Tony And Ridley Scott Worked On A Horror Series Starring Terence Stamp And David Bowie

In 1983, the late Tony Scott — brother of three-time best director Oscar nominee Ridley Scott — made his directorial debut with "The Hunger," a gothic thriller about a love triangle between a vampire, a scientist, and an aging cellist starring Catherine Deneuve, Susan Sarandon, and David Bowie. In 1997, the Scott brothers teamed up to produce a new version of "The Hunger," but it wasn't the sequel fans were hoping for. 

Instead of continuing the story of Sarandon's Dr. Sarah Roberts or taking a second stab at adapting Whitley Strieber's book of the same name, the Scotts (via their production company Scott Free) resurrected the title as an anthology series. It ran for two seasons from 1997 to 2000, airing 44 standalone episodes that explored themes of obsession, desire, and the darker impulses of human nature. It also emulated the steamy energy of the stylish cult classic film, with Tony Scott even stepping behind the camera for a few episodes.

The Scotts recruited some big-name directors for the series such as "Highlander" auteur Russell Mulcahy, and Ridley Scott's son Jake Scott even helmed an episode. For hosting duties, they brought in a Hollywood heavyweight and a music icon to help guide audiences through these provocative tales: Season 1 was led by the late, great Terence Stamp, while Season 2 saw the fitting return of Bowie, who played John Blaylock in the original movie.

On top of coming back as host, David Bowie played a brand-new character named Julian Priest in the Season 2 premiere of "The Hunger." Not long after it was announced that the legendary rocker would be returning for the Showtime series, Bowie released a statement expressing his enthusiasm and revealing that he was actually asked to host the first season, too. "[Tony Scott] asked me some years ago to do the first series, but I was too involved with the touring side of life, so he worked with Terence Stamp instead," Bowie said. "I like the series and Tony is very cool to work with."

Of course, Bowie was already a superstar at the time, and he wasn't the only known name that came aboard for the TV show. Timothy Spall, Margot Kidder, and Giancarlo Esposito were among the established actors to play roles, but what's interesting is that "The Hunger" also featured some up-and-coming talent long before they hit global superstardom: Future James Bond Daniel Craig and "Game of Thrones" star Lena Headey appeared in Season 1's "Ménage à Trois," the episode directed by Jake Scott.

Despite the star power and raw talent involved, "The Hunger" received mixed reviews during its run. Critics noted that while it oozed with stylish visuals, the storytelling often struggled under the weight of hit-or-miss writing and the episodes sometimes leaned a bit too heavily into eroticism for the sake of it. It's pretty much been forgotten about these days, but it's definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of horror anthology shows or even just to see Daniel Craig and Lena Headey in early roles.