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Being Human: Season One

So a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost walk into a bar...Science fiction and fantasy have longstanding traditions of asking what it means to be human by examining non-humans, whether they be aliens, anthropomorphic animals, or androids. Now, Toby Whithouse  (Doctor Who, Torchwood) has created Being Human, a series whose raison d'être is to explore humanity by telling the story of three post-human roommates: a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost.

How these three became roommates in a Bristol flat emerges slowly, but one thing is immediately clear: they're a mutually supportive bunch, each of whom has a unique way of getting on the other's nerves. Mitchell (Aidan Turner) and George (Russell Tovey)—the vampire and werewolf—work together at the local hospital, as a janitor and porter, respectively. Left at home during the day in maddening isolation is Annie (Lenora Crichlow), a ghost who died in the flat she now shares with Mitchell and George. The boys' landlord Owen (Gregg Chillin) is Annie's ex-boyfriend, and her emotions go into overdrive at the thought of seeing him (and seeing him move on with his life). Whithouse and his cast swiftly establish the characters: seemingly blase Mitchell, who's nearly seen it all over the course of 120 years; milquetoast George, a nervous Nellie not cut out for the life of a werewolf; and emotionally messy, hyperactive Annie. Whithouse strikes an engaging balance of drama and comedy, playing up the awkwardness of a vampire in suburbia and peppering the show with amusing pop culture references.

The journey of Series One involves the characters—who've had their "monstrosities" chosen for them by others—coming into their own, accepting themselves as they accept each other, and making moral choices about what to do with their post-human abilities. Since all three used to be strictly human and now strictly aren't, there's an ironic theme, expressed by Annie in the first episode, that "Everyone deserves a death." The option dangles at a few points in Series One: might one sacrifice his or her life for others? Might Annie give up the ghost and move on to the afterlife? All three characters also have impulses they try to control. Annie is compelled to haunt Owen, especially when her ability to be seen and felt waxes. One episode explores how George can best deal with his "time of the month," as he gets tips from a roguish werewolf. As for Mitchell, he's "on the wagon," having willed himself not to kill for blood. This choice has him out in the cold from his vampire brothers and sisters, who intend to take an evolutionary step and claim the planet from humans. The vampires are led by the evil, darkly charming Herrick (Jason Watkins), the very same vamp that initiated Mitchell.

All in all, Whithouse provides an interesting perspective on the natures of the beasts, and their perfect evolution into predators. Despite their powers, it's far from peaches and cream: at one point, circumstances cause Mitchell and George to be mistaken for that other kind of predator: the pedophile. Like all successful British properties, Being Human has drawn attention in America. The original series runs on BBC America, and an American version of the series is set for SyFy Channel that's rumored to star Sam Witwer (Smallville) as Mitchell, Sam Huntington (Superman Returns) as George and Meaghan Rath (The Assistants) as Annie. It's understandable that the high-concept premise of "Friends meets True Blood" (or, ahem, Twilight) proved irresistible to American producers, but it's unlikely that a remake will retain the subtler comic and dramatic tones of Whithouse's original.