So many of the best or most popular television shows are dead, or dying...

In the wake of True Blood announcing its final season next summer, have you noticed how many TV shows have recently finished, or are also approaching their ends? Being Human, The Borgias, Breaking Bad, Dexter, Fringe, Luther, Mad Men, Merlin, Misfits, Spartacus... I'm sure there are others, but those are the ones that spring to mind. By this time next year, none of those will be broadcasting new episodes. Quite a few will be all tapped out by October. Some are already dead.

Video: BEING HUMAN - the last scene

Being Human's fifth series hasn't aired everywhere around the world yet, so I'll be careful about spoilers (for now). But if you have seen the end of the BBC show, you may be interested in clicking the embedded video above. It's a DVD-exclusive scene that takes place after the series finale's ambiguous ending. Please avoid watching if you've yet to finish series 5, but spoilers follow for those who have...

BEING HUMAN, 5.6 - 'The Last Broadcast'

There were a few wobbles along the way and a climax that didn't make complete sense to me, but Being Human's last ever episode was a triumph on most levels. The Devil is a difficult character to portray (especially regarding the limits of his powers), but I liked this show's take on an old idea with Captain Hatch (Phil Davis) in his sharp suit, cane, and yellow tie. It gave the show some uncharacteristic scope having a whole town becoming a disaster zone, after Hatch caused mass suicide by willing it on the population (in scenes wisely left to the imagination), and Old Nick's goal of amplifying his ability via television was mad yet logical. I especially enjoyed his televised speech from a local TV studio operated by a crew of "zombies", complete with a 1950s-style interlude when he was interrupted.

BEING HUMAN, 5.5 - 'No Care, All Responsibility'

I haven't felt gripped by series 5 until this penultimate episode from Sarah Dollard, which gave us big events and character-based shock-waves in preparation for the finale. I have some criticisms about how well Being Human's handling its supporting characters this year: like Mr Rook (Steven Robertson), who was suddenly given an adopted daughter called Natasha (Skins' Kathryn Prescott) after an opening flashback of him rescuing her from the aftermath of a vampire attack; and that same character's unconvincing alliance with Captain Hatch (Phil Davis). Was Natasha even mentioned before now, in any subtle way, perhaps during Mr Rook's interrupted suicide bid?

BEING HUMAN, 5.4 – 'The Greater Good'

One thing that's becoming clear about Being Human is that I'm completely bored of the central theme of monsters feeling guilty about their true natures, and whether or not they can live as "humans" in polite society. After five series the idea feels completely exhausted, so for that reason alone I'm glad the show is drawing to a close. It hasn't helped that we have three new characters in Hal (Damien Molony), Tom (Michael Socha) and Alex (Kate Bracken), because their general concerns and issues are largely the same as Mitchell, George and Annie's were. What's left to really say about three creatures of the night sharing a house together?

BEING HUMAN, 5.3 – 'Pie & Prejudice'

The midway point of series 5 arrived with a largely non-mytharc storyline from Jamie Mathieson, which felt more like your typical episode of Being Human. There wasn't much that felt particularly new here, but it was efficiently put together and ended on an effective oh-shit moment for the character of Hal (Damien Molony)—but even its predicament of a vampire having a relapse has been done before, to far grander effect with Mitchell back in series 2. Still, thanks to total absence of Crumb and a limited storyline for Mr Rook (Steven Robertson), together with more of a focus on telling a strange supernatural yarn, "Pie & Prejudice" went down quite nicely...

BEING HUMAN, 5.2 – 'Sticks & Rope'

If this wasn't the last series of Being Human (coupled with the fact I've reviewed every episode so far) I would give serious thought to dropping weekly reviews. It's lost its freshness. I quite like fastidious Hal (Damien Molony), but sleepy-eyed Tom (Michael Socha) leaves me cold, and Alex (Kate Bracken) has yet to grab my attention. When the show is trying to be funny and relying on the chemistry of the three leads, I find it a little unbearable. They're just not very compelling as a trio, which makes me realise just how much their predecessors worked as a dynamic threesome. Where the show still manages to come alive is whenever it's being dark and creepy, with a handful of spooky scenes towards the end going some way to rescuing the whole hour.

