Being Human: Season 1 [Blu-ray]

- George the werewolf (learning that there'll be a dinner guest): "Hold on, hold on. We need to set some ground rules here about guests."- Mitchell the vampire: "Like what?"- George: "Like... don't kill them."- Mitchell: "Ugh. Such a bourgeois concept."Maybe separately, the vampire's story and the werewolf's and the ghost's would've been too much of the same trite spoonful of the old dark and brooding. Except that, instead, BEING HUMAN throws in all three supernatural ingredients and comes up with a crackling good series. A dark and brooding and absolutely riveting series, not at all the same trite spoonful, and brought to life by a marvelous young cast. BEING HUMAN aired across the pond on BBC Three in 2008 and amassed much critical acclaim, and I'm glad to be finally on board. Friends have been pimping this series to me for a long while now.A vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost try to find a place in a human world that doesn't know they exist. So, yeah, there's an element of soap opera in this. Mitchell is a vampire struggling to stay on the wagon. George just may be the most fussy and high-strung lycanthrope ever. Mitchell and George, with an eye to keeping a low profile, toil away as lowly hospital porters in Bristol, England. They inhabit a pinkish house haunted by a bubbly but rather insecure ghost named Annie. But this isn't at all like Three's Company. Although BEING HUMAN does present irresistible touches of humor. There's a scene that cracked me up in the first episode in which George is in the woods where he thinks it's safe to turn into his werewolf form, only to keep stumbling into people. Reminds me of the 1966 BATMAN film with Adam West on the pier ("Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb!").But there are moments in which the show is all about the dark supernatural drama, and the angst kicks in heavy, as does the sexy. The vampire and the werewolf are both struggling with their humanity and with maintaining steadfast control over their monsters within. There are six episodes in this first series (they call 'em series in Britain, instead of seasons), presented on two DVDs, and they cover a sizable breadth of story arcs. Mitchell's story dominates the series as his past is always catching up to him and a major arc revolves around an impending vampire invasion, and this sucks in all three central characters.Annie, who died under mysterious circumstances, obviously harbors unresolved issues, something she has to work out before she can pass thru that final door. We track her as she works out these unresolved issues, and there's something quite satisfying in how she achieves closure. But then, her purpose done, does she stay in this mortal coil?Russell Tovey (the werewolf), Aidan Turner (the vampire),and gorgeous Lenora Crichlow (the ghost) are all superb, but it's Russell Tovey who comes out my favorite actor and his character the most lovable. For a ravening werewolf, George is so very easily frazzled, and Tovey imbues him with endearingly awkward and often humorous traits. You regard him as the wuss of the bunch and so it makes it all the more of a badasss moment when George finally lets loose in the last episode. Tell me you didn't cheer when he ominously growls "It got my... attention." to the villain of the piece, and I'll tell you you're lying. This is such a good show. Sure, one would have wished for more special effects - more of vampires doing vampiry stuff and of Annie being less corporeal and more spectral - but that's easily dismissed when you're so drawn into the characters themselves and what they're going thru.Besides, where else can you hear awesome Brit phrases such as "smash the granny"?Bonus material on Disc One: an alternate scene from episode three (00:01:02 minute long, and kinda meh); "Character Profiles" has our three stars offering insights on what makes their own and other characters tick (00:20:02 minutes); "Vamping it Up" mentions the vampire rules cherry picked for this show's bloodsuckers (00:04:06); an interview with series creator Toby Whithouse (00:07:03); "Locations" gives us a tour of interior sets of the pinkish house, the sinister funeral home, and the vampire feeding room (00:09:50); and "Costumes & Make-Up" delves into the thought processes that went into the look of the characters (00:02:37).Bonus material on Disc Two: seven deleted scenes (00:08:40); six extended scenes (00:15:21); a stunts package covering Lenora's fatal fall and the two-person car knockdown (00:10:03); "Our Journey's End" - the cast talks some more about their character arcs (00:04:11); "Becoming a Werewolf" goes into the make-up and practical effects behind Russell Tovey's werewolf transformation (00:05:03); and some really fun behind-the-scenes video diaries from the cast (00:14:46).

A vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost share a flat in Bristol....Sounds dreadful, right? But it's not; it's brilliant. This first season of "Being Human" begins each episode with a voiceover by one of the main characters, reflecting on life as a "supernatural." They drop this by second season, but I rather liked the contemplative tone, along with the montage of scenes that begin each episode. The writing by Toby Whithouse is witty, trenchant, and topical without being overly moralizing. The actors fit their roles perfectly: Lenora Crichlow as sweet, relentlessly cheerful Annie, the ghost with the tender heart (her generosity of spirit manifesting itself in the making of countless mugs of tea, none of which she can drink, as she is a ghost) who wonders why she's been left behind as a spirit in the world of the living, and whose goal is to find out what her "unfinished business" might be; Russell Tovey as screechy, fastidious, twitchy, nerdy George, the reluctant werewolf who just wants a normal life and who is in denial about his "condition," as he elliptically refers to it; Aidan Turner as sexy vampire Mitchell, who has a dark and violent past, but its attempting to put it all behind him, as he's gone "on the wagon" and is trying to become more human. They are joined by cast members Jason Watkins as Herrick, the head of the vampires in Bristol, and possibly the most creepily frightening character on television: he looks like someone's kindly old uncle, but his smile could make paint blister; and Sinead Keenan as nurse Nina, who is first exasperated by, then enraged by, then intrigued by, and finally captivated by nervous George and his many gaffes (sorry, only a minor spoiler there); and Annabel Scholey as Lauren, a vampire against her will, who stuggles with her newfound bloodlust much as a heroin addict does, and who also longs for her lost days of innocence. In amongst all the drama and the musings on what makes us human, what makes us monsters, and the intertwining storylines, there is also a refreshing thread of the mundane: they order in pizza, they watch television together, they have arguments over housework, they object to each other's friends, they have the neighbors over for tea. It's a perfect blend of humor, drama, and philosophy.By the way, avoid the American remake of this. Although Toby Whithouse is listed as a co-producer of that series and the set-up and storylines are similar, the writing is painfully bad and the three characters not remotely as engaging.

I started watching this a couple of years before I had heard of the U.S. spin, and I just fell in love with Lenora Critchlow; she brought beauty, sensitivity and a desire for self-improvement to the role of Annie. I found her so compelling that even though they went through a nearly complete cast change in season 4, leaving only her out of the original three main characters, I still loved it. The first three seasons had a couple of truly standout character actors such as Jason Watkins as Herrick, a WONDERFUL bad guy, soooo creepy! Then there was Sinead Keenan as Nina, who can't be more than five feet tall in heels but gives the impression of being nine feet tall and bullet-proof. Absolutely wonderful! And then there is Russell Tovey in the role of George, the werewolf, whose range as an actor is just amazing. His chemistry with Keenan is so convincing that I didn't pick up on his being gay. After I read that about hi, it was so obvious that I couldn't believe I hadn't seen it earlier! SUCH a cutie!! Then of course there's Aidan Turner as John Mitchell; simply WOW. So intense one minute, then gentle and playful the next. These very talented young actors, guided by a wonderful set of directors and writers made the show a total must for me. Most of the cast got killed off in the fourth season but excellent writing, production and direction saved it, at least mostly.In the U.S. version, I just couldn't get past Meaghan Rath. She abrasive, selfish and self-centered and I just couldn't find any saving grace in her character. It could be that I needed to give it a while and I intend to watch it again because I just love Sam Huntington. I'm not a big fan of Sam Witwer, although I think he's got some talent. Anyway, if you love the U.S. Being Human, you may or may not like the original, but give it a shot. It's worth every second!

