Bob:
I wanted to talk this week about Being Human. I skipped the British version, even though I heard good things because there were just too many shows that I was watching at the time. When Syfy oddly decided to remake the show (which is still in production in the UK), I figured I was going to pass on it as well. Long story short, I caught up on a recent lazy Sunday and I was shocked at how much I liked the show.
It’s really well done. I think it does a fantastic job of capturing that twenty-something angst, telling stories through the monster analogies. The characters are all relatable and likable, and there is a depth to the universe that I appreciate. From what I hear it’s a very faithful adaptation of the UK original. You’ve watched some of both — what do you think?
Debbie:
I’m a big fan of the BBC version, so much so that everything about the US version irritated me at first, even the fact that they changed the names of the characters. Yeah, I was a bit whiny.
Now that I’m only a couple of episodes behind on the US version, I have to admit that it’s growing on me. At first, I really missed the chemistry that the BBC cast has, but the US cast is really starting to mesh. They’re starting to find that balance of funny, sardonic and dark, with that underlying warmth that the characters have for each other. And it’s beautifully shot.
I know you know him as Lost’s Jacob, but I’m absolutely crazy about Mark Pellegrino (Supernatural’s Lucifer to me, or maybe Dexter’s Paul Bennett) … though I’m starting to worry about him, since he always plays some sort of deviant. I hope he’s acting.
Also, they’ve started to deviate a bit from the BBC plot line (but to answer your question from before, the characters are pretty close, Annie/Sally is annoying in both), so hopefully it will branch off even more and become its own show, much like The Office. Although if you believe Brett’s ratings analysis, Being Human US is not long for this world.
Bob:
It is beautifully shot, isn’t it? There’s definitely a strong “look” to the show and I think it really works.
I didn’t realize the ratings were so bad. I think Syfy really needs to take a step back and figure out what kind of channel it wants to be. It seems like all of its original programming has really tanked. I wonder if Being Human skews a little too young for their regular crowd, or if it is the fact that it is a remake of a show that is currently airing (as inexplicable as that is). In any case, I really like it and hope we get more. Of course, if it does get canceled, I can just get caught up with the British version.
Debbie:
I don’t see why it would skew particularly young, because the genre is universally appealing. It’s not set in a high school (I’m looking at you, Vampire Diaries) which could be an argument for skewing young (clearly I’m not in touch with my demographic), so I don’t think it’s that.
What turned me off at first was definitely the fact that I’m midway through the BBC journey, so it was weird for me to watch a re-envisioning of a show I’m still enjoying. My guess is I’m not the only one.
Regardless, I’m glad I gave it a chance because the pilot was not stellar but it is definitely growing into a really well done show.
Clacked by Bob Degon
on Feb 24, 2011 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
I’m glad to hear the US version is improving, because we’ve only watched the first 3 episodes and we’ve found it to be pretty flat. The reason we’re so far behind is because I’m having trouble convincing my wife to keep watching and I would really like to enjoy it with her rather than relegate it to something I view alone, but I haven’t enjoyed it much at all.
I know it’s been said to death, but the BBC version is much better and I was hooked on it from the very first episode; I can’t say that about the Syfy copy. That seems to be a problem with a lot of US television and genre shows in particular. They want to take their sweet time getting up to speed and in the process end up losing impatient viewers who were expecting to be “wowed” from the get-go. I’m a huge fan of being patient with a series, but in the case of genre programming most shows struggle with ratings no matter how good they are which is all the more reason for them to come hurtling out of the gate, not sauntering. Perhaps I’m feeling a little less patient with Being Human (US) because there is an actual alternative that has already got me hooked and being a British series can go places and tackle subjects US television wouldn’t even dare.
Ever since the name change Syfy has shown a marked decrease in interest in the genre that made them what they are/were, so I’ve got some pretty ill-will towards the channel in general. They’ve got no hard sci-fi save for SGU and that’s already dead. The only thing mainstream sci-fi coming out is Blood and Chrome which I’m not giving any hope to, much less wasting my time getting invested in a show that has a 99% chance it’ll get unceremoniously canned on a cliffhanger. I predict that in several months Syfy will be devoted to science fiction about as much as TLC is devoted to learning these days.
I also only saw the first three episodes and it was so flat to me that I stopped watching. It’s just too boring.
I never watched the BBC version and until just now, I didn’t even know there was one. When I first watched it, I was barely interested–I thought Josh was a jackass and Aidan was really stiff, Sally was a bit funny at least with her introductory quips about Twilight and other references–but for some reason I stuck with it rather than tossing it aside like I usually do–but I think the reason I did stick with it was because it was on the DVR and I was determined to see myself proven right in the immediate debate between my mom and I over whether the fiance killed Sally or not. Happy to say I won that debate! Anyway, by the third and fourth episode, it grew on me and I’m happy that I didn’t stop after the pilot.
I think the BBC is much better than U.S. television, and the BBC’s original series of Being Human is no exception.