3946 replies to this topic

[TWoP Howard]

According to this,

Filming is now underway on the US remake of Being Human in Montreal, Canada.…The director of the pilot is Adam Kane (The Mentalist, Heroes), and the 13-part Syfy series is expected to premiere in 2011.

Those of you who have seen the original need to be very careful not to spoil anyone who is coming to the story new. General comments are okay ("I hope so-and-so isn’t such a rat bastard in this version," or, "I hope the actor playing what’s-her-face is as good as the original,"), but not details which would give away the plot. Thanks.

Edited by TWoP Howard, Aug 1, 2010 @ 6:07 AM.

[Last Time Lord]

I'm still excited about this because Jeremy Carver is one of the writers.

I really hope they do their own thing, and not try to copy and paste what the original version did.

[Temis the Vorta]

I like the idea of Sam Witwer and Mark Pelligrino as vampires, so I'll give this one a shot.

I've heard complaints that the UK version is "too emo." That would certainly turn me off, too. I hope that's one thing the remake changes. People who have supernatural powers should be psyched, not mopey!

[Lesbonaut]

Mark Pellegrino will play a werewolf, not a vampire. I think it will suit him well.

[Temis the Vorta]

The link says:

Mark Pellegrino (Supernatural, Lost) has also joined the show as Aidan's vampire mentor Bishop.

[Last Time Lord]

People who have supernatural powers should be psyched, not mopey!

I agree with this to a point. It all depends on how the adaptation plays out, because in the original, the mopeyness makes some sense with what the metaphors for vampire, werewolf, and ghost are.

[Lesbonaut]

Oops, Temis, you're right! Sorry! Too bad, I would have preferred him as a werewolf.

I think the original characters are wonderful--not "too emo" or mopey. I suspect that the SyFy version will likely turn them into two-dimensional cardboard characters who will not be allowed to show any genuine affection for each other.

Edited by Lesbonaut, Aug 1, 2010 @ 9:16 PM.

[voiceover]

Eeuuuwww.. An American version? two words: Dumb. Idea.

[Temis the Vorta]

The Gates is doing an unexpectedly good job of the "supernatural beings among humans" premise - maybe Being Human should follow its lead. So far, the best thing they've thought of is to create a kind of equivalence between the supers and the humans. The supers are not less human or more evil than the normal folks, and regular humans are just as dangerous as the supers. That upends everyone's expectations of how vampires or werewolves "should" act. There's no "should" - they vary as widely as humans do.

After that, you need to establish a premise that will keep all the characters entangled. Even if it would be smarter to scram, there's some reason they can't. (Of course, that's just a blanket description for all stories - there always needs to be a "crucible" to keep your characters stuck in the story.)

[Temis the Vorta]

The Gates is doing an unexpectedly good job of the "supernatural beings among humans" premise - maybe Being Human should follow its lead. So far, the best thing they've thought of is to create a kind of equivalence between the supers and the humans. The supers are not less human or more evil than the normal folks, and regular humans are just as dangerous as the supers. That upends everyone's expectations of how vampires or werewolves "should" act. There's no "should" - they vary as widely as humans do.

After that, you need to establish a premise that will keep all the characters entangled. Even if it would be smarter to scram, there's some reason they can't. (Of course, that's just a blanket description for all stories - there always needs to be a "crucible" to keep your characters stuck in the story.)

[dirtybubble]

Mark Pellegrino (Supernatural, Lost) has also joined the show as Aidan's vampire mentor Bishop.

I loved him as Jacob on Lost so I'm excited he'll be on the show. I'm not familiar with any of the other actors but I will probably give it a try since I'm a fan of the original British Being Human.

[Lesbonaut]

The Gates is better than I expected it would be, but nowhere near as good as BH, IMO. Any attempt to make BH more like The Gates would be a step down: clever, streetwise, articulate, interesting supernaturals move to the suburbs and try to blend in by numbing their feelings and lowering their IQs twenty points.

"George, are you freaking out because physically turning from man into wolf is the most excruciatingly painful torture a human body could ever have to endure, and in a wolf state you might murder people and not even realize it?"
"Well, there's that, but mostly I'm bummed because coach just kicked me off the football team. I'll just sneak out for a run in the woods and I'll feel much better."

My hope is that the US BH will be inspired by the British BH without duplicating its storylines. The initial season of the British BH was witty, carefully scripted and very well acted. There are only six episodes in the entire first season, but it has huge amounts of character development. So by the end of the season, even some things about the characters you might not have liked mid-season are things that the characters themselves are aware of and try to change about themselves. It's definitely character-driven, and is a breath of fresh air--a real gem of a show that respects the characters it's created.

If that makes it "too emo" and the US version tries to "correct" that "flaw" (which I suppose it likely will do) then it will be a parody of the original rather than must-see SF/F, and fans of the British show like me will be tuning it out pretty quickly. But I will give it a chance, and hope it will surprise me.

Edited by Lesbonaut, Aug 3, 2010 @ 4:26 PM.

[cyberducks]

The Gates is doing an unexpectedly good job of the "supernatural beings among humans" premise - maybe Being Human should follow its lead.

