First, we have the UK version. A pilot episode with different actors in most of the roles aired, but after the series was officially picked up, they recast basically everyone except the werewolf. I never saw that original pilot, so I can't comment on it. However, the new cast gels very nicely and two seasons have aired with a third in production. As of the beginning of the series, our cast of characters includes:
Mitchell the vampire, as portrayed by Aidan Turner. Talents include being Irish and incredibly sexy as well as a vampire who gets to eat and go out in sunlight. In UK's version of the series, blood-drinking is treated more like an addiction than a nutritional necessity. Mitchell was turned sometime while serving in World War I. He has to deal with old alliances he wishes to rid himself of. Mainly, the vampires who turned him who also lead a secret, underground vampire community. He works as a hospital porter, which is British for 'orderly.'
George the werewolf, as portrayed by Russell Tovey. Talents include being adorable, quirky, awkward, and having one hell of a "time of the month." Werewolf lore is pretty standard here. George has cut off ties with his previous life, afraid of hurting his loved ones. He works alongside Mitchell as a porter at the hospital as well, allowing them both flexibility in flying under the radar.
Annie the ghost, as portrayed by Lenora Crichlow. Talents include a bubbly personality, being able to physically touch things and even move them telekinetically when upset enough. She is still mourning over the loss of her fiance, who also happens to be the landlord. She can be seen by other supernatural creatures at all times and occasionally can be seen by normal people if she's calm and collected. While she can cross the threshold and go short distances, she doesn't venture far from the house.
Next, we have the US remake. Despite what is plastered all over their advertising, Syfy's "Being Human" is absolutely, definitively, in no way an 'original series.' Like a lot of scifi shows, it's also Canadian by nature of where it's shot. Also, the lead actress is Canadian. So, really, it's a North American remake. Our cast with American accents includes:
Aidan the vampire, as played by Sam Witwer. So far, our info about the new characters is limited, but Aidan seems to be much older than Mitchell. According to Wikipedia, he was turned during the Revolutionary War. 'Aidan' seemed like a very modern name to me, but Wikipedia also tells me that his full name is Ian Daniel McCollin. He can also go out in daylight, but blood is sustenance for him and therefore he can't abstain completely without dying. He works as a nurse in a hospital, which seems an odd profession for someone who apparently can't resist temptation when getting frisky with a girl but can hold it together helping with bleeding patients every day.
Josh the werewolf, as played by Sam Huntington. He also left his family after getting 'the curse,' but has an unfortunate (and as-yet unresolved) run-in with his sister in the pilot. Also nerdy and awkward, he isn't getting along nicely with the ghostly roommate. He, too, works as a nurse in the hospital.
Sally the ghost, as played by Meaghan Rath. She was in the pilot very little, but she seems to be a playful sort. I'm not sure how many people in this country ages 20-30 are named 'Sally' these days, but once again, I'm not going to split hairs over names. She can't physically touch anything, and even has problems staying visible sometimes. As of the pilot, she can't leave the house.We also have two leaders in the vampire community, Herrick and Seth, in the UK original. In the US version, it's Bishop and some other guy. Bishop is played by cult fave Mark Pellegrino (Jacob on "Lost"). In the US version, there's also a nurse with an incredibly annoying voice. Like nails on a chalkboard, I swear.
Now, onto the editorial portion of this post. Instead of writing a review of just the US version, I'm going to compare and contrast the two shows, so spoiler alert! In preparation for writing this, I (of course) watched the American pilot that premiered this week, and I also rewatched the first episode of the UK series (what I consider the official first episode, not the rough pilot with the different cast). While having the same basic premise, they each start in different places. In the UK version, George, Annie, and Mitchell already know each other and live together. In the US version, Aidan and Josh know each other but the premiere episode follows them getting the house and meeting Sally. The US vampire also kills a girl in the beginning of the episode, but we don't see the girl's conversion into a vampire like we do in the UK version. The US pilot veers wildly into a different direction towards the end where Josh and his sister are trapped in a room together as he's about to transform. It's an intriguing cliffhanger, albeit a bit rushed. We barely know these characters and now they're placed in a very intense situation.
I am biased in favor of the UK version, just by nature of the fact that I watched it first and love it. I did my best to be objective with the new cast, but so far, I'm not very impressed. I felt like Aidan and Josh barely knew each other. In the UK version, you can tell Mitchell and George are friends. There's a visible camaraderie and rapport. Josh was my favorite of the new characters, but he can't quite pull off the lovable awkwardness that George can. So far, he comes across as whiny and he's kind of an ass with Sally ("you were supposed to marry whats-his-face, weren't you?"). I have to admit, I was a little perplexed at first when his sister was introduced, since I assumed that was his ex-fiance, like referenced in the UK version's first episode. Once I knew she was the sister, it made the lesbian thing a lot less confusing. I didn't mind the sister character, but I think she was shoehorned into the pilot when they could have held off on that for a few episodes. This is the US version, meaning we have more than 6 episodes to tell the story. No need to rush things. I don't want to make up my mind too early about Sally, since she was barely in the episode, but I didn't really like her. So far, she cannot pull off bubbly and endearing like Annie can. The perkiness was quite forced. Still, with barely any Sally and the tepid relationship between Aidan and Josh, the new cast doesn't have much chemistry that we can see yet. I really hope that changes.