BBC stakes BEING HUMAN dead

BBC Three's highly successful supernatural drama Being Human has been cancelled by the BBC, after five series of 37 episodes and one popular North American remake. A few novels have even been published. That's an impressive feat for a relatively low-budget TV show that started life as a backdoor 2008 pilot, which only Russell Tovey survived when it became a full-blown series. The show even shed actors after three years, leading to a new trio of characters headlining the current final series.

Being Human's creator Toby Whithouse has written a blog about the demise of the show, which echoes much of my own thoughts. I think its time was up. The idea just isn't as fresh as it once was; and while I think the new characters have plenty of positives, you can't shake the feeling the show ended once the original line-up were gone. Indeed, part of me thinks Being Human sort of ended once Lenora Crichlow was the only leftover face from series 1. Everything since has been a strange kind of canonical reboot.

MSN TV: BBC3's BEING HUMAN (series 5)

Over on MSN today: I've reviewed the fifth series premiere of BBC Three's BEING HUMAN, which is the first with none of the original actors involved. Has this rejuvenated the supernatural drama completely, or is it the same old thing with different faces?

I was a huge fan of Being Human's first few series, and mostly enjoyed the third that concluded with Aidan Turner's departure. Last year was an important transitional period as Russell Tovey and Lenora Crichlow also left. Michael Socha's werewolf Tom was promoted to a regular character and Damien Molony's vampire Hal was introduced alongside Kate Bracken's ghost Alex. Ironically, The Trinity - the series five opener - marks the first episode with no connection to the original triumvirate, so I was interested to see if they would breathe new life into an ageing show. This premiere wasn't bad, but I think a good deal of fans will concede that Being Human's past its prime. It doesn't help that the original actors have departed, but a bigger problem is how the concept doesn't appear to have much juice left.

Continue reading at MSN TV...

BEING HUMAN, 4.8 – "The War Child"

Series 4 concluded on a note of pleasurable camp, although best not scrutinise things too much. To wit, I still don't understand how vampires could successfully take over the world—because, unlike Syfy's US remake, Being Human's vampires don't even have super-strength. They're just bloodthirsty people with fangs and unfortunate weaknesses (unable to enter residences uninvited, are susceptible to explosions and wooden stakes). It's hard to see how Being Human's bloodsuckers could ever enslave humanity, so I've all along found it hard to care about such a silly, illogical element of the show this year.

The vampiric "Old Ones" featured heavily in this finale; or, more accurately, their ashen leader Mr Snow (Mark Gatiss) received a sizable amount of screentime. Gatiss's chilly performance was fun to watch, even if the character was a clunking stereotype, and he clearly relished wrapping his tongue around the script's melodramatic lines and literary quotes ("by the pricking of my thumbs, something wicked this way comes"). Snow was such a pantomime villain I'm surprised there were no sing-songs between his scenes—some of which felt amalgamated from movies like Schindler's List and Inglourious Basterds (motivation for the scene a red-coated Zoe fled from Snow, her father's killer?), or simply delighted in its thudding obviousness (Snow and the Old Ones gathered in an evil tableau of Da Vinci's iconic "The Last Supper"). Still, for every eye-rolling moment, there was some first-class material with Snow—particularly his dialogue to erstwhile companion Hal (Damien Molony) about his half-century of abstinence from blood: "I was just giving you the afternoon off." A funny way to remind us that Snow's millennia old, so has a very difference perception of time.

The biggest disappointment with "The War Child" was how Cutler's (Andrew Gower) Machiavellian plot to earn the adoration of his vampire masters, by ushering in an age where werewolf-fearing humans seek out vampire protection (to their great cost), simply crumbled into irrelevance. It made his character look naïve and silly, and the series-long build-up with Cutler's scheme feels misguided in hindsight. The only highlight for Cutler was the impressive make-up/gore when he audaciously entered Honolulu Heights without Annie (Lenora Crichlow) granting him permission.

The conclusion of the prophecy wasn't too bad, although I daren't pick it apart too much. The twist that baby Eve's survival is what ensures the vampires are victorious was fun, mainly because the story consequently showed real courage by having Annie kill herself and Eve by detonating Tom's (Michael Socha) explosives—thus also incinerating the Old Ones and ensuring the future dystopia never comes to pass. Plus this moment finally saw Annie make her literal exit through a flaming door to the afterlife, which has been long-overdue for Being Human's most problematic and wearisome character. The suggestion that feisty Scottish lassie Alex (Kate Bracken) will be Annie's replacement fills me with delight, although the writers still have to contend with the same issues of making an ethereal character interesting.