To compare The Gates with the UK version of Being Human is kind of like comparing cheap American imitation cheese with good European real cheese IMO - I don't think Being Human should follow its lead at all.

Edited by cyberducks, Aug 3, 2010 @ 7:32 PM.

[Bruinsfan]

I wonder if the American version will incorporate a decent amount of humor? I suspect it will fail to emulate the original's mix of dark and light either way, but I'd rather they err on the side of The Munsters than that awful Kindred: the Embraced series.

[Bitterswete]

I wonder if the American version will incorporate a decent amount of humor? I suspect it will fail to emulate the original's mix of dark and light either way, but I'd rather they err on the side of The Munsters than that awful Kindred: the Embraced series.

I'm the opposite. I'd rather the show err on the side of being too serious, rather than being so over-the-top "funny" that I can't take it at all seriously.

However, one of the remake's head writers is Jeremy Carver, who wrote for Supernatural for several seasons before getting this new gig. And if any show knows how to mix darkness with humor, it's Supernatural. For example, for the SPN fans out there, Carver wrote A Very Supernatural Christmas, which was hilarious and creepy at the same time. He also wrote In the Beginning, which was way more serious and heart-wrenching, and had lots of disturbing moments, but wasn't completely without humor.

Carver being announced as one of the remake's head writers was one of the things that made me more optimistic about it.

Edited by Bitterswete, Aug 6, 2010 @ 12:49 PM.

[Peekay]

I'm probably in a minority, but I much preferred the pilot episode of the original Being Human over its subsequent episodes, so I hope this remake, if it really has to be made, takes after the pilot more than the two series. At least Sam Witwer seems more in line with Guy Flanagan than Aidan Turner, so there's that.

And so far, I like the cast. Sam Witwer, Sam Huntington, and Mark Pellegrino are all great names to have. And apparently it's being filmed in Montreal, a city I just love, so I'll hold out some tentative hope for this one.

[Bitterswete]

I'm probably in a minority, but I much preferred the pilot episode of the original Being Human over its subsequent episodes,

I wonder if the order they're seen in makes a difference. I saw the "revamped" version first. So while seeing different actors play Annie and Mitchell in the pilot is interesting, they aren't (in my head) the real Annie and Mitchell. But, if I'd seen the original pilot first, I might feel the exact opposite. On the other hand, I know people who did see the original pilot first, but still prefer AT and LC as Mitchell and Annie.

Also, I know they were originally shooting for a fall premiere, then pushed it back to January. And now that I'm actually getting interested in the remake, I wish they stuck to the fall.

[Peekay]

You're probably right, Bitterswete. I fell in love with the pilot, thought it was one of the best genre works I've ever seen (and I've seen a lot of 'em), got ecstatic when it got picked up, waited months, and then they went and changed the cast. I mean, come on.

I still held onto some hope, but four episodes into series one, I couldn't take it anymore. It was just jarring looking at AT, because his interpretation of the character was just so different (and frankly, he was not impressive as an actor), and the series as a whole changed its tone, not just the cast, when the pilot's atmosphere had a lot to do with my love for it. And while LC is adorable, I loved Andrea Riseborough and her accent, and the pilot's cast just felt overall more mature. I know some people actually prefer the lighter - comparably speaking, of course, since the show isn't exactly a ray of sunshine - change, and maybe it got better in series two, I don't know, but it was too all around painful for me to stick around after that.

But more on topic. Looks like the other producer, Anna Fricke, was involved in Everwood and Touching Evil. That gives me more hope. I'm not sure about Jeremy Carver.

[Lesbonaut]

More on the start of filming here.

Just to put in my 2 cents, I liked the pilot well enough, but thought that the cast changes from pilot to show, including Herrick as vampire leader, were great improvements.

At least Sam Witwer seems more in line with Guy Flanagan than Aidan Turner

Physically, at least, I don't agree with this at all. Flanagan is very thin and wispy. If anything Witwer is more muscular (though also taller, I think) than Turner. I'm taking a wait and see attitude on how everything about this show will pan out. I do want to give it a chance. But being "more like the pilot" is not a sell-point for me.

Edited by Lesbonaut, Aug 6, 2010 @ 5:09 PM.

[AngelKitty]

Lesbonaut, thank you for that link. I like that they are changing the names of the characters because they are saying it's a re-imagining rather than a remake. A re-imagining, to me, should be the same idea but different characters and different plots and it sounds like that's what they are going for with this American version and that makes me happy. The one thing that really bothered me about BSG was that they took the idea of the original and completely changed it but kept the original character names. To me, Starbuck was a man, Tigh was a black man and certainly not a cylon, Baltar intentionally betrayed the humans. Don't get me wrong, I loved the show but had to disassociate the old names from the new characters. So I'm very glad the new Being Human isn't going to make me do that.

