BBC - Being Human
Love and relationships are truly the most paradoxical aspects of “Being Human”
BBC’s Being Human
What is it that makes us human? Is it love? Empathy? Who decides?
I forget who said it first; it may have been Newton N. Minow back in 1961, but some scholarly type belched out the phrase “television is a vast wasteland.” Maybe it was back then when all they had was “The Andy Griffith Show,” the “Tonight Show,” and “Meet the Press” but “wasteland” is such a harsh word. Television is more like your own neighborhood when you really think about it. There’s your home (where the Sci Fi channel rules), the surrounding blocks (Heroes, Castle, Supernatural, House), the neighborhood as a whole (Two and a Half Men, Dexter, The Big Bang, Fringe) as well as the “bad areas” that you should not drive through unless you have to (Fox and CNN news, American Idol, The Office, Bones) and then the really, really bad parts of town where there is a constant fire in a trashcan, occasional gun shots ringing out, and rocks pelted at your car just because you drove down the street (I Want To Work For Diddy, Cribs, Judge Anyone, The Good Wife, and The View). But every once in a while as you tool about in Wasteland Americana you happen to stumble into an oasis (Being Human).
Now, don’t going turning your nose up at British television. Apart from Doctor Who there are a great many shows that started life across the pond and because of their success were “Americanized” for us. All In The Family, Antiques Roadshow, American Idol, America’s Got Talent, Celebrity Fit Club, Coupling, Eleventh Hour, Football Wives, Hell’s Kitchen, Life on Mars, Queer as Folk, Sanford and Son, The Office, Three’s Company, Trading Spaces, and Ugly Betty just to name a few.
“Being Human” is a BBC 3 program and it is absolutely worth watching, especially in its British incarnation. Here’s the breakdown: A vampire named Mitchell (Aidan Turner), a nice Jewish werewolf named George (Russell Tovey) and a lovely ghost called Annie (Lenora Crichlow) all live in the same rented two story townhouse . George and Mitchell work low profile jobs as orderlies in a hospital while agoraphobic Annie keeps house for the boys during the day. I could be wrong but I believe that it’s George’s name on the lease and that Mitchell is the add-on. Annie is there because this is the place where she died. The reason they all came together is because supernatural beings and things happen to gravitate towards one another. George liked that apartment and chose to rent it, inviting Mitchell to move in with him; they were consciously unaware that it was haunted until Annie revealed herself to the boys.
But it is soooooo much more than that, more than a vampire, werewolf and ghost trying to find their place in the world and survive. Anyone can learn to survive. They want to live, be “normal,” function in society and find happiness. Who doesn’t want that? We can all relate to their problems, fears, hopes and dreams.
George the Werewolf:
George is a bit screwed-up and it has nothing to do with his being a werewolf. He’s nervous by nature, neurotic if you will, rather odd, a bit quirky and a little campy, but at the same time so loveable and caring and endearing. He’s not afraid to let loose with a girly scream when he’s thoroughly scared, but he’ll stand with you while he does so. George would never dream of hurting anyone, ever; the fact that he is a werewolf and could hurt someone is killing him inside. He goes to great lengths to see to it that he is locked up tight or far off in the woods when his “time of the month” rolls around. George would do anything to end his curse-not for himself but because of the risk he poses to others. He cares deeply for his roommates, Mitchell and Annie but that is not to say that he does not have his problems with them. George really likes Annie but sort of resents the fact that she is a ghost yet is a part of his life, after all ghosts are not in normal people’s lives and George wants more than anything to be normal. With Mitchell I feel that George looks up to him a little bit because Mitch always has this semblance of calmness and control, but knows that it’s mostly a façade. I guess its George’s perception of Mitchell’s strength that upsets George. He’s painted this mental picture of Mitch, an image his friend cannot possibly live up to and then becomes devastated and angry when Mitch falls short of George’s expectations.
Mitchell the Vampire:
A more laid back vampire than Mitchell I doubt you’d find, he’s had 118 years to sow his oats, so to speak. He’s seen and done a lot so it takes quite a bit to rattle his cage or peak his interest. Being the oldest by far he brings a quiet maturity to the group and is rather like a father figure, something used to ground George and discipline and guide Annie. These days Mitchell has decided that he’s maybe been a bit over the top with his blood drinking and has decided to only drink blood that’s been lifted from the hospital’s blood bank. What is deeply interesting about this aspect of the character is that the writers are not parading down the “woe is me I am a vampire, boo-hoo” path but rather have chosen to approach Mitchell’s dilemma as if it were a drug addiction. We all know addicts fall off the wagon from time to time.
Annie the Ghost:
Annie. Poor, poor, sad, broken and dear sweet Annie. I could just cry thinking about her. Her story is so heart wrenching and compelling and it takes you down a path of her self-discovery, similar to Joseph Campbell’s “the hero’s journey.” All throughout the series her character is the one that grows and develops the most, but that is because compared to the other two, she has a lot to learn and deal with. If Mitchell is Annie’s father figure than George is her “brother.” They bicker with one another a lot and vie for the attention if not approval of Mitchell. Eventually they level out some but in the end share an experience that brings them closer together and cements their kinship.
BBC America has a marathon of the show about once a month. Season 2 just finished up here and season 3 is being filmed now in the UK. The plan was to send it over here after is airs there. That was until the Sy Fy Channel purchased the “re-imagination” rights to it. They have already ordered 13 episodes of “Being Human” to be made and set to air summer or fall of 2010, the idea being that they can make it appeal to a broader audience. A “broader audience”??? They plan to air it after Sanctuary. Is anyone still watching that show? I didn’t even know it was still on!
My advice, watch the British version now and thoroughly enjoy it while you can. Doubt my wisdom? I give you this, marked “Exhibit A: The Dresden Files.” Done the Sy-Fy channel way.
QtR - Theresa Bane, Vampirologist and fan of BBC 3’s “Being Human”
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