A Vampire Lover’s Joy in Being Human

Every once in a while I will stumble across a little gem that I missed when it first came out. For television this happens more frequently than I care to admit, as I seldom watch much of it to begin with. But in this case I can be excused because the show I am talking about, a charming and rather unexpected little fantasy called Being Human is British. And I missed it because heck, I don’t live in England so I guess I can be forgiven.

But the story is a charmer, about a vampire and a werewolf, who both work as drudges in a hospital, and just want to have a normal “human” life. The two decide to rent a house together to help them keep their secret, and that is when they find Annie, the ghost of a young woman who died in the house.

Sexy Vampires Win

Okay, the biggest reason I came to love it is because I could sit and look at Aiden Turner all day long. He plays Mitchell, the vampire in the series, and is not in the least like the vampires you see on Twilight. I will admit that he does have that rough around the edges smoldering sexiness that young vamps seem to have these days. But he also has a tenderness that he tries to hide. It is this that makes him such a great character.

And then there is George. The werewolf of the three, he is a nerdy and rather nervous fellow who seems often bewildered by this turn of events. But his monthly attacks are beautifully portrayed and his anguish over them is as well. Ghostly Annie, the sweet young bride to be who somehow fell down the stairs is the glue that holds them all together.

Relationships the Key

A lot of the first season revolves at first around Mitchell and George trying to find out how Annie died to help her move on. But things get much more complicated as the season goes on and all kinds of vampire politics and werewolf problems begin to arise. But that isn’t what makes this such a great show; it is the relationships between them that will move you.

Heck, I spent the last couple episodes clutching a pillow and crying. How often do you do that watching you latest episode of True Blood or other vampire shows? I know that this show came out a few years back but it still holds up really well, and although it was popular enough to have an American version done of it, the British one is miles above the U.S. version.

There is just such great chemistry between these three actors, and there is also something in the Brits that just works for a show like this. It is funny, but the sense of muddling through somehow that is so very British is pervasive throughout the series and doesn’t really translate into American. That doesn’t prevent us from appreciating it.

Easy Choices to Watch Being Human

But check this out. You can watch the first episode as an instant video on Amazon to see if it clicks with you for just $2 and then decide if you want to continue to stream it, download it or buy it as a DVD. I love that we have these choices these days!

There is a ton of great genre stuff out there. The trick is sorting through it and finding the good stuff. So consider yourself warned – this is one you are going to love. There are vampires, werewolves, ghosts and plenty of the one thing we all need more of – friendship. Because Being Human is all about the good stuff humans do and are.