Hal and Tom kind of got lost in the episode, because there wasn't really much for them to do, but their final moment together gave series 4 a sense of completion; with Tom helping the relapsed Hal because "you're me best mate". A large part of series 4 have been about getting "odd couple" Hal and Tom together as best-friends, like their predecessors Mitchell and George, so it appears to be mission accomplished in preparation for next year.

So, looking ahead, series 5 will seemingly involve mysterious civil servant "Mr Rook" (Steven Robertson), who appears to be a Man In Black-style fixer who ensures the general public never learn about supernatural creatures. Plus there's the aforementioned likelihood Alex will replacing Annie, and I certainly hope geeky Allison returns as Tom's werewolf girlfriend. Considering how this series had to deal with the loss of so many original characters, ending its own run with an entirely new lineup, I can't deny Toby Whithouse did an impressive job under difficult circumstances. I've just been less enthusiastic about the ongoing mythology this year, which felt too half-baked to me, and never came together brilliantly enough to make me reconsider that opinion.

Asides

• I'm sorry, but why did Alex giggle over "she took me into her corridor"? That's not even a good euphemism and perhaps so inappropriate it just felt strange to include it.
• It's about time ghosts realised they're unstoppable, really, during the scene where Annie and Alex assaulted the Old Ones' hideout and batted away vampires like flies. Shame Annie didn't realise this in the premiere, where it would have been helpful if she'd rescued baby Eve without sitting back and letting George march off to his doom with Tom.
• As a very early teaser, the BBC also released this image that suggests the awakening or return of a villain. Predictions?

written by Toby Whithouse / directed by Philip John / 25 March 2012 / BBC Three

BEING HUMAN, 4.7 - "Making History"

This may sound overly grumpy, but while this episode had exciting and tense moments, I never found myself truly involved in what was happening. I think this has a lot to do with my tepid response to Hal (Damien Molony) and Tom (Michael Socha) this series, as neither has really captured my imagination. Both actors have their strengths, which came through best in the more comedic "Puppy Love" last week, but when an episode's emphasis is on pure drama their performances don't grip me.

Socha, in particular, is almost being dragged through the show by the might of whoever he's sharing a scene with—and what's with the implausible, ridiculous way they've written his geeky girlfriend Allison out of the show? Just one example of how the more "authorial" UK dramas often fail at developing things in a satisfying way as a collective effort; another being the writers' blind hope that we care about Alex (Kate Bracken) dying—a character introduced only last week. You'll forgive me if I didn't shed a tear for her abrupt demise. Wouldn't it have been wiser to introduce Alex much earlier, perhaps instead of the "goth poet" whose relevance was even briefer? Maybe the plan is for Alex to replace Annie for series 5, in which case we'll have another vampire-ghost romance on the cards?

The most interesting thing about "Making History" was learning that Hal and Cutler (Andrew Gower) have a shared past, and there's bad blood between them. Hal was the vampire who sired Cutler, back in the 1950s when he was still part of the infamous "Old Ones" gang, and it was fun to note how their positions have changed in the intervening half-century. Hal's turned over a new leaf and has abstained from blood for decades (successfully), while lowly Cutler's risen to a degree of prominence in vampiredom and retains a grudge over Hal cruelly killing his human wife (Natalie Burt) to make a point. As you would.

It was a great way to deepen both characters, although I wasn't too impressed with Molony's performance once Hal drank human blood for the first time in decades. Whereas Mitchell went on a crazy rampage back in series 2, Hal's response was a glassy-eyed creepiness. This was fine in principal, but Molony's a curiously unthreatening onscreen presence. His scene at the bar with infatuated girlfriend Alex, unable to take his eyes off her or prevent himself from vocalizing his desire to shag/drink her, just felt rather laughable to me.

Annie (Lenora Crichlow) was there to receive a mountain of exposition from Future Eve (Gina Bramhill), who whisked her to the future and explained everything in simple terms. It was just unfortunate that most of Eve's explanation wasn't anything we didn't guess or assume from very early on this year, and BBC3 obviously don't have the budget to fully portray the dystopia (beyond an abandoned dockyard, a hall emblazoned with Nazi-style artwork, and dingy corridors).

