“A great way to catch-up before series two starts”
On the surface, the premise behind “Being Human” may sound like the bad opening line to a joke (A ghost, a vampire and a werewolf all live together in a shared house). And while the show may be keenly self-aware and have its moments of humor and sly winks at the audience, there are moments when the series rises above them and becomes something more.
Created and written by Toby Whitehouse, the series focuses mainly on Mitchell, the vampire, and his fellow bloodsuckers’ desire to ‘convert’ people into an unstoppable, superior race. And while there isn’t a lot of new ground tilled here (the idea of an angsty, guilt-ridden vampire stretches back to “Buffy” and the early works of Anne Rice), the series at least keeps this storyline interesting and compelling enough to justify its arc for the first season.
The most interesting storyline is that of the ghost, Annie. Annie has the most human moments in the show as she tries to reconcile her new status as a ghost and the fact that she can’t reconnect with her old life. Early on, Annie learns that her former fiancée has moved on, engaged to another woman who was a rival. Annie’s heartbreak at this discovery as well as her early obsession with possibly reconnecting with her fiancée and possibly revealing herself to him, are at the heart of the series and help keep it grounded and entertaining. There’s also an arc about how exactly Annie died that keeps the momentum going across the entire season (though you may guess the twist that comes at season’s end before Annie does).
Released on DVD and Blu-Ray just before series two debuts on BBC America later this week, “Being Human” looks and sounds fantastic. American audiences get their first chance to see the uncut versions of the episodes. The BBC America edits didn’t remove any major plotlines, but the episodes did have to be clipped down for running time, content and commercials. If you’re a fan of the show and you’ve only seen them edited, the set is worth the investment to see the story the way Whitehouse intended.
Extras-wise, it’s hit or miss. There are a lot of short documentaries included here, though I’ll warn you to not delve too deeply into them before you’ve seen all six episodes. One extra on disc one assumes you’ve seen all of the series and gives away some things that happen later in the run.
While not exactly ground-breaking, “Being Human” is still a solid, enjoyable series and this DVD set is a great way to catch up on things before the second series begins its run later this week.
Buy the DVD or Blu-Ray from Amazon.
Actors: Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow, Aidan Turner, Sinead Keenan, Donald Sumpter
Number of discs: 2
Studio: BBC Warner
DVD Release Date: July 20, 2010
Run Time: 343 minutes
The first series is very good and the second series is even better. Some very, very strong and dark episodes in the back half of series two.
I am so excited for season two here in the states. Kevin I sure hope you’re right. I do see some strong potential for this show. The first season was pretty solid and interesting, while I do concede its nothing groundbreaking (buts that’s ok it is just starting out!). yay!
Got this in the mail yesterday. Gonna try to rewatch them all before Saturday. Love this show.
It’s bad enough that there are cuts for running time and commercials. Nothing ruins the flow of a show like taking you out of the show for an ad.
But if they’re cutting for “content”, then why bother?
I’ve seen both Season 1 and Season 2 as they were meant to be seen: Uncut.
It’s an excellent show and I sure recommend tuning in.
But if you can get some tickets to the UK (wink-wink!) I highly recommend seeing this show un-messed with.
One of the best BBC shows on the tele. Looking forward to the new series two this week.