Being Human, la confrérie de l'étrange

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.

I am very pleased with Being Human.

I believe that the US have lost sight of what's really important in film/TV, particularly depth of character. All I see in American film and TV these days are a bunch of clichéd characters who speak in one-liners and catch-phrases.

Not the case with British film and TV - apart from Guy Ritchie films, tic.

Like "Dog Soldiers", Being Human relies on old technology to make their Werewolf work. So what, the wolf looks fake. You can look beyond it as the rest of the show is excellent.

Being Human has stayed true to the crux of Horror, which is the Supernatural element. Nowadays too often we see "genetically mutated" monsters, which takes the fear factor out of it all. If it bleeds, we can kill it (and easier than we thought).

Being Human is beautifully written, superbly cast and has its own feel; one you can immerse yourself in. It's simple viewing without being too predictable or too tame.

I'm pretty sure I would be happy to watch further installments of this show for the next 5 years and not be bored with it, provided the writing remains as refreshing as it is at the moment.

For me, Being Human is about the relationships between the characters and the anticipation of something "big" happening in each episode. It hasn't let down so far!

Loved this show. Hal was the best. Wish it did not end so quickly. I never gave the US version a chance, because I know that the US often ruins things. So I stick with this UK version, and will always love it. Funny, interesting, and a good way to see parts of England that I never will. Also it does something near the middle of the series and I won't spoil it, but it has to do with characters who die, that was not done before. Now it happens in US shows, but Being Human was the first one to do this. A trendsetter.

Excellent off-beat drama about a vampire, werewolf and ghost who share a flat in suburban Bristol. The script was intelligent, with thoughtful but compelling story lines that did not treat the audience like complete idiots, was perfectly paced and matched to the main characters. The entire cast was excellent, with quality supporting performances as to be expected from Adrian Lester, Natalie Armin & others. The audience response was so good, it has now been remade by the BBC as a full series. As a whole, this was a perfect short film that deserved a lot more recognition. Sadly only one of the original main actors makes it into the remake, but hopefully the BBC won't screw up by trying to overplay their hand. If the rest of the production crew and cast have been retained this could be another classic in the making.

The premise: a vampire, werewolf and ghost live together is about as silly as you could imagine. However the acting is so spectacularly good, you are instantly sucked in. There is some humour, (such as ageless vampire cutie moon-eyeing an aged past girlfriend), but they play it with a straight face. Russell Tovey as George the reluctant werewolf is perhaps the best actor I have ever seen in a TV series. He plays with his appearance to change from a Matt Damon clone to a complete dork to Truman Capote. He plays with his voice, ranging over every possible emotion. He is always surprising you with a new angle to his character. His screams of pain as he transforms into a werewolf are unbearable. He is completely convincing. I fell madly in love with with his character. He was just so open, with such heart, complex yet easy to understand.

Annabel Scholey made me hate her so intensely the instant she came on screen. She projects such a strongly nauseating personality with just some fine control of her facial muscles. She has that knack like nobody else. She was also able to make her character gradually more sympathetic, all through body language. Other actors should study how she does this.

The other actors too are done in Kodachrome, a bit more out there, trying something unusual. This does not feel like TV or a movie for that matter, perhaps more like a play.

The episodes are quite long, and it feels like the writers could not come up with enough minor plot elements to fill them. So they pad with meandering dialogue, that feels much like real life, but left me itching for them to get on with the show. The ground rules of how reality works in this strange universe are just incidentally explained. You often see some strenuous conflict without knowing what fuels it. The major plot elements are full of big surprises, however -- very clever.

There are not many special effects. The ghost just appears without any fade-in. Most of the transformation to a wolf occurs off camera. The main thing you see are a series of bumps appear long George's back. Sometimes you watch people's reaction to what would be a special effect rather than the special effect itself. This works surprisingly well.