Being Original
SyFy's Being Human cast
There is a proud tradition of selling TV programme formats between countries. Inevitably, the vast majority of remakes are viewed as inferior by the fans of the original; partly because they are used to the characters and the style of their own show, partly because the remake is made with a different audience in mind, with different expectations and different cultural and sociological references and ideals.
With this in mind, I grabbed a bottle of Diet Coke and a big bar of chocolate, and settled down to watch the first few episodes of the SyFy Channel’s remake of Being Human.
Toby Whithouse’s saga of three supernatural beings living together as flatmates is one of the big success stories for the BBC in recent years, and it’s been a favourite of mine since the second episode, so I was naturally cautious when I approached the US version.
The original is not without its faults. I like the character of Herrick, and I like Jason Watkins, who plays him, but I don’t like Watkins in that role. I don’t believe he imbues the character with the high levels of menace demanded by the script. He’s a bit… Well, I find him a bit too short to be frightening, to be honest – a bit weedy. I recognise that I’m in the minority here, though. I’ve also never quite loved Annie as much as I think I’m meant to, and I’m not convinced that Lenora Crichlow is quite strong enough a performer for the role.
Those niggles aside, the writing is strong, the direction superb, Aidan Turner as Mitchell and Russell Tovey as George never fail to give anything but excellent performances.
So, how does the US version stand up?
Like the British original, there are some aspects of the show that work for me, and some that don’t. The writing is good – though much of the plotting so far has mirrored the early episode of the UK version. As the US has ordered 13 episodes per season (the UK has 6) I would expect the story lines to divert, pretty soon. Although there have been some pretty intense scenes, it isn’t imbued with the same level of visceral horror that the original often employs. The biggest turn-off for me, however, is the incidental music, which is cheap, and a little distracting.
What about the characters and the performers?
There have been some name changes, but the characterisations remain fairly true to the UK version – right down to the character types.
Sam Witwer plays Aidan (a nod to Aidan Turner, who plays Mitchell, his UK equivalent, perhaps?) and like Turner he’s an impossibly pretty actor. He manages to bring a decent level of intensity to the role, but if you were betting on a fight between Aidan and Mitchell, all the smart money would be on our guy.
Meaghan Rath plays Sally (Annie in the UK). Again, a physically beautiful performer, but her performances are stronger than Crichlow’s, with more depth. She gives the impression that there are more layers to her character than Annie has ever displayed. Her insecurity, and inner strength is never in doubt. A win for the US team, here.
Mark Pellegrino (Supernatural’s very own Lucifer) plays Bishop (Herrick). As with the UK edition, he’s a cop with the local force. Unlike Herrick, however, his performance absolutely drips with menace; you believe in his capacity for evil, even without his vampiric nature.
And what of Josh (George)? Russell Tovey is a fan-favourite – even having recently won the SFX readers’ award for Cult Hero. This was always going to be the hardest character in the remake to like. Sam Huntington is more than up to the challenge, though. His portrayal of a slightly geeky hospital porter who just happens to turn into a savage beast once a month, is as good as Tovey’s. I’m truly on the fence about this one. Huntington also makes you believe in the dangerous nature of the character, far more than Witwer. Josh is a nice guy, but he has a darkness under the surface. A great performance. I want to prefer Tovey’s performance, but they’re neck and neck.
Both versions of the show mix drama and humour, and strive to be set in the world in which we exist, although lately, the UK episodes have been heavy on the farce – dogging gags, gimps and middle-aged vamp orgies, a chav zombie WAG who doesn’t know she’s dead – and this is sometimes detracting from the dramatic tension that previous episodes have built up.
So, the £750 question (that’s the recession for you): which is better?
Individual performances aside, and taken as a whole packages, the UK version edges out in front – just – but the US remake is only 4 episodes old, and still has the chance to improve. But if the UK show continues to move in a Ray Cooney direction, SyFy’s version won’t need to improve much to be considered the better show.
If only they’d tone down that bloody incidental music.
