The second season (or “series”) of The BBC’s Being Human was released on DVD last month, and, unexpectedly given the reviews I’d read of the show online from fans and journalists who I greatly respect… I just couldn’t get into it.
The formula of the series, you’d think, would be ideal for me. Supernatural elements involving ghosts, a vampire, and a werewolf… actors I’m familiar with such as Russell Tovey, who played “Alonso” on Doctor Who… plus the whole matter of being British, which should appeal to me in that I love things like Who, Primeval, and Merlin. But whatever it was, it just didn’t grab me. It kind of reminds me of the reaction I had to the British series Misfits…. I thought it was terrible, but some counterparts from “the other side of the pond” think it’s the best thing ever.
The DVD presentation is great. The packaging is nice, the episodes look really good, and they don’t try to throw too many episodes onto each of the three discs. But I think the content and tone just didn’t work for me. Was it a comedy, considering the character’s predicaments? Definitely not. Did it appear to take itself too seriously? Absolutely. It gets very dark at times, and the mood/tone just…. aren’t engaging. For me.
Syfy is doing their own version of Being Human here in the U.S. early next year. Actors I really like such as Sam Witwer will be in the cast. Might the transatlantic translation make me enjoy it more? It’s possible. Then again, I’ve seen the American Coupling and have seen how badly a transplant can go.
I apologize to anyone who is a fan of Being Human who reads this review. Maybe what I managed to get through just rubbed me the wrong way. Obviously there’s a fan base there… and that fan base would LOVE the DVD set, especially as there’s a great amount of extras – several featurettes’ worth – for a set that includes only 8 episodes. British TV is really good at spoiling its fans that way.
Being Human: The Complete Second Season is already available on DVD and Blu-ray.
