Lawyer Tom Martin (Cazenove) is taking his wife Sarah (Gregory) for a ride through the back country when their car loses control, stranding them at an out-of-the-way trail. Following it through the woods, they come upon a manor owned by the sweet Mrs. Ardoy (Dors).

Also living in the house are her eight children, all of them shy and secretive, in addition to being capable of disappearing in the blink of an eye. Later that night a strange beast breaks into the bedroom the Martins are staying in, attacking Sarah while Tom lays outside unconscious.

Upon awaking, Tom discovers that the whole ordeal was a terrible dream… and that Sarah is pregnant. If the affair never happened, what explains Sarah’s recent hunger for red meat? And why is the baby growing at such a fast rate?

We have a soft spot for werewolf yarns, and this episode surely doesn’t disappoint. It’s good, creepy fun throughout, no doubt due to the sinisterly smiling Dors and her cadre of weird little British tykes.

This episode nicely examines the lore of shape-shifters, replete with moon festivals and allusions to classic tales like Saki’s Srendi Vashtar. Though the actual lycanthrope seen here looks more cuddly than bloodthirsty, it all adds to the charm.

Cazenove is endearing as the hero, while Gregory’s powerful sexuality is ideal for the role of surrogate wolf mother.

The downbeat ending matches the best the films of the 70s had to offer, and it’ll make you want to howl right along with it.