My First Post with Sci-Fi Saturday Night (Insert Scream Here)!!




Once again, a popular UK television series has found itself being remade for US audiences to enjoy. This time, the series is Being Human. Based on the BBC’s hit series, the US version of Being Human is being made by the SyFy Channel.

According to the SyFy Channel website:

“Syfy’s all-new drama series Being Human, starring Sam Witwer (Smallville, Battlestar Galactica), Meaghan Rath (The Assistants), Sam Huntington (Cavemen, Superman Returns) and Mark Pellegrino (Lost, Supernatural) has commenced production in Montreal, Canada. Adam Kane (The Mentalist, Heroes) is Director and Co-Executive Producer with Executive Producer Michael Prupas (The Kennedys, Pillars of the Earth) and husband and wife Executive Producers/Writers Jeremy Carver (Supernatural) and Anna Fricke (Men in Trees, Everwood). Muse Entertainment is producing 13 1-hour episodes for Syfy.

Being Human, a re-imagining of the acclaimed UK series created by Toby Whithouse, follows three paranormal, 20-something roommates living in Boston – vampire “Aidan” (Witwer), werewolf “Josh” (Huntington) and ghost “Sally” (Rath) – as they struggle to hide their dark secrets from the world, while helping each other navigate the complexities of living double lives and trying to be human. Mark Pellegrino plays Aidan’s charismatic but menacing vampire mentor “Bishop.”

The producer is Irene Litinsky (Human Trafficking, The Phantom) of Muse Entertainment, the director of photography is Pierre Jodoin (The Last Templar, Secrets of the Mountain) and the production designer is Zoe Sakellaropoulo (The Last Templar, The Phantom).”

There are some differences between the two series, and I have to say that I personally, really like the US version. The UK’s version is much faster paced, with not a lot of time being spent on the plot or on character build up. Admittedly, the actors in the UK version  are more convincing; however most US shows start with the characters acting awkwardly and then something clicks after the first couple episodes and they fall right in sync with their roles….. Case in point: Vampire Diaries. Overall, I really love the wit and story line of the US version, AND the actors themselves are eye candy! This is a cross-over show I look forward to watching every week and I hope it sticks around!

7 Responses to “My First Post with Sci-Fi Saturday Night (Insert Scream Here)!!”

  1. SamanthaB

    I feel like I should comment on yours too, because the post was good! I just don’t feel like I can watch the new version because I loved the UK one so much. Is it different enough that you can stop comparing the two?

    • Hey SamanthaB! Thanks for your comments! I have to be honest… I never formed an attachment to the UK version of Being Human; because I didn’t follow the show until I learned about the making of the US version. (GASP…I know!) I really enjoyed watching both the US and UK versions and I feel that there are enough differences between them to like them both. For example, the US show is much slower, there is more time spent building up the character; and what it takes to cover a story in one UK episode, it takes one and a half to two US episodes. The humor is great; I love the poke at Twilight in the pilot episode! Hope you’ll give it a chance!

  2. Here’s another case of ‘recycling’ in a sense… perhaps “cross-pond recycling?” In most cases, they usually don’t work out. All you have to do is look at the U.S. version of ‘Coupling’ to see how that epically failed, especially compared to the original BBC version.

    Lately, I’ve had a serious disdain for Syfy (Sifee, as I like to refer to it) and while this show may be as likable as you say it is, I can’t bring myself to give it a chance.

    • Hey Maynard! Thank you for your comments as well. I do know what you mean by “recycling”, and totally agree with you about ‘Coupling’. I can also understand when you are attached to a certian Movie, TV Series, or Song that gets remade or changed in the middle; it is usually an EPIC FAIL! For example: In Twilight Eclipse, changing Richelle Lefevre for Bryce Dallas Howard as Victoria was almost too much to bare (thank heaven they killed her off)!! As I explained to SamanthaB, I hadn’t been following Being Human, until I heard about the SYFY series, so it was much easier for me to enjoy the US version.

  3. Honestly, as far as music goes, I can take most covers, so long as they are not trying to BE the original vocalist or band. Some they just shouldn’t do. Rob Zombie covering The Ramons’ Blitzkrieg Bop, no. Red Hot Chilli Peppers covering Stevie Wonder’s Higher Ground, heck yes.

    Twilight, hah. Only saw the first film. I won’t comment, because I want to be kind, but I can understand your uproar over the change. Especially when you’ve been attached to something for SO LONG.

    Case in point: Every Star Trek fan knows the reason Klingons don’t have ridges in the original series is because of budget restraints. On Deep Space Nine, when the crew went back to the past and encountered the earlier versions of the Klingons, Worf simply stated “We do not discuss it with outsiders.” As a Star Trek fan, I liked that myth. I was attached to it.

    Star Trek: Enterprise squashed that by using it as a very lame plot device late in the series.

    So, yeah. I hear you. The U.S. version of Being Human might be a win, but it seems to me that for every one win, there are a bunch of epic fails.

    Hope to see you in the chat tonight!

  4. SamanthaB

    Poor American Coupling…it never stood a chance! They are remaking Torchwood as well aren’t they? Somehow I don’t see America keeping Jack as the big Gay hero. I don’t think I could give the American one a chance. And I hear everyone up in arms over how scandalous MTV’s Skins is and I doubt it is anywhere as raunchy as the Brit version!

  5. afaapes

    Hi, I am a MASSIVE Being Human fan and I LOVE it, especially the UK version.. Not only are the characters funny and amazingly played, but have you seen Mitchell!?!? 😀
    I was just wondering if you know if the UK’s Being Human cast will be at Comic Con 2011 this year???:)
    thanks

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