A howling success (Being Human)

Member Name: grahamt

Product:	Being Human
Date:	21/02/09 (248 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Another brilliant and edgy BBC drama

Disadvantages: You may have missed the first episodes

Did you hear the one about the vampire, the werewolf and the ghost? No, this is not Underworld. As far as I can remember there were no ghosts in Underworld. Mind you, I might have got a bit distracted by Kate Beckinsale and missed that bit. This is always possible when the stunning Kate is about!

No, this is the new BBC drama, Being Human. Being Human first premièred at the start of 2008 with a pilot that was only scheduled as a one-off but which the BBC generously stated that audience reaction to the pilot might lead to a series. I watched it and was totally blown away. Clearly many others did with similar reactions because a series was subsequently commissioned and is being shown on BBC3 on Sunday nights.

The series is set in Bristol and originally featured the werewolf (George), played by Russell Tovey, whom you may last have seen in Little Dorrit and the vampire (Mitchell), played by Aidan Turner. They are both reluctant "monsters" and fight the fight against the urges of their alter egos with determination but not entirely with success. They are both hiding away as hospital orderlies.

The ghost enters the plot when George and Mitchell decide to seek out a flat for themselves and in doing so settle into a location which is currently occupied by the third character in our story, the Ghost (Annie). Annie is the only character who has been recast from the original pilot. Originally the part was played by Andrea Riseborough but scheduling conflicts resulted in Leonora Crichlow taking over the role in the series. In my personal opinion that has been a good change. I much prefer Crichlow's portrayal of Annie. Her intensity and involvement better suits the part.

As a werewolf, George is at pains to try to seek out secure locations for his transformation, places where he can be fairly sure that no one else will come to harm from his other self. Mitchell has a tougher struggle as, being a vampire, fresh human blood is what keeps him "alive". In the pilot he fell off of the wagon and as a result "converted" his then girlfriend, Lauren (played by Annabel Scholey - Dominique McElligott in the original pilot). Lauren still doesn't know if this was a good thing or a bad. One way or another though, Mitchell has to pay!

Manipulating everything behind the scenes is senior vampire Herrick (played creepily and brilliantly by Jason Watkins), using his position as a police officer to clean up and hide the excesses of the rank and file blood-suckers from the public.

Being Human is not a comedy and yet there is a lot of dark humour in it all the same. What is certain is that the characters are very well drawn and the actors playing the parts are absolutely perfect. The story line is developing very promisingly.

Being Human started a few weeks ago and hopefully you may have caught up with it from the beginning. If not, try and get up-to-speed on BBC iPlayer or, as I suspect, with repeats later in the year. So far, critical opinion seems to support the view that this has been yet another BBC triumph, in my opinion, on a par with Life on Mars. I am hopeful that yet further series will follow in due course.

Summary: The supernatural trying to lead an "ordinary" life