Customer Reviews

Being Human: The Complete First Season

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I must admit that I approached this series after having watched the BBC version, and loving the BBC version dearly. I appreciate the U.K. "Being Human" because it's gritty, awkward, and quirky, and I guess I can identify it. The major plot and the sub-plots seem less sensationalized than one might find on American television, and the characters seem...ordinary - as if you could possibly be friends with them. It was with these biases that I began watching the American series.

Now, I did enjoy the first season of the American series, and, as evidence of my interest, I admit that I watched all the episodes over the span of two days (gotta love having a winter break). I found Josh, the werewolf, to be funny and witty, and awkward as any self-proclaimed "nerd" would be. Aidan, the vampire, was brooding and dark, and somehow a little less interesting or complex than Mitchell (BBC version). Sally, the ghost, I found to be completely boring, and she, I honestly felt, added very little to the first season - her moping grew old after one episode. I did admire this adaptation for taking the show in its own direction, and for having it's own authentic vision. Yet, perhaps it was the major plot, which felt a little rushed, the was "zany" sub-plots, or Sally (the really boring ghost) that kept me from fully loving the first season. I suppose it seemed a little lacking somehow.

All of this aside, I do recommend this series for those who like sci-fi, and who bemoan the absence of any decent sci-fi/supernatural show being on television. "Being Human" is fun and keep you entertained, even if it is slightly vapid.

Wow! I loved this show. I watched some the BBC shows, & I found that I enjoyed the American version more. The humor on this show is great. The 3 main actors are really fantastic and they play their characters well. I can't wait for season 2 to come out. Glad I took a chance on buying this season.

What do you get when you put a ghost, a vampire and a werewolf in the same apartment?

No, there isn't a punchline, because it's not actually a joke (unless you really, really hate urban fantasy). It's the description of "Being Human," a bittersweet little drama about a little supernatural gang trying to live their lives in an mundane world. It starts off similar to the original BBC series, but soon branches off in its own dark direction.

Vampire Aidan (Sam Witwer) and his werewolf buddy Josh (Sam Huntington) move into a nice rented house in Boston. But they find themselves with a third roommate -- a ghost named Sally (Meaghan Rath) who was engaged to their landlord until she died. George and Mitchell work a pair of low-level hospital jobs, and attempt to do normal things like date, join the neighborhood watch, and pal around with kids.

However, the trio still have supernatural problems. Josh struggles to reunite with his family despite his lycanthropy, and has a relationship go very awry. As Sally struggles to deal with being dead, she discovers that her fiancee did something unspeakable to her. And Aidan's life is disrupted by the city's overlord, Bishop (Mark Pellegrino), who is planning something major for the vampire population -- and will allow no one to stand in his way.

The obvious question about "Being Human" is: how does it stack up beside the original BBC version? Well, it sticks pretty closely to the BBC series' storylines for the first few episodes, but with more episodes to flesh things out in, it branches out in some new directions, with some new characters and events introduced to the story (such as a little boy whose friendship with Aidan ends in tragedy).

And this series maintains much of the flavor of the original series: clever comedy based on the idea of three supernaturals living "normal" lives (Aidan vamps out during a family dinner) and personal drama, while also delving into the painful issues of temptation, loss, and what it means to be human. The entire season is cloaked in bittersweet reflection, especially since the characters' attempts to be "normal" keep tripping up.

As for the actors, they're all pretty solid. Witwer is all gothic dimply charm, and he wrenches your heart during some of Aidan's sadder moments; Huntington's Josh is an endearingly earnest nerd, but he does get a bit whiny sometimes; and Rath's Sally is pretty, flaky and has some issues with her relationships. And Pellegrino is wonderfully, silkily Machievellian as the leader of the island, Jacob... I mean, the leader of the vampires, Bishop.

"Being Human Season 1" is a pretty solid adaptation of the original BBC series -- dark, tangled and sometimes very sad.

I like the British version better, I watched all 3 seasons, and I like the British werewolf better, Didn't look like a computer generated rat like the American version, Looked more like in the Howling. The British version did end the series, but I won't tell the ending. Also, there was alot more gore in the British version, as well as nudity. I found the story better over the American version.

Yes, it's true. The American remake of Being Human, Season One, is better than the British original. It feels like sacrilege to say it, since I'm a fan of British television --yet from my perspective the American first season is not only better, it's MUCH better. It's like a different writer drew on the original scripts and rewrote not only the dialogue but the overall story arc, and the result is much smoother and more consistent. I've read negative reviews of the American version - but those reviewers didn't seem to watch beyond the first few episodes. It's true that those episodes follow the British storyline and dialogue almost exactly, but differences also emerge, and after a handful of episodes the American version really comes into its own. Also, the American version "plays it straight" at first, and lets the humor develop naturally as an undercurrent, whereas the British version was more quirky but also inconsistent in tone.

Without giving away specifics, the biggest difference in the two shows is the villains, and the believability of the overall season. The villains in the British show are like caricatures. They are homely and jovial, with beaming smiles as they supposedly implement their dark plans. They are never really real, somehow. I suppose this is an original way of portraying vampire villains - neither sexy nor scary, but it falls flat. The portrayals are over-the-top and comical at times, but aren't very funny. In a good drama, the villains need to be almost as complex and compelling as the heroes. The British main villain is just kind of "icky" and repellant, whereas the American one is creepy but compelling in a sinister way, with brains and sex appeal -- just more vampire-like.

As for the main characters, the only one I liked best in the British version was the werewolf. The actor who played George just did such a fantastic job, but the more understated Josh in the American version is fine. I liked the vampire Aidan better in the American version. Both actors were good, but Aidan's clean-cut good looks, charisma and good grooming seemed, again, more traditionally like a vampire who over a hundred years old. It also seemed more reasonable that he would be a nurse than an orderly/porter since he's had years to acquire a career.

BTW, my husband and I didn't compare the two shows at first, as we watched, but gradually we both kept remarking how much better the American version was holding together, and we both liked it more. I haven't even watched Season 3 of the British version since I wasn't impressed by how Season 2 ended, but with the American show I can't wait to see where the writers take it.