and Nominations

Year	Award	Category	Recipients and nominees	Result
2013	British Academy Children's Awards	BAFTA Kids' Vote - Television	Wolfblood	Nominated
		Best Performer	Bobby Lockwood	Won
			Aimee Kelly	Nominated
		Drama	Production Team	Nominated
		Best Writer	Debbie Moon	Nominated
	Royal Television Society Awards	Best Children’s Drama	Wolfblood	Won
2014	British Academy Children's Awards	BAFTA Kids' Vote - Television	Wolfblood	Nominated
		Drama	Debbie Moon, Matthew Evans, Foz Allan	Nominated
		Best Writer	Debbie Moon	Won
	Royal Television Society Awards	Best Children’s Drama	Wolfblood	Nominated

External links

• Official website
• Wolfblood at IMDb