Being Human is a British supernatural comedy-drama television series created and written by Toby Whithouse and first broadcast on BBC Three in 2009. The show blends elements of flatshare comedy and horror drama. The pilot episode starred Andrea Riseborough as Annie Sawyer (a ghost), Russell Tovey as George Sands (a werewolf), and Guy Flanagan as John Mitchell (a vampire) – all of whom are sharing accommodation and attempting as well as they can to live a "normal" life and blend in with the ordinary humans around them, striving to fit in more.
Two of the main cast were replaced in the series by Aidan Turner (Mitchell) and Lenora Crichlow (Annie). Russell Tovey was the only original main cast member. In the third series, Sinead Keenan became part of the main cast as Nina Pickering (a werewolf). In the fourth series, the ensemble was joined by Michael Socha as Tom McNair (a werewolf) and Damien Molony as Hal Yorke (a vampire). The fifth series added Kate Bracken as Alex Millar (a ghost). The first two series were set in Totterdown, Bristol, and the third series onwards relocated , across the River Severn, to Barry, Wales.
On 13 March 2011, series creator Toby Whithouse announced that Turner had left the show and that new characters would be introduced. On 11 November 2011, Tovey announced that he was leaving Being Human after the first episode of Series 4 to work full-time on his other television series Him & Her. Furthermore, Keenan announced on 9 January 2012 that she had not filmed any scenes for Series 4, and would exit the show off-screen.
The series is one of the most popular shows on BBC's iPlayer. The second series premiered on BBC Three on 10 January 2010. The third series launched on 23 January 2011. The day following the final broadcast for Series 3, the BBC announced a fourth series would premiere on the BBC in 2012. Series 4 began airing on BBC Three on 5 February 2012. The BBC Media Centre announced a fifth series had been commissioned, which started broadcasting on 3 February 2013. The BBC announced on 7 February 2013 that the fifth series would be the last. The final episode of Being Human was broadcast on 10 March 2013.
Plot
The central premise of Being Human is that various types of supernatural beings exist alongside human beings, with varying degrees of menace; that three of these supernatural beings are opting to live amongst human beings rather than apart from them; and that these three characters are attempting (as much as is possible) to live ordinary human lives despite the pressures and dangers of their situations. They are constantly threatened with exposure or persecution, with pressure from other supernatural creatures, and with problems caused by their attempts to deal with their own natures.
Series 1 (2009)
Series 1 is set in the English city of Bristol and introduces George Sands (a reluctant werewolf in his mid-twenties) and John Mitchell (a vampire with the appearance and behaviour of a young man in his mid-twenties who is over a hundred years old). Both are attempting to reject their nature as supernatural predators – George by strictly managing his transformations and their effect on others, Mitchell by abstaining from blood-drinking. Despite a long history of antipathy between the werewolf and vampire races, Mitchell and George have formed a deep friendship, they have low-profile, low-status jobs as hospital porters and live as housemates.
Moving into a new house together, they discover that it already has an occupant – Annie Sawyer, the ghost of a young woman in her mid-twenties. Annie had lived in the house with her fiancé Owen but died after falling down the stairs. She has remained to haunt the property while Owen, unaware of her presence, has rented it out to Mitchell and George. As supernatural beings, George and Mitchell can see, touch and communicate with Annie, who is delighted to have their company and becomes the third member of the surrogate family.
All three have problems, Mitchell's central challenge is his struggle with his desire to feed (which is presented as being similar to a struggle against drug addiction). George's is to manage his monthly werewolf transformations in such a way that he does not kill anyone or pass on the werewolf affliction. He considers his condition to be "a curse", over which he is in a certain state of denial (including referring to his wolf-self as if it were a different person). Annie's challenge is to deal with her new existence as a ghost (including the isolation and loneliness which results from it) and to discover the reason why she has remained on Earth instead of passing over to the afterlife.