However, one scene worked surprisingly well, by almost turning "Making History" into a radio play—as subtle sound-effects gave Eve's description of the nightmarish future an evocative chill. But most of the Future sequences failed to get under my skin enough, and the show equating vampires to Nazi's felt very lazy and antiquated. The return of concentration camps designed for werewolves and humans are one thing (their skin tattooed "W" or "H" respectively) is one thing, but a revival of 1930s fascist poster art? Silly.

Admittedly, this penultimate episode burst to life when Hal was trying to stop Cutler's dastardly plan to slaughter a group of young revellers by tricking Tom into crashing their party on a Full Moon—the naive lad believing he'll be exterminaing the newly-arrived Old Ones who want to kill baby Eve. The denouement with the actual Old Ones finally stepping foot in the UK was suitably eerie, although we'll have to see genre stalwart Mark Gatiss (League Of Gentlemen, Doctor Who) brings to the role of their pallid leader, Mr Snow. I like Gatiss as a comic actor, but he always brings such a flavour of camp playfulness that I don't think I'll be cowering behind my sofa next Sunday.

Asides

• I guess it was a fun detail that Eve's her own killer, due to the fact she has the prophecized burn on her arm. I didn't see that coming.
• Russell Tovey and Sinead Keenan's genes can produce Gina Bramhill? Only in TV Land.

written by Toby Whithouse / directed by Daniel O'Hara / 18 March 2012 / BBC Three

BEING HUMAN, 4.6 – "Puppy Love"

Thank heavens writer John Jackson remembers what made Being Human a success when it began. "Puppy Love" was easily this year's funniest and most character-driven episode, and all the better for it. Tom (Michael Socha) and Hal (Damien Moloney) felt like a solid comedy double-act, having stopped locking horns over their petty differences, and none of the subplots were actively terrible—although the idea of Annie (Lenora Crichlow) killing an elderly neighbour (Anthony O'Donnell) went from bad taste to unacceptably tedious. The writers should admit defeat and say they now haven't a clue what to do with a ghostly character, as they keep trotting out variations on the same ideas for Annie. Should Being Human continue into a fifth series, I can only hope creator Toby Whithouse is astute enough to realise Annie should be joining Mitchell and George in the hereafter—and won't need an actor's unavailability to force his hand making that decision. Crichlow has served her purpose as the transitional face between the original lineup and this year's revamp...

As the cutesy title suggests, this episode was concerned with romantic storylines for both Tom and Hal. The former met a nerdy young werewolf called Allison (Upstairs Downstairs' Ellie Kendrick), who threatened to be as two-dimensional as the godawful "goth" from a few episodes ago (Allison carried a satchel, had "funny" run, wore glasses, and spoke in a patter), but there was a surprising amount of likability in her optimistic and plucky character. I'm not sure if it was all there on the page, or something Kendrick brought to the role with her enthusiasm, but she really brightened the screen. (This marks another guest-star whom I'd prefer to see become a regular over Annie, it should go without saying.) Allison falling in love with Tom also gave Michael Socha something to channel his performance into, as the actor has naturally empathetic eyes and an affable nature. As two very innocent, naïve people exploring their sexuality together, they made for a lovable screen couple.

Hal's romance with café customer Alex (Kate Bracken) was less winsome, yet more effective than I first expected. I particularly liked how Hal was determined to keep Alex at a safe distance, lest he become too tempted to drain the girl's blood—particularly now he's started to find a curious "peace" via the routine of waiting tables in a greasy spoon. Bracken was another good guest-star, if nowhere near as showy and memorable as Kendrick, although I'm sure some prefer her because Alex was more believable.

As mentioned, Annie's story wasn't horrible, but it also wasn't anything fresh and interesting. It began with her accidentally killing a neighbour by answering the front door too violently (um, hilarious?), and turned into another variation on the Annie-helps-another-ghost-crossover story. Haven't we had several of these before? It sure feels like it. Welshman Emrys himself was fairly entertaining, and got a few decent lines (the cheekiest being a quip about werewolf Allison's "growler" in the shower), but there just wasn't anything worthwhile happening in his story. If anything, it was just a strange way to setup a meeting between Annie and the mysterious-ghost-from-the-future (Gina Bramhill), who was finally revealed to be—dun-dun-duuuuh!—a grownup Eve the baby! Who saw that coming? Oh. Everyone. It was the only dramatic choice that made any sense, and most people guessed it in the very first episode. Must try harder, Being Human.

