US remake lacks the bite of the original
Spot the difference: Josh, Sally and Aidan (US)...
...and Mitchell, George and Annie (UK)
Let’s get all the disclaimers out of the way first. I am a huge fan of the UK version of Being Human, of Toby Whitworth’s writing in general, and (in particular) of Russell Tovey’s arse. So it was not without trepidation that I approached this, the latest in a slew of UK-to-US remakes, which aired across the pond last night on the SyFy channel (and can I just – who thought that was an acceptable name for a television channel?!)
And I tried to keep an open mind, I really did. I tried to view it on its own merits, imagining that I was a viewer who had never seen the original series before stumbling across the US version and deciding to give it a try.
But I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t let the UK version go.
So, since I can’t quite bend my mind enough to view the US version as a show in its own rights (and really, why should I have to? It hasn’t departed much from the original premise so far), here are some vague comparisons between the two:
The general set-up is much the same as in the original so far, though apparently some departures are planned later on in the series, and the possibility of even greater changes in season two, with the writers even suggesting they won’t watch series two of the UK show.
Aidan (Sam Witwer) is a vampire who’s trying to kick the blood habit, with a limited amount of success. Cue copious self-loathing. However, unlike his UK-counterpart Mitchell (Aidan Turner), Aidan doesn’t seem to lighten up much; he’s pretty much serious business all the time. In fact, he’s everything you’d expect from a vampire given their current cultural status: he’s darkly attractive in a GQ sort of a way, he’s dreadfully intense and brooding, he has some degree of mind-control over the humans around him and he can move really really really fast (the latter two a departure from the UK series). It’s almost a wonder he doesn’t sparkle in the sunlight.
Josh (Sam Huntington) is pretty similar to George (Russell Tovey), if I’m being honest, though without the voice that goes hilariously squeaky when he’s annoyed. And the arse, of course; no arse action in the US remake, unfortunately. Both are hapless nice guys – a bit scruffy, adorably awkward around women – who just happen to turn into a werewolf once a month. Both also have a bit of a tendency to make everything about themselves rather than recognising that other people might have problems as well. Too early to say yet whether Josh also has George’s anger issues, though he has gained a sister, which should be interesting and serve to broaden the cast a little.
The two of them decide to give living “like normal people” a crack, and move into a house in Boston together (interestingly, the US version seems to be going down the “everyone assumes they’re a couple because they live together” route, which I don’t remember happening in the original, so slash-happy fangirls should be pleased, at least). However, it’s not long until they discover that the house is haunted by the ghost the fiancée of the landlord, who recently died there.
Sally (Meaghan Rath), said dead fiancée, is probably the character that’s suffered the biggest changes to her mythos; whereas UK’s Annie (Lenora Critchlow) can pick things up (see: her making of endless cups of tea), leave the house if she wants to, and interact with strangers as long as she’s feeling confident enough, the US’s Sally seems to be completely bound to the house (at least thus far) and is also a lot more insubstantial. As in, she can’t touch anything at all, and she seems to be made out of smoke. It’ll be interesting to see how the American show deals with the idea of the afterlife in this, given that they’re a much more religiously-inclined country than the UK
Despite the changes, the protagonists are still instantly recognisable as themselves (with the possible exception of Aidan, who could have stepped straight out of The Vampire Diaries). But it just isn’t Being Human. Oh, it tries to be, by reminding us of the title every five minutes; werewolf Josh (actor’s name) can’t stop harping on about how he just wishes he could be a normal human being with a normal house and normal friends for five minutes. If anything, it’s actually the sitcom element that’s missing here. They seem to have got the drama down pat; vampire Aidan (actor’s name) is as dark and brooding as you’d expect a member of the undead to be, and we’ve barely made it 10 minutes in before Josh is close to tears, sitting on a park bench and feeling lonely and ostracised from the world around him. Full marks for angst. But it’s the everyday humour and quirkiness of Being Human (UK) which always made it such a joy to watch; whatever the protagonists were doing, there were always moments of high comedy (see Mitchell and George’s strop over The Real Hustle). It was because we at first learnt to laugh with these characters that we could then learn to cry with them, and I worry that that’s something which may have been lost sight of here.
All that said, it isn’t actually that bad. At least, I think it isn’t actually that bad; it’s really very difficult to tell when you’re spending every moment comparing the two. But, as a fantasy show about a ghost, a werewolf and vampire, it’s, you know… fine. You can’t go wrong really. Being Human (US) will do fine in the states as yet another supernatural drama for teens, but for those familiar with the original series, the show is a ghost of its former self. JUST LIKE SALLY. HAHAHAHAHAHA. Etc.
Also, the soundtrack is really ANNOYING.
Being Human (UK) series three starts on Sunday. Hyusssssss.
Tellywanging 