I have loved this show since the first episode. I admit that I
am a sucker for almost any TV show about the supernatural anyway. I also love
British shows, especially well-done ones like this. This show has it all. It has
great special effects and makeup; it has excellent story and acting; and it has
humor and heart. It is just a wonderful show.
The basic premise of the show sounds like a bad joke: A vampire,
a werewolf, and a ghost all share an apartment. However, like all good
science fiction, fantasy, or horror shows or movies, within the context of this
world where such beings exist, it is very realistic. They take things
seriously, although the reality of the every day often makes for humor as well.
Beyond all that, the people in the show are just very likable and, dare I say
it, human. Their humanity, and their tenuous hold on that, is what makes you
root for them.
It may seem weird to root for such creatures, but these are the
good guys, not the bad guys. Like most vampires in recent fiction, Mitchell is a
vampire who does not want to drink human blood. He is constantly torn between
his monster side and his human side. George, the werewolf, wants
desperately to return to his human form but turns into a wolf once a month.
Annie, the ghost, desperately clings to this world and does not want to go to
the great beyond. They band together for some sense of normalcy, even
though they are far from normal.
They are threatened in this first season by other vampires.
That is the over-all story of the first season. It has an exciting,
satisfying conclusion in every way. Tthe three of them struggle to figure
out who they are during the season and mostly figure it out by the end.
The DVD disk has many great extras, including alternate, deleted
and extended scenes - these are always fun to see. I wish there were more!
They have character profiles, where the actors discuss each of the main
characters, and they show clips. There is a feature called "Vamping it Up"
where they talk about the vampires and how they decided which traditional
vampire features to use in the series (they can be seen in daylight, for
instance). The creator Toby Whithouse talks about the series. I wish there
had more from him about how he developed the show, and about the original pilot
(more on that later). They show the locations they use, which is very
interesting and goes into great detail. They talk about the costumes and
makeup as well. They have another feature about the stunts they did on the show,
and a separate one just about George becoming a werewolf. There is a
feature called "Our Journey's End" which talks about the end of the season.
And finally, there are "Video diaries", where the actors filmed themselves
during the series, talking a lot. I find that one to be kind of boring, but you
might like it if you are really into the actors.
The features are extensive, and I applaud them for that. The
only thing that I really felt was missing was the original pilot or any mention
or explanation of it. Perhaps they thought that it would be too confusing for us
poor dumb American audiences? That's a shame because it is well worth seeing.
The original pilot was very good, but it had different actors playing Mitchell,
Annie, and Herrick. I do hope they include it in a future DVD!
The DVD is well worth getting. Please visit our
Being Human Page for more info and
video clips. Also, enter our contest
for a chance to win the blu-Ray DVD!
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