Overall, "Puppy Love" had some ups and downs, but at its core this was a very enjoyable comedy episode, front-loaded with a perky performance from Ellie Kendrick (her sex scene with Tom, mistaking a stake and a crucifix for his erection, was priceless). Even a small subplot with vampire lawyer Cutler (Andrew Gower) dealing with his "line manager" Golda (Amanda Abbington), vanguard of the en route Old Ones, had a smattering of funny moments. I especially loved Golda's scold "the last time somebody spoke to me like that, I used their skin as a Filofax cover. God I miss the '80s!" Shame she didn't stick around for longer, really. And the development that Cutler's on the precipice of defecting to the side of the werewolves and ghosts was also a nice turn to take.

This was a funny, sweet, entertaining, and highly quotable episode. Series 4's best, perhaps—despite not having much to do with the ongoing mytharc. Maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much, because the whole vampire mytharc is C-grade claptrap we've seen a zillion times before at the movies—often done better, back when it was relatively fresh.

Asides

• Didn't it take Annie ages to learn how to touch things as a ghost? Emrys had it licked in days!
• I'm so glad the writers confronted the key problem with Cutler's viral video of a "real" werewolf transforming: everyone would assume it's fake in a post-CGI world, teeming with viral videos for Hollywood movies.
• Great opening sequence with Allison sharpening her pencils, as Tom sharpened his stakes, as part of their morning rituals. Instantly, you knew who these people were.
• Yes, @lycurious is a real Twitter account.
• It's worth mentioning Golda's amusing bodyguard Kane (Marshall Griffin), with the fists he's nicknamed "shock" and "awe". A clear nod to tough-guys like Jason Statham.
• You probably recognise the museum that Hal and Tom took Allison and Alex to from its many appearances on Doctor Who. It was used for "The Big Bang", "Planet Of The Dead" and "Vincent & The Doctor".

written by John Jackson / directed by Daniel O'Hara / 11 March 2012 / BBC Three

BEING HUMAN, 4.5 – "Hold the Front Page"

Adam (Craig Roberts), the fortysomething vampire trapped in the body of a teenager, makes his return after an appearance last series. I like Roberts delivery and sleepy-eyed demeanour, but don't see what's so irresistibly charming about Adam's puerile sense of humour and David Brent-isms. I suspect he's more hilarious if you're a teenager yourself watching a contemporary make innuendos and vulgar gestures to the grown-ups. In "Hold The Front Page", Adam returned to Honolulu Heights with his headmistress/lover Yvonne Bradshaw (Selina Griffiths) in tow, having fled the attentions of the press over their controversial relationship.

As Adam and Yvonne hunkered down with the press on their doorstep, which isn't an ideal situation considering Annie (Lenora Crichlow), Hal (Damien Molony) and Tom (Michael Socha) are trying to keep a low profile, it later became clear that Yvonne is a Succubus (a half-demon who can enter the dreams of men and make them fall helplessly in love with her). Cue Tom getting a nocturnal visit from Yvonne dressed as a sexy barrister talking Latin (surprisingly!), and Hal getting a Hammer Horror-style erotic visitation (unsurprisingly!), and eventually the three men were squabbling for the affections of improbable sex magnet Yvonne. Meanwhile, journalist Pete (Sacha Dhawan) made a startling discovery while trying to get a photo of Craig: the boy's image is impossible to capture. This led him to the realization that vampires exist and local solicitor Cutler (Andrew Gower) may be able to answer some of his questions...

I quite liked this episode, mainly because the idea of Adam and Yvonne finding a strange kind of genuine love was a nice idea. They each have their problems in life, but together they bring out the best in each other and can co-exist very nicely. The only real flaw is wondering how on earth someone like Yvonne fell in love with a crude little prick like Adam, which just didn't seem very likely. She kept saying he's kind and has other good qualities, but none of that really comes across from the audience's perspective. Or am I missing something about the appeal of Adam, speaking as a man in his early-thirties? Roberts was far more oddly alluring in the movie Submarine, if you ask me.

