Being Human US Version

Sorry about the lapse. I've been busy/not feeling well/uninspired, so haven't been keeping up. But finally, I have an inspiration that fills in two gaps from this week, my AWOL MANiC Monday and Tune In Tuesday... the US version of Being Human!

Being Human USA - promo - I am Different
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I have NOT seen the British version...
I hear it's good. It's got quite a following. (Does it even air on US TV? I don't think I've ever seen it listed on BBC America.) I've WANTED to watch it... largely because I think Russell Tovey who plays the werewolf is super hot.
You know, in an adorkable kinda way. But anyway, when it was first announced that a US version was in the works, fans pitched a fit saying that they'd ruin it. It's happened before. But then again, what about Queer As Folk and The Office, which ran for much longer and were more successful in their US formats? Huh?
Um... well, those shows weren't on SyFy. SyFy is NOTORIOUS for shitty production values, nonexistent plotting and dreadful, sub-porn levels of acting. This is the network that is on January 29th unleashing Mega Python vs. Gateroid on the world, and uniting onscreen for the first time, 80s pop goddesses Deborah (nee Debbie) Gibson and Tiffany!


There ya go, folks... the ONLY reason anyone was going to tune into this movie! Now you can save yourself the trouble! (Aw, who am I kidding... I am watching the shit outta that movie!) I love that this is supposed to be a monster movie and THAT is the clip they released. It also occurred to me that those two have probably participated in a threesome together at some point and some dude lived out like every straight mid-thirty-year-old man's ultimate fantasy.
Anyway, in the immortal words of Dr. Dre, "Back to the lecture at hand..." The one sentence summation of the show is "A vampire, werewolf and ghost get a house together and... well, hijinks ensue," I suppose." Cynics complained that Being Human was just another jump on the whole Twilight/True Blood bandwagon. But let's keep in mind that at least True Blood is GOOD!

So, I was curious about the US version of Being Human, but wasn't counting down the days or anything like that. I was prepared for it to maybe be okay or totally blow, but I COMPLETELY dug it!!! It stars Sam Witwer (formerly from Battlestar Galactica and Smallville) as smoldering ladies man vampire (is there any other kind?) Aiden.

(I think that pic is actually from Smallville... sorry, I can take remove it if you really want. Didn't think so.)It hasn't been explained yet, but he just so happens to be besties with Josh, a lovable loser werewolf, played by Sam Huntington, former star of Cavemen. No SERIOUSLY!!! Ha ha ha!!! He also played Jimmy Olsen in Superman Returns and (this came as a shock) he was Tim Allen's almost naked jungle-raised son in 90s kiddie crapfest Jungle 2 Jungle. Awwwww!!!! So little!!!

I'll take full-grown, naked Sam, thank you very much! Anyway, the show starts off with both guys killing someone. Josh wakes up after wolfing out and taking down a deer.
Aiden somewhat inexplicably kills a girl he works with. This kinda doesn't make sense in that Aiden is one of those Bill Compton-y vampires that's trying to be good and turn his back on all the killing and such. So like... why did he do it and why a co-worker and not some random stranger? The only real explanation is to set up the conflict of the police investigating the woman's disappearance.
The boys decide to get a house together so they can look out for each other and keep each other from killing. It's kind of like a sober house for addicts. Only the gorgeous, old, only-on-tv house they buy is... haunted!
Canadian actress Meaghan Rath, doesn't have any credits I recognize. Sorry! But I like her! She plays Sally, who with her fiance bought the house and were fixing it up, when she... died. The nature of her demise hasn't been revealed. Her fiance is the one who sells the house to the guys and is desperate to do so (understandably).

Sally can't leave the house or touch anything or be seen by humans. (My understanding is that this is a departure from the British.) Yet, she retains a sweetness and even optimism.

So that's the set-up. A ghost, vampire and werewolf cohabitate and try to help each other.
The whole show is just really WELL DONE! (I repeat... it's on SYFY!!!) The writing is crisp. The acting is great. The production values are high, especially by middling cable standards. Maybe Syfy is trying to turn its image around. I read that the press release they shipped out is the most deluxe they'd ever done, so they are really getting behind this show... as they should. It's a quality product!

It was enjoyable all the way through, but toward the end, there's a scene involving Josh's estranged sister that literally made me gasp OUT LOUD! I knew that at that moment I was IN! I am really looking forward to the rest of this series (like The Walking Dead, only 13 episodes) and hope that unlike TWD that it maintains its level of quality throughout. Also, I have to remind myself that when I really love a TV show, then I always start to hate it when it doesn't live up to the standard I feel it should. So... here's hoping this doesn't happen with this one! I do not need another TV show frenemy! (Must... not... take... jab... at... Glee... GAH! Couldn't help myself!)