Being Human, la confrérie de l'étrange

"A ghost, a vampire and a werewolf walk into a..." Okay, I'm sure you've heard it a hundred times and it sounds like the beginning of a really bad joke but it really is the beginning to some of the best spec-fic TV you'll probably ever see. George the werewolf, Annie the ghost and Mitchell the vampire are roommates in an apartment in Bristol where they try to live a "normal" life. But they find that life after life is complex and unforgiving. And the "normal" people can be as frightening as the monsters. Dealt with allegorically in the show are addictions, clinical behavioral problems and mental illness to name a few. Well-rounded characters and oddly familiar situations tinged with the supernatural keep us eager to walk the road with the series' three protagonists. Be advised...this is not Twilight. This is grown-up TV with all the blood, sex and blue language that keeps it interesting for the post-pubescent set. The writing and acting are top-notch and each ensuing episode makes you ravenous for the next. Season II can't come soon enough.

Drama, mystery, self discovery, angst and "desperation for relief" comedy is spattered through out this well written and acted show. In 2 very short runs (16 in all?)I care more for these unlikely group of supernatural misfits than all the seasons of "Friends". Annie, Mitchell, George, and Nina sit on the fence between worlds, running from what they are and leaving claw marks in their past. The third set of shows have just started and I can't wait to see my friends again. I think it is best to watch the show, if you can, as they aired on BBC. When the shows makes the crossing on the pond some of the grittiness gets watered down. On a personal note, if you have watched the SyFy version, it pales by comparison.

A werewolf and a vampire, co-workers at a hospital, happen to also be roommates in a house that is haunted by a ghost that only they can see. It's a lot like Three's Company if it was written by Anne Rice.

The first ~dozen episodes are great. You'll sit there watching, trying to figure out where exactly this is all going while very entertained. The story dives into the immortal vampire's past, the newbie werewolf's future and the mystery behind why the ghost is dead and haunting their house. Eventually, like all character-based tv shows, the characters get stale and the plot needs to be changed in order to keep the audience. Just as the writers get back on track, The Hobbit trilogy happens and Aidan (the vampire) leaves the show... because yeah, Peter Jackson and the Hobbit!

With the trio broken up, they reboot the entire cast and you sit there, disappointed but still watching because you need to know how it all ends.

When you finish watching the series (and you will) you will probably come to the conclusion that the second story with the second trio was far better than the first and it was a shame that the writers had to spend so much time easing the audience into the drastic changes before moving ahead. What started out as a quirky little horror-drama turned into a cohesive final 10 or so episodes.

This was a great show under poor circumstances.

And now is the time to warn you against the American version of the show with the same name. Almost 100% of the time, when there is an American adaptation of a UK franchise, it's terrible. That's all I have to say about that.

When I first saw the pilot episode, I had several problems with it, all of which were fixed in episode one. It's my first foray into British television and I'll admit I'm confused by "remakes" and other such terms, but whatever; I don't care what they're doing as long as they keep this show on the air. It's smart, witty, funny, interesting, and manages to avoid being a tired rehash of the same monster mythology running around the entertainment industry. Lenora Crichlow is a greatly improved version of Annie, and something about her performance makes it far easier to find the character likable. Aidan Turner is an even better Mitchell than Guy, and thankfully Russell Tovey is still around; he's absolutely perfect as George. I haven't been so excited about a new show in years, and I love the way they blend the dramatic, the humorous, the mystical and the mundane. This show takes all the appeal of myth and legend and flawlessly applies it to modern life, allowing us to connect to the characters on a human level while still giving us a well-done version of the occult. No other show on the air today delivers so many forms of entertainment at once.

Intelligent script great acting from the three leads and a menacing performance from Eric the chief vampire. You really should give this series a go I missed the pilot so episode 1 was my first taste of this it was a slow start but interesting and has got better and better each week. I have found no-one at work who has seen this and whenever you try to tell them about it you find yourself saying " Well its about a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost who live together " you find them looking at you as if your mad or thinking you have discovered Rentaghost ( 70's BBC Kids series ). But the point is it is so much more than the thread of its story it deals with friendship,love,isolation and many other human emotions and it is very funny at times. Give it a go this series is original and you don't get that too often these days do you ........ Life On Mars was the last time that happened