As usual for this series, I find myself more interested in the storyline away from the main characters. Cutler's plan to expose werewolves to the world is nonsensical and unbelievable, but Gower's careful performance pleases me immensely (although that sequence where he was made to snarl and gnash his teeth at a cross painted on a door was a little embarrassing). More could have been done with the storyline of a hack uncovering the truth about vampires, but it felt very rushed and wasn't as satisfying as I'd hoped for—despite them bolting on the idea that Pete's family was killed by vampires. The big test for series 4 will be seeing if they can make next week's episode work, with werewolves exposed to the world and Tom turned into Public Enemy No1.

Overall, "Hold The Front Page" was a decent episode, but I wasn't particularly struck by it. I didn't find it that funny, either, mainly because I find Adam more creepy than amusing—although his attempt to compete with Hal's poetry with a vile limerick earned the episode's biggest laugh from me. I just hope the show gets back to developing some of the ideas from the premiere—many of which haven't been mentioned since, like the future-world where vampires have run amuck, or the identity of the female ghost who keeps appearing to coerce people into killing Eve.

What did you make of "Hold The Front Page? A satisfying standalone that felt more like the Being Human of old, or another inconsequential hour with a few nice moments to enjoy?

Asides

• Why wasn't everyone very suspicious of the fact Yvonne could see Annie the ghost? That's always meant the viewer was a supernatural, so they should have been very suspicious of her from the start, but for some strange reason nobody seemed concerned about that.
• Selina Griffiths (Cranford) is the daughter of actress Annette Crosby, who played Richard Wilson's long-suffering wife in One Foot In The Grave. The similarities in their voice is particularly noticeable.
• Why is Tom building a swimming pool in the back garden?
• The transformation of Hal continues. Last week his clothes had modernised considerably, and now his hairstyle seemed sexier. By the end of this series, maybe he'll be wearing a black leather jacket and his transformation into Mitchell will be complete?
• We had zombies last series, now there's a Succubus. It stands to reason that demons must exist in the Being Human universe, if one's needed to create a Succubus—right? Is this show going down the True Blood path? When do the witches and fairies turn up?
• Succubi. Has someone on Being Human seen Syfy's Lost Girl, which partners Being Human USA in the American schedule?

written by Tom Grieves / directed by Philip John / 4 March 2012 / BBC Three

BEING HUMAN, 4.4 - "A Spectre Calls"

A weird episode that didn't work that brilliantly, although it got increasingly more enjoyable because of its sheer lunacy (peaking with a one-take disco dance of triumph). The setup was unfortunately a hoary chestnut, though, as a peculiar stranger appeared and deftly turned friends against each other before getting his inevitable comeuppance. In Being Human's case, the manipulative stranger was oddball Kirby (James Lance), a toymaker who died in 1975 but has returned to help Annie (Lenora Crichlow) with baby Eve on behalf of her dead mum Nina.

It was always going to be difficult convincing us that Kirby could so quickly ingratiate himself with Annie, and I don't think this episode succeeded too well—although it certainly helped that Hal (Damien Molony) and Tom (Michael Socha) aren't best friends yet, so easily turned against each other, and Annie herself is a qualified idiot. You just wondered why more questions weren't being asked of this strange man with his stupid glasses, evident wig, lilting northern accent, and pale blue jacket. He was the dictionary definition of weird, conspicuous and untrustworthy, so just made every character look brain-dead.

Guest star James Lance (I'm Alan Partridge, No Heroics) was obviously directed to give this style of calmly nutty performance, but it didn't work for me. It's as if the show half-remembered it started life as a comedy-drama, so Kirby was a "creepy clown" figure at the centre. There certainly weren't many other good jokes happening in Tom Grieves' script, which is something Being Human could really do with just now—although I did giggle at the scene where Hal (dressed like '80s-era Patrick Swayze) had to pretend he was Tom's boyfriend to a home-visiting doctor.

There were only a few scenes where Kirby was genuinely menacing, sadly, most notably the moment he revealed his true colours to Annie and made her fizzle out of existence, but otherwise his character and Lance's cartoon-y performance was too ridiculous for me to get behind. The situation with Kirby was also so predictable that I came to prefer the undercooked subplot with Hal tracking down a lawyer who's been ordered by vampire Cutler (Andrew Gower) to falsify the official report about the Box Tunnel Murders that Mitchell was responsible for. (That's still a big deal in the local news, which is fair enough.)