I'm having big issues with Aidan as the vampire. Like other people have pointed out, he needs to smile more. He didn't get any fun lines like Mitchell's "I can actually talk to women without weeping or setting fire to myself." The UK series has a great sense of humor and the cast has excellent comedic timing. Humor was sorely lacking in the US remake. There was minimal friendly bickering and more irritating complaining that came entirely from Josh, which made it less fun. Watching the UK version again after the US one just cemented this for me. As I watched them both, I wrote down lines that stuck out to me. I ended up with more lines from the UK original. Look no further than the scene in each show where they meet the landlord/the ghost's fiance. The UK version of that scene is hilarious as well as touching. The US version is saddled with some awkward exposition and not much else.
But back to the actual character of Aidan, I didn't find him likable at all. That could come partially from the fact that Sam Witwer looks like the kind of guy I wouldn't want to find myself alone with in a dark alley. He's got the scary part down, but Mitchell had a dorky down-to-earthness despite being really hot. He didn't need to impress his date with being a know-it-all, quoting history or poetry or whatnot. And there's the ethical dilemma. Mitchell kills a girl, then we find out he turned her. He realizes again what monsters vampires are and, at the end of the episode, can't bring himself to turn another girl to save her from death. He learns the hard way that there are horrendous consequences for losing control. Aidan kills a girl, very briefly tries to abstain from blood, then quickly succumbs once Bishop leads him astray. He didn't get a grand moment like Mitchell's revelation with Lauren, where he realizes where his true allegiances lie. He didn't get a sympathetic moment like Mitchell's sad moment mourning the girl he got killed. His struggle to stay on the straight and narrow is painfully clear ("I'm not like [George], I don't have days off!") We learn Mitchell allowed himself to be turned to save other soldiers during the war. You know he has an innate good conscience. It's unclear what Aidan's motivations are for wanting to 'be human' without those moments.
The exposition with Sally the ghost also served to unintentionally distance Aidan from humans. He instantly knows all about ghost lore and it's kind of awkward. In the UK version, they gloss over how they find out about Annie's condition between worlds. Maybe Mitchell knew about it, maybe he didn't, but you don't hear him say "oh, yeah, you're not the first ghost I've run into." Another small moment I liked in the original is when George changes in their house. Mitchell, and eventually Annie, sit on the step outside, visibly uncomfortable and concerned. In that small moment, you can see how much they all genuinely care for each other. Aidan follows the American tradition of the stoic, calm and in control, aloof, authoritative vampire. Mitchell is vulnerable. We also get a glimpse into the reality of werewolves - not threatening the rest of the month while human, but they're damn terrifying when they change, even to vampires.
This brings me to the biggest problem of the US pilot: too much clunky exposition. The true test of the series will most likely be in the second episode where we leave that kind of dialogue that interrupts the pace and we're left with the characters and their troubles. The US remake was also a little too angst-heavy, as I mentioned regarding the lack of humor. The characters don't need to hash out all their deepest emotional problems in the first episode. Lastly, as I brought up, I'm afraid the US version is rushing things. While riveting, we didn't need that cliffhanger the first episode had. Let us get to know the characters first. Establish them as people we should care about first, then send them into tricky situations.
The special effects were fine, nothing spectacular, but slightly better than the original. Another thing I missed in the US version was any music. The first UK episode had some great music. It wasn't anything big, but I missed it (I also miss it on the DVD. If any Americans don't know what I'm talking about, the US release of the DVD doesn't have the songs that originally aired in the first episode. They didn't bother clearing the rights to the music, they just took it out. I'm a little bitter about it). There are times when I wish the US didn't feel the need to cast every part with someone super attractive. UK shows don't shy away from casting less than stunning, yet talented performers. Herrick looks like an average guy, which makes him that much more sinister. George is cute in a nerdy way, but still an average guy. UK casting helps increase a sense of realism. Also, it helps the hot vampire stand out even more when the rest of the cast doesn't look like models as well.
Overall, if you stuck it out till the end of this post, you can tell that I wasn't very impressed with the US remake. I kept an open mind and was willing to accept another version of the show. Why not have more of a good thing? But I have a feeling this is going to be just like the "Life on Mars" remake - trying to fix what isn't broken. The original is already so good, it's a small chance they're going to get it right again. But since this remake is on Syfy instead of a big network like ABC, it's probably going to survive much, much longer than the sad "Life on Mars" remake did. I'll tune in for a few more episodes and, if it gets better, I'll re-review it. Or, if it's still bad I'll do a season-in-review like I did with "The Walking Dead." Either way, I don't have high hopes. It looks like it could turn out to be a decent enough show, but I still recommend the UK original above this American one.
