She-Wolf of London was screened in the UK during the early Nineties. I watched it at the time, and while it was far from brilliant, I found it to be enjoyable. It was an American/British co-production, filmed in England with a mostly British cast. American actress Kate Hodge played Randi Wallace, a student who was studying mythology and folklore at a London university under Professor Ian Matheson (played by Brit actor Neil Dickson). In the first episode, while camping out on the moors near London (!), Randi is attacked & mauled by a large wild creature. When the next full moon comes along, she transforms into a ferocious werewolf in front of Ian, who luckily escapes unharmed. Promising to help her find a cure, he arranges for Randi to lodge with his parents, where she joins the other permanent house-guest, Ian's young America cousin Julian. Subsequent episodes had Ian and Randi encounter various supernatural threats while seeking a cure for the latter's condition. Every time the full moon rolled round, Ian chained Randi to the wall in his parents' cellar (incidentally, Randi in werewolf-form was played by Diane Youdale, who later became Jet in the television game-show Gladiators).
Despite the English setting and cast, I've always assumed that She-Wolf's writers were American, because one notable aspect of the series was it's condescending attitude towards both Britain and it's people. The UK was portrayed as a slightly pathetic and backward little country, full of cozy picture-postcard villages and quaint Dickensian towns populated by colourful eccentrics. This was best summed up in an early episode when Julian, seated at breakfast, gazes round at his English relatives and sneers with contempt & disbelief: "How did you people ever have an empire?"
The writers also displayed an eye-opening lack of knowledge and regard about British history. For example, an episode entitled 'The Juggler' concerns an ancient pagan demon who only becomes active between Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night ignoring the fact that the latter occasion has only existed for a few hundred years. And in another episode 'The Wild Hunt', the writers would have us believe that in the late 19th century, large sections of the English countrywide were openly ruled by evil wizards (!).
The scripts also contained other problems: the supernatural elements were often as subtle as a sledgehammer, and the series also tended to concentrate too much on the comic relief, with the humour quite broad. However, one memorable aspect of the show was it's frank and open attitude to sex, almost unique for a genre series at the time, with sexual themes (even if only of the 'nudge nudge wink wink' variety) appearing in the majority of episodes.
However, after fourteen episodes had been completed, the British backers pulled out. Undaunted, the American producers decamped back to the States and immediately started filming a spin-off series called Love & Curses, in which Randi and Ian left England and moved to Los Angeles. While continuing to look for a cure, they both worked on a TV chat show about the paranormal Ian as the host, Randi as a production assistant. There were other changes: previously there had been a spark of attraction between Ian and Randi, but they were just good friends. However, in Love & Curses they immediately became a couple. Randi's appearance when in werewolf-form was also redesigned considerably, and not for the better. However, the major difference was in the tone of the new series. While some of the episodes of She-Wolf were based around some unlikely or faintly ridiculous concepts, the story lines on Love & Curses were all especially ludicrous, and it was clear that the producers had decided to play the series' premise for laughs. Unsurprisingly, Love & Curses only lasted six episodes.
Several episodes of She-Wolf of London were directed by Brian Grant, who later created another British horror/fantasy series - Hex.
Despite the English setting and cast, I've always assumed that She-Wolf's writers were American, because one notable aspect of the series was it's condescending attitude towards both Britain and it's people. The UK was portrayed as a slightly pathetic and backward little country, full of cozy picture-postcard villages and quaint Dickensian towns populated by colourful eccentrics. This was best summed up in an early episode when Julian, seated at breakfast, gazes round at his English relatives and sneers with contempt & disbelief: "How did you people ever have an empire?"
The writers also displayed an eye-opening lack of knowledge and regard about British history. For example, an episode entitled 'The Juggler' concerns an ancient pagan demon who only becomes active between Halloween and Guy Fawkes Night ignoring the fact that the latter occasion has only existed for a few hundred years. And in another episode 'The Wild Hunt', the writers would have us believe that in the late 19th century, large sections of the English countrywide were openly ruled by evil wizards (!).
The scripts also contained other problems: the supernatural elements were often as subtle as a sledgehammer, and the series also tended to concentrate too much on the comic relief, with the humour quite broad. However, one memorable aspect of the show was it's frank and open attitude to sex, almost unique for a genre series at the time, with sexual themes (even if only of the 'nudge nudge wink wink' variety) appearing in the majority of episodes.
However, after fourteen episodes had been completed, the British backers pulled out. Undaunted, the American producers decamped back to the States and immediately started filming a spin-off series called Love & Curses, in which Randi and Ian left England and moved to Los Angeles. While continuing to look for a cure, they both worked on a TV chat show about the paranormal Ian as the host, Randi as a production assistant. There were other changes: previously there had been a spark of attraction between Ian and Randi, but they were just good friends. However, in Love & Curses they immediately became a couple. Randi's appearance when in werewolf-form was also redesigned considerably, and not for the better. However, the major difference was in the tone of the new series. While some of the episodes of She-Wolf were based around some unlikely or faintly ridiculous concepts, the story lines on Love & Curses were all especially ludicrous, and it was clear that the producers had decided to play the series' premise for laughs. Unsurprisingly, Love & Curses only lasted six episodes.
Several episodes of She-Wolf of London were directed by Brian Grant, who later created another British horror/fantasy series - Hex.