It seems that Cutler's trying to pin the blame on someone else they can later claim was a werewolf, as part of a plan to get the world used to idea that such monsters exist and are a very real danger. The long-term goal will assumedly be to then introduce the existence of vampires as a species who can protect humans from these despicable, man-eating lycanthropes. As usual, none of that really feels like it'll play out adequately on a show like Being Human, but you just have to swallow what you're given. For me, I just liked the development that Cutler's making friends with vampire-hating Tom (bailing him from jail for attacking a vampire, thanks to CCTV footage amusingly "proving" he was being violent to thin air), and that Hal's on something of a collision course with the vampire clan who don't yet know an "Old One" is living amongst them already.

Overall, "A Spectre Calls" can be chalked up as another entertaining but oddly uninvolving episode with too many stupid or silly moments. An episode where the successful erasure of Annie is implausibly undone by her just returning in fiery-blue "super ghost" form. Still, at least it's clearer that the ghost in the TV from the future wants Eve dead, and this week sent Kirby to do her bidding. I just have no idea why she can't do any of this herself, unless she's the adult Eve and killing yourself creates a paradox. The surprise that Hal has a burn on his shoulder, which the killer of Eve is prophesied to have, was also quite nice... although obviously this is likely to be a red herring.

Asides

• A thought that occurred to me: if baby Eve is human, then she can't see Annie the ghost. Therefore, the poor kid's going to grow up thinking it's normal to spent half your day levitating!
• More trivia we're only just hearing about now: werewolves can't come back as ghosts. Does this go for vampires, too?
• Why did Kirby suggest that Hal might one day bite Annie? She's a ghost! Is that even possible? The show is always very confused about the exact nature of ghosts, in terms of how they can be hurt, or how they can defend themselves. I'd love some clarity on the matter.
• Did anyone else notice that Hal was dressing in a more modern style this week? Has he run out of suits and waistcoats?

written by Tom Grieves / directed by Daniel O'Hara / 26 February 2012 / BBC Three

BEING HUMAN, 4.3 – "The Graveyard Shift"

It's entertaining, but the edge has gone from Being Human. There's too much of a childish vibe from the performances and storylines for my taste, as the series becomes more serialized, ridiculous and rife with nitpicks. Why are the Old Ones taking so long to arrive? Why is Annie (Lenora Crichlow) written to always be such a silly fool? Why are all the vampires having such a hard time killing a baby? Why was vampire Fergus (Anthony Flanagan) able to enter the B&B without permission in the climax?

For the most part, this episode was all about cementing the new dynamic of Hal (Damien Molony) and Tom (Michael Socha), by forcing Hal to work alongside Tom in the Café On The Corner. A subservient, repetitive and tedious job which Hal wasn't best pleased with, particularly as we learned he's an "Old One" himself who once commanded the utmost respect in vampire society as "Lord Harry" in the 19th-century. The interplay between Hal and Tom, as they struggled to work together before slowly finding a bond (a shared respect for women, a love of Antiques Roadshow), was actually one of the episode's better elements.

Socha still isn't leading man material in my opinion, but he has a likeable rapport with Molony. It's just a shame the material they're given is so stiff or hokey most of the time; not least with the introduction of café regular Michaela (Laura Patch), a sorely unconvincing amalgam of a "goth" and, well, a J.K Rowling-style wannabe, armed with a journal brimming with bad poetry and macabre sketches. It could and should have been a brilliant character, plus a good antidote for the increasingly saccharine Annie, but Michaela was unfortunately little more than a painful stereotype... hastily written out of the show in an awkward way by falling in love with Regus (Mark Williams) after he turned her into a frizzy-haired vampire. An atrocious waste of a character's potential, and the scene where Michaela tried to pay for a hamburger with her "original poetry" was unutterably bad.

Away from the Tom/Hal interplay at the café, most played for laughs, the episode again revolved around the ongoing "War Child" prophecy, with Annie trying to keep baby Eve safe from Fergus and his fanged cronies. It makes sense of the show to become more serialized because standalone stories were becoming difficult to think up, but I've been instantly bored by this clichéd state of affairs. It just gives Annie more opportunities to do her irritating "mother hen" routine, and a diversion where we discovered ghosts can project their memories into vampires (meaning Regus found himself having sex with Annie's first love in a tent) wasn't funny, it was just weird and inconsequential.