[Nightmare Logic]

As someone who has seen the original Brit version I am both looking forward to and a little worried about the remake. I am a big fan of Sam Witwer so I have no problem with him playing the vampire of the trio (I loved him in Smallville and thought the show did him and his character a great disservice yes I am still bitter thank you.). I am hoping the sci fi version keeps the general stuff (I won't go into what the general stuff is because I don't want to go all spoilery") and keeps with the general mythology of the original and the major story arcs.

Actually now that I think about it, I am really looking forward to this.

Bring on the vampire, werewolf and ghost...American version please.

[svimouse]

A re-imagining, to me, should be the same idea but different characters and different plots and it sounds like that's what they are going for with this American version and that makes me happy.

I'm all for a re-imagining. If the show must be redone, at least the new version should be able to bring something to justify its own existence. I just hope that Syfy manages not to push too hard on cheesy humor and shiny/happy camera work and lighting that seems to afflict so many Syfy shows. The dark mood and subtle humor is so integral to the show, I can't bear to think it might be steamrolled with overlit and "quirky" sets.

Edited by svimouse, Aug 17, 2010 @ 11:06 PM.

[Last Time Lord]

It seems like they're attempting to do something akin to the US version of The Office.

With that, they changed the characters' names, and as far as I am aware, didn't really follow the original and just did their own thing, which I am all for, because as we saw with Coupling, not everything translates well.

[svimouse]

It seems like they're attempting to do something akin to the US version of The Office.

With that, they changed the characters' names, and as far as I am aware, didn't really follow the original and just did their own thing, which I am all for, because as we saw with Coupling, not everything translates well.

The first few episodes of the US version of The Office actually closely tracked the first few episodes of the UK version of The Office, and often recycled the same jokes. It was not until several episodes in that the versions diverged significantly. I assume the two versions of Being Human will be different off the bat, but even if the new show started in the same place as the prior one, it would have to pace its story arcs differently due to the 13-episode Syfy season.

[Arjumand]

I'm probably in a minority, but I much preferred the pilot episode of the original Being Human over its subsequent episodes, so I hope this remake, if it really has to be made, takes after the pilot more than the two series. At least Sam Witwer seems more in line with Guy Flanagan than Aidan Turner, so there's that.

This minority has me in it too! I loved the pilot, especially the way Flanagan seemed so otherworldly and scary, while Aidan Turner was just the same smouldery vampire we'd seen in countless other vamp characters. And kinda overacty too.

I want to watch this now - I wasn't too impressed with season 2 of the series; I felt the humour just went over the top and became annoying, making me want to ffwd to get to the point.

And now that I read there'll be Mark Pellegrino in it, I'm so there!

[Bitterswete]

I wasn't too impressed with season 2 of the series; I felt the humour just went over the top and became annoying,

Do you mean season two of the original series? Because the comment I've heard most often about season two is that the balance between drama and humor has shifted. There's still plenty of humor, but this season has been a little more serious (and much, much darker) than season one

I loved the pilot, especially the way Flanagan seemed so otherworldly and scary, while Aidan Turner was just the same smouldery vampire we'd seen in countless other vamp characters.

One of the things I like about AT's Mitchell is that he does seem like just a guy. You don't look at him and think "supernatural, other-worldy creature." He could just be the hot, nice guy you say hello to every day at the coffee shop, or joke around with at work. You'd never know he was, pretty much, a reformed mass murderer who can go from "nice guy" to "scary as hell" in two seconds flat. Unless you pissed him off, then it would kinda be too late.

This is why Sam Witwer being cast in the remake made me more optimistic about it. SW can do both "nice guy" and "scary as hell" extremely well.

Edited by Bitterswete, Aug 28, 2010 @ 2:56 PM.

[Turkish]

There's still plenty of humor, but this season has been a little more serious (and much, much darker) than season one

Season Two was definitely darker than the first. Especially Mitchell's story arc. Annie's stoy arc got a lot more interesting heading into the finale as well. I know alot of people had problems with that finale but I loved it precisely because it was so dark.

[AStarling]

I'm probably in a minority, but I much preferred the pilot episode of the original Being Human over its subsequent episodes, so I hope this remake, if it really has to be made, takes after the pilot more than the two series. At least Sam Witwer seems more in line with Guy Flanagan than Aidan Turner, so there's that.

I preferred the original pilot too (I preferred the pilots of Veronica Mars and The O.C. because they ended up darker than their respective series'). It was partly in the recast - although the AT didn't bother me an eighth of the amount the LC recast did - but mostly because, from what I remember, the Pilot was a lot cleverer and funnier and quirkier than the series that followed. The series never seemed to get the balance right again, it was either too silly or too needlessly dark.

[Turkish]

First Picture of the Being Human Cast in Character.

[Featherhat]

Meh, I'm not briming with excitment looking at that pic, he certainly isn't Russell Tovey, but then it's just a promo shot so I'll wait until we see some kind of trailer to make any more judgement.

Where do we think it's going to land on the schedule in January, have they said yet? Maybe Tuesdays @10 after caprica ends or 9 when SGU goes on hiatus. I can see them doing that just to see if it's those shows or they really can't compete at any level on Tues during the season. But then again, if it fails that's a waste of a high profile new show. That or save it and pair it with one of the lighter shows during the Summer.