Just to correct Amazon's misleading and brief assessment, this is NOT a sitcom. It's a drama with with humour -bit like life in that respect.It's also a character-centred drama rather than a straight-forward genre piece like True Blood (currently showing on FX) which gives it something more. Nice to see Lenora Crichlow (of Sugar Rush fame) back in a lead role as she's an attractive and vivacious actress and does well as Annie the mixed-up ghost. Russell Tovey, as the Jewish werewolf, has just a few too many nervous tics and twitches but is otherwise pretty good. Aidan Mitchell as the more together macho vampire does just what is needed.But it still wouldn't have worked without a good supporting cast. Jason Watkins is brilliant as Herrick the major villain who looks like a benign everyman but displays the mundanity of evil. If he doesn't start getting bigger roles after this then there's no justice. I also liked Sinead Keenan as the razor-tongued nursing sister, another lovely peformance.But I particularly liked the way the series gradually darkens towards the end though I wasn't too convinced by the vampire takeover plot which seemed to be a little too localised.Talking of local, or rather locale, it's set in Bristol which, after Casualty, Holby City, Skins, and now this, I feel I'm beginning to know pretty well.The extras are a bit so-what but I don't buy a DVD for the extras and don't usually watch them anyway. The show's the thing and this is a pretty good one.

'Being Human' has to be the most original approach to the classic supernatural stereotypes of vampire, werewolf and ghost that I've seen in a long, long time. Ostensibly a comedy it digs deeper and works harder than the run of the mill and ranges from pathos to irony with a fluency that is a delight to see. Credit must go to Toby Whitehouse whose plotlines and dialogue are the driving force behind a show which is low on budget, high on impact. My only disappointment is in the casting of Annie. I felt that the original actress, Andrea Riseborough, should have been retained for the series but she perhaps had prior commitments. Pity. Lenora Critchlow swings from hysterical and wet to feisty and capable so suddenly that it fails to convince. Whether it's down to the writing or the actress I couldn't say but fortunately the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. One stand out character for me in season one is Herrick played by Jason Watkins. His short, endomorph, blonde appearance makes him look the most unlikely of villains but his tremendous acting ability and great use of his lines sees him go from warm and friendly to ice cold and deadly in a heartbeat. Herrick is clearly aware of his appearance and uses it to his advantage. Brilliant casting choice. I can't recommend this programme highly enough. If you haven't seen it yet then please try to. you won't regret it.

Certainly well-acted and for the most part good dialogue but let down by predictable and poorly conceived plots with numerous internal inconsistencies and stupidites. If you are looking for some mindless entertainment with less edge and less blood than True Blood then you might like it but a vampire eating breakfast cereal might turn you off. After shows like Agents of SHIELD, Poldark, Happy Valley or even Atlantis this ranks way down. Shame really as the characters are good and the dynamics fun but the poor plot and character development put us off from watching any more after this series. Personally, the idea of a ghost that is just as physical as a human being seems pretty daft as does the aforementioned vampire eating breakfast cereal. Then a wrewolf explains the marks he got being attacked by the werewolf that changed him as having fallen through a patio door when he was eleven .. and a rather clued-up nurse who must have seen plenty of glass cuts in her time believes him!

Really glad I came across this show. Won't go into the storyline or characters here, there are plenty of reviews that do so. The only thing I really wanted to write here is a warning about the SPOILERS in the extras. I had watched two episodes and then thought I would look at the extras on offer and some of them contained main plotlines for the end of the series. One I had already guessed about Annie (yes, even after just two episodes!) but others I had not and it really spoilt it for me. There should have been a warning to watch the entire series first. Or, maybe I should have been more careful. Either way, I just thought I would let others know.

I loved this series from the start - the first one, where we meet and get to know the stories of all the characters is one of the strongest.This copy was bought for my 16 year old goddaughter, who has a thing about the man she sees as Poldark - I needed to show her he existed way before that, and show her how much she'd love this series! She binge watched a series and a half in one day - I think we have a winner (and I have my next few gifts to her sorted...) - and my 'cool' rating as a godmother definitely went up!