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Being Human Series 1
(2009)
As far as premises for
TV shows go, Being Human may take some beating. Commissioned off
the strength of a lauded hour-long pilot which aired in early 2008, the
series revolves around three friends who share a flat in Bristol,
England. The catch? George is a werewolf, Mitchell is a vampire and
Annie is a ghost. Throughout the course of this first season the trio
are faced with the usual twenty-something dilemmas; the search for love
(Mitchell’s peevish ex for one is most unimpressed that he turned her
into a vampire), meaning, companionship and rent money. The main
difference is, of course, that they must also struggle to find some
sense of normality in their lives, despite no longer belonging entirely
to the land of the living and having to keep their respective secrets at
all costs.
Given the current vogue
for all things supernatural it’s no surprise the series rated extremely
well in its native UK, with a second season having been recently
commissioned. Australian audiences may not be as familiar with the
program, given it appeared on the digital-only ABC2, but it has proven a
steady seller on DVD since its Region 4 release in August. Word of
mouth, it appears, is spreading.
And rightly so. The
series strikes a perfect balance between subtlety and substance; it is
dramatic without being dour, humorous without needing to play for
laughs. Much of the comedy is derived from the characters’ foibles and
insecurities; Mitchell is attempting to go cold turkey from human blood,
George refers to his dreaded lycanthropy as ‘the thing that happens to
me once a month’ and Annie is so delighted when she once again begins to
take on something resembling a corporeal form that she celebrates by
making endless cups of tea.
The mythical themes at
the core of Being Human haven’t always translated successfully to
the small screen – Moonlight, anyone? – and attempting to pull
off both drama and comedy in the one series is an audacious
undertaking. But under the steady hand of writer and creator Toby
Whithouse and with a trio of likeable, vulnerable and convincing lead
actors at its nucleus, the necessary elements have combined perfectly to
give the Beeb one of its biggest hits in recent years. The three leads
seem to have a genuine regard for one another, and scenes in which their
characters must bolster one another emotionally are all infused with a
certain poignancy. The special effects are also convincing, with scenes
in which George is transformed into his hairy alter-ego particularly
affecting.
All in all Being
Human is a fresh, funny and expertly-crafted rendering of three
time-honoured mythologies, with thoughtful performances and an emotional
core making it the perfect blend, as has been noted, of the mystical and
the mundane.
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