For a creature that's supposed to be undead, the vampire has been seeing a lot of life recently. Between the attempt at a Buffy the Vampire Slayer movie remake, the hit HBO series True Blood, and, of course, the inescapable Twilight phenomenon, vampires are experiencing a cultural renaissance only befitting their immortal nature.
And now Being Human has debuted on BBC America, featuring a vampire as one of its three protagonists - the others being a werewolf and a ghost. It is their relationship that intriguingly sets the stage for the show.
The Premise of Being Human
Toby Whithouse, a writer from British TV hits Doctor Who and Torchwood, has created what could be considered a genre twist on Three's Company, an Abbot and Costello nightmare, or the beginning of a joke. A vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost decide to share a flat in Bristol, UK. They are all aware of each others monstrous natures, though the world at large is not. Nor is the public aware of the existence of any types of supernatural being (for now). This fact is the springboard for the title and angle of the show, as the three are simply attempting to put aside their respective curses and live life as normally, and as humanly as possible. It is a canny premise and a universally understandable dilemma.
The Characters
Mitchell (Aidan Turner) is the expectedly dark and sexy vampire, sired during the first World War, constantly fighting to ignore the inherent lust that drives him to kill and feed. It's a fight he doesn't always win. In what is probably not the best choice of career for someone avoiding exposure to blood, he works as an orderly at a hospital with his friend and flatmate George (Russel Tovey), the werewolf.
George, nerdier and more excitable than Mitchell, has only been dealing with his beastly burden for a few years, having been attacked and turned while vacationing in Scotland. As in typical lycanthropic lore, once a month on the night of the full moon he transforms into a feral humanoid wolf form, losing all sense of memory and humanity. George sequesters himself in an abandoned room at the hospital on these nights in order to stop himself from hurting anyone while transformed.
Finally there is the ghost, Annie (Lenora Crichlow): a beautiful young girl, and one of the original tenants of the flat they all share, where she also died (before the others moved in). The opening shot of the first episode shows her lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of the stairs where she took her fatal fall. Since there aren't millions of ghosts walking the Earth, her presence is explained by the old "unresolved issue" trope, though she herself doesn't yet know the issue anchoring her here. Her genre rules are the fuzziest. She is stuck in the clothes she wore when she died, and while she seems able to leave the flat, she's afraid to. She is corporeal only some of the time, being able to sit and grab things as needed, but she doesn't sleep, eat, or drink. Generally, only other supernatural beings can see her, though a handful of normal humans also have.
Fitting In
The first two episodes, directed by Toby Haynes, slowly establish the supernatural rules governing the trio of creatures in this world. The show isn't that concerned about these rules, and rightly so, lest we in the audience be bludgeoned with clunky exposition. Being Human is smarter than that, jumping right into the relationships and character development we need in order to sympathize with our unusual heroes.
Immediately we see how the three attempt to deal with their situations in different ways, creating friction. Mitchell's philosophy is to dive in head first and mingle with society; to hide in plain sight so as to avoid any suspicion. George is much more protective of their situation, favoring the idea of keeping their heads down and only mingling when necessary, not wanting villagers with torches and pitchforks at their door. While Annie seems still a little too dazed and confused by her situation to have an opinion either way, she does at least care to see her (ex) fiancee again, if only to make sure he hasn't moved on from her already. She is lonely enough in her plight to crave human interaction at almost any cost.
Exciting Conflict
Complicating matters for the three thus far is the revelation that vampires have been secretly around for centuries and have infiltrated deep into society, even into positions of authority, and they might be ready to stage a serious and bloody coup. Aside from being constantly courted to join this imminent war on humanity, Mitchell must also contend with the repercussions of a really bad choice he made during a recent date. A choice that may literally come back and bite him. The guaranteed presence of other werewolves and ghosts will also surely complicate matters in the future.
Practical Effects
In a refreshing change, the special effects on the show seem to be entirely practical, meaning non-computer generated. This is especially effective during the the wolf transformations, which seem much more tangible, evoking the painful agony of the process and bringing to mind memories of the awesome American Werewolf in London.
A Lack of Hype
Unfortunately, this smart, fun, and even funny entry into genre television has suffered a little under the shadow of the hype over the new Torchwood season and the last David Tennant Doctor Who specials launching the new BBC America HD channel. This reviewer's first exposure to Being Human was simply the commercials that ran during Torchwood; a shock considering how much internet momentum a show like this would normally get.
Be that as it may, if the idea of yet another vampire property isn't too much to bear, seek Being Human out. The six-episode series is airing Saturday nights at 9 on BBC America. It can be found at that network's on-demand station, and a second season has been announced.
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