Being Human: Season One.

Product Description

Being Human: Season 1 (DVD)

Amazon.ca

This American adaptation of the popular British supernatural series Being Human does a fine job of transposing its core idea--twentysomethings who struggle with their own inhuman identities as well as the day-to-day tribulations of their demographic--to a stateside setting while retaining its balance of character detail and horror-tinged thrills. As in the UK version, Being Human centers on a pair of friends (Sam Witwer and Sam Huntington) who come together over their hidden identities--vampire and werewolf, respectively--in an attempt to aid each other in pursuing "normal" lives. A wrinkle is soon added by the presence of Sally (Meaghan Rath), a ghost who haunts their new apartment and adds a touch of levity to the boys' brooding personas while also dealing with the loss of her own life and separation from her fiancé (Gianpaolo Venuta), who owns their building. The three leads are personable and acquit themselves well to the dual nature of their roles, which are complicated immeasurably by their interaction with humans like Huntington's sister (Alison Louder), who can't understand why her brother has abandoned their family, as well as more diabolical agents like Bishop (Mark Pellegrino), an envoy from the vampire underworld who wants Witwer to embrace his undead side. The three leads' desire to "fit in" with the rest of the world is a broad but effective parallel for the trials set in the path of "normal" young adults; said age group will probably find their endeavors a bit more compelling than older viewers, but the quality of writing and performances should provide the show's greatest appeal. Those who saw the original British version will note that storylines from multiple seasons have been employed in this first go-round (due in part to the shorter season length for UK TV product), while some scenes have been reproduced almost to the letter, which may be a positive or a detraction, depending on one's affinity for the original production. The four-disc Blu-ray set includes a wealth of extras, with the extensive Making of Being Human offering the most insight into the show's conception and execution through interviews with cast and creators. Additional interviews with the cast at press events and a panel at the 2011 Comic-Con convention are more lighthearted and should find favor largely with fans already committed to the series. --Paul Gaita

 

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