Here’s a peek at the next episode of Syfy’s Being Human …

Kelly

TV Choice – Being Human is the supernatural drama about werewolves, vampires and ghosts.  Russell Tovey (George), Aidan Turner (Mitchell), Lenora Crichlow (Annie), Sinead Keenan (Nina) and new werewolves Robson Green (McNair) and Michael Socha (Tom) tell TV Choice all about the new series.

What can you tell us about where the third series of Being Human picks up?
Russell Tovey: In the last series, we left Bristol and ended up in a little shack somewhere. Annie dragged the evil Kemp into purgatory and now the three of us have found a former B&B in Wales to move into. Annie keeps appearing via the TV, and Mitchell vows to get her back. The first series had a lot more humour, the second series was very dark. I’d say that this series is a combination of the two – a nice balance.

What kind of an emotional state are they in?
Aidan Turner: Mitchell has a lot of stuff to deal with, and slips back into drinking blood quite easily. Regrettably, but enjoyably.
Lenora Crichlow: And there’s a different threat this year – it’s from within!
Aidan Turner: We find out what’s stronger – friendship, love, supernatural or the devotion to other things that maybe one deems more important.

As new faces how has it been joining this established cast?
Michael Socha: They hate us. They spit in our coffee (laughs). No, really they’re all cool and have been very welcoming. I’d just finished being on a set where everyone was like a family and I thought that I’d never be accepted as a guest artist on another job. But they’ve all really welcomed me and Robson.

How many episodes are you in?
Robson Green: I’m in episodes one, four and seven.
Michael Socha: I’m in three, five, six, seven and eight.

What do we know about McNair (Robson Green) and Tom (Michael Socha)?
Michael Socha: McNair is tough!
Robson Green: He goes around protecting Tom. The objective of the two of us is that we’re soldiers and we go out to kill vampires. Nobody messes with McNair. We did a simple scene where I was just meant to roll over in bed. Apparently I even looked tough when I was asleep. But I’m the biggest softie! We’re the hunters – and the hunted.

George was always quite resistant to meeting other werewolves before. But for reasons that we won’t reveal, he decides to get to know McNair and Tom?
Russell Tovey: Yes, it’s to get information from them, but they’ll also be in a position where they’re united – as werewolves.

How do they come across each other?
Michael Socha: Tom and George spot each other while they’re dragging their chickens on strings just before the full moon. They can smell other werewolves, and then they track each other down. Tom’s quite immature. He hasn’t seen the world yet and he’s eager to meet new people. And one of them is very pretty!

What are your filming days like when you have a transformation to film?
Sinead Keenan: On those days, my alarm goes off at 3.30am. They’re manic days – lots of screaming and transforming.
Russell Tovey: It really is a whole day. It’s not like you can fit the scene in and then go and do another scene where you’re just washing up by the sink.

Did you give Robson Green and Michael Socha any tips?
Russell Tovey: Robson’s a big fan of the show, so he’d have seen how I do it. But he and Michael had some training from a woman who specialises in ‘movement.’ The actual werewolf transformation is always going to date back to An American Werewolf In London. It’s an homage to that.
Robson Green: One day we spent 10 hours in make up. But McNair and Tom control their transformation. They use it, and enjoy it – unlike the way George and Nina transform.

Did you have to do any training for the action sequences?
Robson Green: I’d taken on a trainer anyway – just to get into shape for stuff like this. It’s really great when it says on the script, ‘He leaps about, runs and jumps and attacks and fights.’ And you obviously have more than one take, so you have to do it again and again. And Michael was great.
Michael Socha: I just kicked off – but I really hurt my hand punching the vampires. I think I got a bit carried away!
Aidan Turner: I did a scene where one take brought us into the kitchen and I was kicking the life out of one of the characters. We were up the stairs, in the kitchen, back upstairs, buttons were breaking, people getting pushed. It was like The Bourne Ultimatum! We were on wires and everything!

Aside from Lacey Turner in the first and last episodes, are there other guest stars as well – like James Fleet as George’s dad?
Russell Tovey: Yes. Throughout the series, George has always said that he wanted to see his mum and dad because he did a runner from his family when he found out he was a werewolf. I don’t know if I planted the seed for the scriptwriters, but it’ll be nice to see George’s family and a bit of his past.

