Being Human...

So stop me if you've heard this one. A werewolf, a vampire, and a ghost all walk into a pub...

Sound like a joke? Well, it's not. In fact, it is the basis for a new British TV series called, "Being Human". The pilot aired a few months ago on BBC3. I saw the pilot floating around usenet and on a whim decided to give it a watch. And this was truly a whim, let me tell ya. When I read the synopsis,

"Being Human was a 2008 British television drama/horror, shown on BBC Three. Its pilot episode starred Guy Flanagan, Andrea Riseborough, Russell Tovey and also featured Adrian Lester. The programme concerned three twenty-something characters trying to live a normal social life, despite being a vampire, a ghost and a werewolf."

I almost decided to pass. It was the phenomenal review comments that made me click the download button. Expecting the worst, I was absolutely floored after the first five minutes of a howling, screaming, utterly painful-looking werewolf transformation. The rest was about the most riveting two hours of television in recent memory. The acting, writing, dialog, and cinematography were all top-notch.

The show has been in limbo for a few months, but this week, the BBC just confirmed that a first season has officially been commissioned in light of overwhelming viewer support for the pilot. If the pilot airs on BBC America or SciFi, do yourself a favor. WATCH IT! It's scary, witty, thoughtful and dramatic all at the same time. And it does what scifi truly does best. It deeply analyzes the *human* condition. Why do vampires, robots and aliens do this best? Who knows?

Enjoy the first 10 minutes. Then catch the rest over at Youtube. Did I mention they play some Amy Winehouse?

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