There was a time when you couldn't move for fantasy dramas involving vampires, werewolves, and demons on TV. The ones where characters wrestled with a human life and not-so-human life!
And while they haven't completely died out, it is getting more difficult to find quality shows in this genre. Particularly those aimed and adults and not teens. And that's where the series Bitten makes its entrance.
With three seasons and starring Laura Vandervoort and Greyston Holt, it is a quality binge worthy show. But what is it all about and is it worth watching?
What Is Bitten About?
Bitten follows Elena Michaels, as the only living female werewolf. She belongs to a pack headed by Jeremy Danvers (Greg Bryk) but now she wants out.
Leaving the family, she heads to Vancouver in an attempt to quash her inner werewolf and live as a normal human. But things are never that simple and Elena struggles in trying to keep her two worlds apart.
Things become even trickier when she is called home to help defend her pack of werewolves against an outside threat. With no real way of explaining who she really is, she reluctantly leaves her boyfriend Philip McAdams (Paul Greene) and her human life to help Jeremy.
It then becomes very clear that Elena and Clay, also a werewolf, used to be ‘a thing'. And as season one progresses more of Elena's backstory, including how she became a werewolf, is revealed.
But will Elena return to her roots and stay with the pack? Or will she abandon them and return to her normal life? Will the pack even survive?
Bitten Official Trailer
Is Bitten Worth Watching?
Bitten is pitched as fantasy horror and the fantasy element is definitely there. It isn't until the end of season one that the horror aspect gets ramped up.
Up until that point, the show is laying the groundwork for the decisions that Elena and the other characters have to make. By season two we are into full-on horror with plenty of violence and spilt blood.
And of course, the chemistry between Elena (Laura Vandervoort) and Clay (Greyston Holt) is undeniable. It HOPS off the screen!
Bitten is the perfect tonic to fill the fantasy gap left by Grimm or The Originals. The story is unique and the cast is excellent with plenty of action and drama.
Unlike a lot of shows that previously aired on TV before heading to Netflix, the story moves along at a blistering pace. So it's very easy to binge-watch.
The plots change and evolve and the only shame is that just three seasons were made!
Was The TV Show Bitten Cancelled?
Bitten was based on the bestselling fantasy series, Women of the Otherworld by New York Times Bestselling Author, Kelley Armstrong. The tv adaptation was a co-production between Syfy and Canada's Space networks and season 1 aired in 2014.
Between them, and despite two well-received seasons, they decided not to renew the show beyond season 3. The decision was made in 2015 and season 3 aired in 2016.
There is no real reason why Bitten was cancelled. The working theory is that supernatural orientated shows sort of ran their course.
Is Bitten On Netflix Or Amazon?
Unfortunately Bitten used to be on Netflix, however, the powers that be decided to remove it from the US catalogue in 2020 most likely due to lack of demand.
It is available on Amazon but the bad news is that you have to pay for it.
Where Is Bitten Filmed?
As the show is a Canadian production, it makes sense that it was mostly filmed there, specifically in Toronto and Cambridge, Ontario.
And if like me, you absolutely loved the Danvers family home, you will be pleased to know that it is sort of real. The actual house scenes, inside the forest, were shot at Cruickston Park, with its 19th-century estate, doubling as Stonehaven. The nearest town of Hespeler doubled as the mythical American town of Bear Valley.
Where Is The Cast Of Bitten Now?
Undoubtedly the lead of the show was Laura Vandervoort who played the female werewolf, Elena Michaels. Through season 1 and season 2 Elena struggled with balancing her normal life and her loyalty to the pack. But as each episode rolled on it became clear that she would have to make some tough decisions. She also stars in V-Wars which is on Netflix.
Greyston Holt played Clayton Danvers, very much the alpha male of the group and one with more than a passing interest in Elena Michaels. A very busy guy, he is currently starring in both Chesapeake Shores and Riverdale (both also on Netflix in the UK). And if you want more of Greyston Holt he is in the upcoming movie Lou with Jurnee Smollett, Logan Marshall-Green and Allison Janney.
Head of the werewolf pack is Jeremy Danvers played by Greg Bryk. A Canadian actor he also starred in V-Wars with Laura Vandervoort as well as the tv series Departure.
The fourth character to have lasted through all 33 episodes of Bitten was Nick Sorrentino played by Steve Lund. Eagle-eyed viewers may have recognised him from Haven, another series set in a supernatural world but these days Lund is churning out the tv movies so you can watch him in Unlocking Christmas and Love Upstream.
The last member of the werewolves family was Logan Jonsen played by Michael Xavier. He also stars in the Netflix production of Northern Rescue and has an absolute tonne of tv movies that you can watch now. They include Christmas on Wheels and A Christmas Mission.
And that's it for the tv series Bitten. We got three seasons of a great show with a well written plot that may have been a tad far fetched at times but it more than made up for it with plenty of action, drama and plenty of wolves running free in the forest. So it's bye-bye to Laura Vandervoort, Greyston Holt, Steve Lund, Greg Bryk, Paul Greene and Michael Xavier and of course, their characters who we loved over three seasons.