Isn’t Paul Kaye in the first episode?
Robson Green: Yes, he plays Vincent, who is the master of ceremonies at the cage fighting, and the leader of this unit of vampires. It was like being in the set of Batman – he was just like the Joker. I think he has the greatest line in the whole show – but I won’t spoil it!

What can you tell us about the zombie that comes in?
Lenora Crichlow: The zombie exposes Anne to all the things she’ll never have again, and the standard idea that there’s a beginning, middle and end. Often the things that happen in Annie’s adventures really make her realise just how in limbo she is, and just how unsettling that can be when you’re looking at that for all eternity.

What is it like for them all discovering that former head vampire Herrick (played by Jason Watkins) is back?
Russell Tovey: It’s a bit terrifying for George. His big thing at the beginning of the second series was that he never wanted to kill someone, and never wanted to use the wolf to his advantage. But then he killed Herrick – and he used the wolf to do it. Now that Herrick is back, it may have alleviated some fear in him.
Aidan Turner: We know that Daisy and Cara brought him back.
Lenora Crichlow: He hasn’t come back as the old Herrick that we met last time. He’s changed.
Aidan Turner: He’s come back as the last person he remembers being, which was a man from Victorian England. It’s very weird.
Lenora Crichlow: And he ends up in the attic of the B&B!

Sinead, you don’t use your own natural Irish accent to play Nina. Is there a reason for that?
Sinead Keenan: When I initially read for the role, I read it with an Irish accent. But when they called me back, they’d already cast Aidan, who’s Irish, so they asked me to use an English accent. We’re both from Dublin and I think they were concerned it might be a bit strange. But on the first day of filming, they said I could use either and I decided to stick with the English accent.

Is it true that the series is being remade in Canada?
Russell Tovey: It’s already been cast.
Sinead Keenan: We’ve got nothing to do with it. The format has been bought and they’re not sticking to the scripts. They’ll have about 22 episodes and they’ve basically got the concept and will do what they like.

How do you feel about that?
Russell Tovey: Well our version has already been on BBC America, so they’re familiar with it and we’ve been out to promote it in the US. So the Americans and Canadians will know that it’s a British show and can make a comparison. If the new version had come out, but ours had never been seen over there, that would have been annoying and upsetting, because no-one would have known we exist. Hopefully it’ll help bring even more press to our show.

 AOL Television recently caught up with Russell Tovey, Sinead Keenan and Michael Socha about Being Human’s much anticipated 3rd Series.

Here’s a little of what they revealed …

Michael, can you tell us a bit about Tom? And how he comes into the series?

Tom has basically been kept away from normal society by his dad. He lives in the woods and they fight vampires, my dad is Robson Green. I stumble across these two basically because we both recognise we both have a chicken on a string. They clock us and think “hang on a minute that isn’t normal” and me and my dad are on a quest to find a pack.

I think, because I’ve not had much to do with werewolves, that George is a pack, but McNair, Robson’s character, doesn’t want anything to do with the pack. So I’m thinking “come on let me have something to do with the pack” and we eventually speak and become relatively friendly together.

Sinead can you give us an idea of Nina’s journey in this series? *SPOILER*

In terms of her relationship with George it starts off kind of settled. They are in a good place after all they went through last year, they are being intimate and things happen and she falls pregnant. We don’t know whether it’s going to be a normal baby and whether the werewolf thing is just going to kick in when it’s a teenager or whether we are having pups.

So we have to go and research it and that’s why we go and meet up with Tom and his dad. So there’s all that and there’s a bit where she finds out about the train massacre so that has strong repercussions for her relationship with Mitchell.

Russell, what is your favourite storyline of the coming series? *SPOILER*

I have the option to meet my parents who I had run away from so that’s a great episode and it’s good for George, James Fleet is playing my dad, which is perfect casting. That’s a great episode. He’s a lovely man. Having Tom and McNair come in to it is great because it really opens up the werewolf side of it. The vampires have always been in everything and George was on his own before.

