BBC AMERICA’s original hit series, Being Human, returns February 25, as part of BBC AMERICA’s Supernatural Saturday. In its fourth chapter, the show is reinvigorated with new cast members, shocking plot-twists, guest appearances and an altogether new type of supernatural creature. In sharing his excitement about the new season, creator and writer Toby Whithouse (Doctor Who, Torchwood) promises: “We take you to somewhere we’ve never been to before.” Being Human premieres Saturday, February 25, 9:00pm ET/PT on Supernatural Saturday.
Following the gripping season three finale, in which viewers watched Mitchell (Aidan Turner) fall victim to the wolf-shaped bullet, season four sees the aftermath as the housemates return to their home in Barry Island. There are also some new faces in town…
In an old B&B in a sleepy seaside town, we join Annie (Lenora Crichlow), her housemate George (Russell Tovey) and their new friend Tom (Michael Socha). They’re reeling from the loss of their best friend Mitchell, Tom’s father-figure McNair. But with a newborn baby to look after, it’s never been more difficult to live life under-the-radar as a ghost and two werewolves. There are also vampires to deal with: lurking in every corner of society, waiting for the Old Ones, powerful older vampires, to arrive and take over the world with brutal force. Worse yet, there’s a malevolent ghost on the loose and someone’s seeking to expose the existence of werewolves – not to mention all the diapers that need changing.
Toby Whithouse on the series: “Every year we set ourselves the task of creating something bigger and bolder and better than anything that’s happened before. We knew this year was going to be especially tough because of the various cast changes…The mountain before us seemed even higher than usual. But once we’d stopped rocking and shaking, we saw season four as an opportunity: we could invent new characters, expand the show in different directions, create new worlds and monsters and heroes, and add new layers to the overarching Being Human mythology. Suddenly season four was a genuinely thrilling prospect.”
Whithouse continues: “But the essential DNA of the show remains the same. Recently I found the pitch document I wrote for season one. This was the opening paragraph:
‘We’re the stuff of nightmares. And we’re your only hope. George, Mitchell and Annie yearn for their vanished humanity. Being Human is a unique twist on the aspirational drama, as the things Mitchell, Annie and George struggle to achieve are so common place and normal to us, yet impossibly remote to them. And the desire to be accepted by their old lost race will drive them to acts of immense courage, and foolish hazard. Our heroes may be like characters that have tumbled from the pages of a book, but their problems are always recognisably human, and the stories will strike a balance between the supernatural and the domestic.’
Obviously, a lot can happen in four years. But looking back at it now, I’m relieved to see that those words are still relevant for a show that has a new cast, a new location, an American reincarnation and expanded beyond our wildest dreams. As ever, Being Human lives or dies on the strength of the characters and the cast, and that’s why I think this season is our strongest yet.”
All three previous seasons of BBC AMERICA’s Being Human are available now from the BBC on Blu-ray, DVD and on several media platforms to purchase and download.
My fears about the change of cast have pretty much been alleviated since seeing a promo clip…the onscreen chemistry between Annie and Tom as friends appears to be just as strong as that between Mitchell and George. I found last season to fall a little short of what the first two seasons had been…It all felt “arranged” for Mitchell’s exit. Now I’m thinking the new cast might be for the best and can’t wait to see the new season. Only bad thing is having to wait until Feb 25…well I can at least watch The Fades till then.