The Hunger (TV series)
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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The series was broadcast from 1997 to 2000, and is internally organized into two seasons. Each season contained 22 episodes, all based around independent stories introduced by the host; actor David Bowie replaced Stamp as the show's host for the second season. Stories tended to focus on themes of self-destructive desire and obsession, with a strong component of soft-core erotica; popular tropes for the stories included cannibalism, vampires, sex and poison.
Though notable for the quality of the authors who wrote for the series (episodes were penned by well-known authors Graham Masterton, Gemma Files, Poppy Z. Brite and Harlan Ellison among others), The Hunger did not receive great critical acclaim. Many of the criticisms directed against the series had to do with the limitations of the broadcast medium; unlike later series such as Showtime's Masters of Horror, the largely Canadian-based production was restricted in terms of the imagery and language permissible by broadcast standards, and by the budget and production values typically available to small-screen productions. Often broadcast late at night in keeping with requirements for adult material, The Hunger never accumulated a significant audience.
Each episode is 24 minutes long (30 including commercials in USA).