To read the full interview visit AOL Television.

Kelly

BBC – Today we can reveal the new character portraits of Mitchell, Annie, George and Nina. Click their lovely faces to see a version so big it’s like they’re in front of you. Ok, you can stop looking at them now… and drooling really isn’t attractive… erm, hello?

I know… Naomi is fanning herself as she views these pics.

~M.

Syfy has released two brand new clips from their anticipated show Being Human.

This first clip gives you an inside look at the overall storyline behind the series directly from the cast …

This clip poses the question of which one you would want to become out of the three characters portrayed by Aidan, Josh, and Sally and shows you how they transformed into their creatures …

Enjoy! Kelly

Examiner – Is there a worse curse than ‘Being Human’? The new paranormal drama about twenty-somethings on Syfy, asks us to consider vampires and werewolves and other surrealistic beings as simple addicts: people who have desires and urges that need to be curbed, curtailed, and controlled in order for them to live normal lives. It portrays its lead characters as morally decent beings who were handed a raw deal in life. The truly decent thing to do, so they don’t hurt anyone else, though, would be to end their own– or each other’s lives. But that is not how the human brain works. And although they have some monster-like characteristics, they were all fully human once, and they are mostly civilized now.

 Well, it’s kind of hard to accept that, despite the fact that they hold down regular jobs (as doctors, no less!), when the series premiere immediately opens with a vampire, Aidan (Sam Witwer), giving into his primal urges during a night of passion. He doesn’t seem to exhibit remorse, let alone a second thought about his action, the greatest indicator that try as hard as they might, they can never truly be what they once were. He may attempt a good deed by being unwilling to allow a fellow vampire to use his hospital to turn others for their nest, but it is a futile attempt, considering his bite is much worse than his bark.

And we’re sorry, but should a vampire really be working in a hospital, around so much temptation (i.e.: blood)? On the flipside, though, there is Josh (Sam Huntington), who once a month is cursed by turning into a werewolf. He wears his fate on his face in every scene, unable to let go of the life he used to have when he was “normal.” Even when he marches himself into the woods, strips down, and accepts his change, he looks pained. He represents everything Aidan claims to be– maybe even wants to be– but is too far gone to actually be.

Perhaps that is due to the actors in the roles, though. The series does appear perfectly cast with Witwer’s deep, dark eyes and sharp angles on his face. He is able to hold his jaw firmly in place, exhibiting restraint– of his fangs and his emotions. Huntington’s wide puppy dog eyes and baby face betray him even when he is attempting to be cool, calm, and collected. It is obvious he is newer to his ability, and it is why you will feel for him, fall for him, and believe he can be saved. But he doesn’t believe he can, so he is destined to break our hearts.

The two feel like unlikely friends, co-workers, roommates with a secret. No, they’re not also lovers, though the pilot tries a hand at humor by having at least one character wrongly assume that. Their secret, as if being not-human isn’t enough, is that they have a third roommate: Sally (Meaghan Rath), the spirit of a woman who once lived in the house they now share. And she is the show’s true comedic relief; she calls the boys out on their crap, doesn’t quite have a handle on her own abilities as a ghost (yes, Being Human actually uses the kindergarten term ‘ghost’), and even pokes snarky fun at the genre itself.

Being Human tries to infuse lighter moments with pop culture references and jabs at its characters weird situations but coupling those with the completely jarring acts of violence just makes its tone feel inconsistent at best. LA TV Insider Examiner hasn’t seen the original BBC dramedy of the same name, on which this adaptation is based, but after screening this version, we’re not quite sure why it was necessary. Syfy’s Being Human is perfectly fine, but with the sheer volume of today’s television, “fine” just won’t cut it.

We admit it is nice to have Mark Pellegrino back on our television weekly, even if he is once again playing a really bad guy. He is the dichotomy of both of the aforementioned men rolled into one, and for that he is the most complex but also interesting. On the surface he is the seeming good guy: choir boy haircut and all, but inside, he is pure evil: recruiting more little fanged soldiers. Pellegrino is Bishop, a supernatural head of family type who can manipulate humans’ minds and is desperate to convince Aidan to come back to his dark side as an active vampire. He is a baby-faced father-figure who can’t handle losing control of even one of his brood. He brings the show to a whole other level. It’s just a shame he’s so far relegated to the backburner, pulling the strings as a distant, and often off-screen, puppetmaster.

