Teen Wolf

Though the young adult series Teen Wolf shares its title with the slapstick 1985 werewolf comedy, the show adopts a more agreeable blend of angst-driven high school drama and supernatural chills. In doing so, it invites comparison to the Twilight franchise--lead actor Tyler Posey auditioned for the role of Jacob in the series--but its focus is more modest and grounded in real-world issues than the grander fantasy scope of its vampire kin. Posey is well cast as a young student learning to adapt to his newfound lycanthropy, which, like all maturation processes, requires some getting used to: he possesses incredible speed and strength but also a hair-trigger tendency to transform at the worst possible times. There's also a new girl (Crystal Reed) who catches his eye, a questionable ally in the form of Tyler Hoechlin's fellow teen lycanthrope, and another, more dangerous werewolf on the loose with a posse of hunters on its trail. Teen Wolf keeps all of its disparate elements in play throughout the first season's 12-episode run, and if it can be faulted for occasionally pandering to the eye-candy crowd--Posey and the rest of the male cast spend an awful lot of time shirtless, so much so that an entire supplemental feature is devoted to these moments--it can also be credited for maintaining a level of believability and honesty, especially in regard to its characters. The three-disc set presents a sizable amount of extras, including an extended version of the season finale and a number of deleted, alternate, and extended scenes. Series creator Jeff Davis and director-executive producer Russell Mulcahy (Highlander) are front and center in a making-of featurette that details the show's development, as well as commentary on select episodes, which also offer an alternate, lighter-toned track by members of the cast. The actors are also highlighted in several making-of extras, which discuss their off-camera friendships as well as the perils of kissing scenes. Footage from the red carpet premiere and an amusing gag reel round out the set. (official distributor synopsis)