Being Human: Season 1

Being Human is a witty and extraordinary look into the lives of three twenty-somethings and their secret double-lives - as a werewolf, a vampire and a ghost – as they struggle to live normally despite their strange and dark secrets. George (Russell Tovey) and Mitchell (Aidan Turner) work in anonymous drudgery as hospital porters in Bristol, England. They lead lives of quiet desperation under the burden of a terrible secret - Mitchell's a vampire and George a werewolf. Deciding to start life afresh and leave behind the dark side, they move into a house, only to find that Annie (Lenora Crichlow), the ghost of a woman killed in mysterious circumstances, haunts it. As the threesome deal with the challenges of their new lives together, they're united in their desire to blend in with their human neighbors. But with unwelcome intruders into their world, a threatened revolution from the vampire underworld, constant threats of exposure, and the day-to-day issues faced by young people - the only thing they may be able to rely on is each other. A vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost share an apartment in Bristol, England--it's not a joke, it's a supernatural TV series from the BBC! The smoldering vampire, Mitchell (Aiden Turner), struggles to change his bloodsucking ways; the werewolf, George (Russell Tovey), is a jittery guy who won't truly acknowledge and accept his curse; and the ghost, Annie (Lenora Crichlow), pines for her lost fiancé and has no idea what's keeping her tied to the living world. Over the course of the first season's six hour-long episodes, they face hidden secrets, a manipulative older werewolf, a vampire protégé out for revenge, mob prejudice, a doorway to the beyond, and an impending vampire takeover of the world. But the show's theme is right in the title, Being Human: the plot developments are really opportunities for the characters to grapple with fundamental human experiences, from dating anxiety to profound loss. It's unfortunate that expressing human nature all too often involves a lot of whining and mawkish emoting here, and the series has no coherent rules about supernatural powers (vampires can walk around in broad daylight, sometimes ghosts can be touched and sometimes they can't--basically, whatever's convenient to the current plot). None of this stops the passionate fan base of Being Human, who connect with the charismatic cast, the dramatic story arcs, and the nifty special effects (George's transformation into wolfdom is always a winner). The season 1 collection features plenty of extras, from deleted scenes to cast interviews and more. --Bret Fetzer