The two-hour pilot sets up the notion that being human is harder than it looks. Is it because of the outside forces determined to stand as obstacles or the voices and ticks within one’s own mind? Being Human reminds us that life is a series of choices, but so far its characters just seemed doom to a fate they didn’t choose to begin with. Knowing that right off the bat it’s hard to get too attached to these characters who may have moments of good judgment or good intentions but are, inevitably, fated to fail.

Being Human premieres on Syfy on January 17th at 9pm. While it is not really our thing, it may be worth tuning in simply to put your own hardships and issues into

TV Guide’s Matt Rousch was recently asked if he thought Syfy’s version of Being Human would be more comparable to the success of The Office or the failure of Coupling …

 I know you like the BBC version of Being Human, as do I. So I am curious if you have seen any previews of Syfy’s version of Being Human. Are we looking at an Office-like success or a Coupling-like failure? I will take a peek. However, I am so in love with the original version, I am not sure if I can accept this version. — Pam

Here’s his answer … 

I’ve seen three episodes of the Syfy remake, and while I tried my best to approach it with an open mind, I’m not sure I entirely succeeded. (Same thing happened when I watched episodes of MTV’s truly lamentable remake of Skins and, to a lesser degree because I wasn’t as familiar with the source material, Showtime’s Shameless redo. This is probably not my favorite TV trend of the moment.) Of all the British-to-U.S. shows premiering this winter, I’m the most fond of BBC America’s Being Human, so the bar is higher in accepting what seems a pale and unnecessary imitation. That said, many Syfy viewers are not likely to have seen the original, and the premise is so terrific that I’m betting many will be instantly hooked. For those who already love Being Human, it’s harder to recommend the remake. I guess there are just enough tweaks to make it interesting, and it’s possible that, as happened with NBC’s The Office, the show will eventually forge an identity of its own. I plan to keep watching this version at least through the first season, but I feel like what I’m really doing is marking time until BBCA airs the new season of the superior original later this year.

 So, the pilot airs January 17th … Be sure to let us know what you thought of it!

Kelly

E! called it the “Friends of the Twilight era.” I said the same thing and I’m wondering if that is a good thing?

Do you agree or disagree?

~M.

By: Maria G.

We have been talking about the US version of Being Human since the news broke that it would be in production and be airing on Syfy. Since then, you’ve seen Syfy market the show via trailers, “exclusive” pics and interviews of the cast, but do you really know anything about the characters on the show.

Here’s a little 411:

Like the British version of the show, the US version will focus on three unlikely roommates – a Vampire, a Ghost and a Werewolf.  These roommates (who will be residing in Boston) try, and try is the operative word, to lead a normal life. Both of us know that they will face numerous amounts of obstacles as they attempt this impossible goal.

Aidan (Sam Witwer) is a 235 year old Revolutionary War vet, who had sacrificed himself to Vampires to save his men. Of course, Aidan is a conflicted creature because he is trying to stop himself from losing himself and what is left of his humanity to his vampire side and old vampire brethren.

Sally (Meaghan Rath) was a social activist when she was alive, but now spends her time haunting the house that she, the vampire and the werewolf reside in, while she tries to figure out why she died, how she died and why she is still hanging around.

Josh (Sam Huntington) is an unassuming Medical Student who becomes a werewolf after an attack at a camping trip. Because of his new attributes, Josh becomes a ladies man, a little more confident and manly.

I am excited as everyone is about the show, but I do worry. Will this version capture the fun, sorrow and darkness of the UK version or will it lose itself in its attempt to reinvent a great show so that it is palatable for an American audience. Will it have the typical Syfy look? Will it become the Sci-Fi version of Friends? So many questions and worries to be voiced, but all I can do is hope. Hope that it finds its footing in its first season and that it turns out to be just as great as the UK version or even better.

Keep your fingers-crossed!