MTV's Teen Wolf: Howl it fair?

Remember our talk about TV shows NOT taking themselves too seriously? You'd think MTV's new drama Teen Wolf, based on the 80's flick of the same name, WOULDN'T be so up its own ass, even WITH all its 'comedic' overtones, but it is.

It's horribly marked with every boring cliche. Dorky guy (who's a member of the high school athletic team, yet still an "outcast", for some reason) bitten by wolf discovers mysterious new abilities that turn him from class zero to class hero. He's got the prescribed quirky best friend to help him out, the Jock meat-head bully to keep him on his toes, the workaholic yet cool single mom who'll never be around enough to make a difference, the hot new-girl love-interest, and the mysterious town bad-boy who holds more secrets than he's willing to share.

The original movie with Michael J. Fox was at least intentionally light hearted and camp. This new series, despite 'attempts' at humor, works OVERTIME to try and be edgy. It fights to convey the threat of menace with its HEAVY tension-laden music score, empty dialogue, weak, belabored plot points, and the most crap-tacular makeup effects you've seen in a long long time.

"I just wanna be normal!" ... "I just wanna fit in!" Of ALL the vampire and supernatural programs of late, couldn't MTV at least TRY to be inventive? ... Nope. But they DO toss in the free and casual discussions of drug abuse to remind everyone that they're still in touch with relevant issues of today's youth.

No "wink". No "nod". Teen Wolf doesn't even REALIZE how bad of a show it is. I'd wager on it not lasting, but MTV renews a LOT of garbage these days ... Especially since this thing can't be costing them THAT much in production value. Don't even watch it. It's just an hour you'll never get back again.