I know there's lots of people enjoying series 4, but the spark has gone for me. It was always going to be tough replacing most of this show's regulars, and I don't mean to suggest Molony's bad—because he's interesting and different to Aidan Turner, despite unfortunate crossover with their character's histories. It just feels like the show's coasting by on dumb and trashy ideas, and even the show's style and inventiveness seems to have been curbed. There's an action sequence towards the end that highlights the limitations of this show's budget, in ways it used to overcame with clever camerawork and staging. (It doesn't help that there's a relatively expensive US remake airing now, so the differences are more noticeable if you're watching both shows.)

Overall, "The Graveyard Shift" did little to persuade me that series 4's going to equal the previous three years of this show, let alone best them, because it's simply lost too many characters and the writing has become more immature. Maybe that's partly because Tom and Hal have more lightweight personalities than their predecessors George and Mitchell. I don't begrudge fans who still gets a kick from their Sunday night fix of Being Human, and it remains generally entertaining, but I'm just not excited by what feels like a stupider version of a once-great series.

Asides

• There was an amusing reference to George and Mitchell's great affection for The Real Hustle, with Hal and Tom watching that show on television and looking bewildered by it, before turning over to Antiques Roadshow.
• So was Regus purely there as a Basil Exposition figure for these early episodes, or will he be back with vampire girlfriend Michaela soon?

written by Jamie Mathieson / directed by Philip John / 19 February 2012 / BBC Three

BEING HUMAN, 4.2 – "Being Human 1955"

Last week's premiere had the unenviable task of having to explain the sudden departure of two regulars, one of whom wasn't prepared to come back and film any kind of farewell, and it was perhaps understandable that the episode was something of an overstuffed, exposition-heavy mess. "Being Human 1955" (horrible and mostly irrelevant title aside) was a slightly stronger episode of series 4, but it still strikes me that there's a lot of silliness happening for the sake of it. Introducing new vampire Hal (Damien Molony) as part of an existing trio of "supernaturals" was an interesting idea, but we're only two episodes into series 4 and ghost Pearl (Tamla Kari) and ailing werewolf Leo (Louis Mahoney) have already been written out of the show! Was it even worth them being introduced last week? Considering the fact we're now left with Michael Socha and Lenora Crichlow, who often feel like they've walked onto the set straight from stage school, I can't help wishing we'd simply left the world of Mitchell, Annie and George behind and were now focusing on Hal, Pearl and Leo...

This second episode introduced us to Hal properly, as he was asked to take dying Leo and Pearl to the Welsh town of Barry to find "The Saviour" at Honolulu Heights, who may be able to help them, in a fun but cheesy riff on the Three Wise Men following a Star (or novelty car freshener!) to locate baby Jesus at Bethlehem. We quickly discovered that Hal and Tom aren't going to be as friendly as Mitchell and George once were, which is a good creative decision that makes sense because of Tom's family history with vampires. There's even an element of class war going on between the northern, "incomprehensible" Tom, and the southern, middle class, well-groomed Hal. It will hopefully be interesting to see how those characters come to defrost around each other, which should be a more interesting arc than George and Mitchell ever had together, despite also being very predictable.

The best part of "Being Human 1955" was getting to know Hal, who's a fairly interesting character at this early stage. Like Mitchell he's a predator trying to abstain from human blood, and has managed to do so for half-a-century because of the calming influence of Leo, even if it's left him with residual OCD (love the scene with the spiral of dominoes Hal builds but never topples). There's also an unshakable feeling that if/when the dam breaks Hal's killing spree is going to be twice as nasty as Mitchell's infamous train massacre. And while you were fairly sure Mitchell was a decent man deep down, Hal's motivations and loyalties are more uncertain right now. This episode suggests he's perhaps the biggest danger to baby Eve, who's prophesized to destroy all of his kind when she grows up, but isn't it also possible he's just susceptible to the influence of that woman from the afterlife who wants the baby killed?

One thing that can be awkward about Being Human is its balance between comedy and drama, as it doesn't always find equilibrium. It usually goes wrong when too much material is given to Annie (as she's the most obviously comedic character), because Crichlow's performance just isn't something I enjoy. She plays everything too broadly for my tastes, and whenever there's a "comedy moment" for her to indulge herself with the show feels like it's suddenly being aimed at kids. This week, there's a particularly stupid sequence with Annie performing a ritual in a bedroom by spouting mumbo-jumbo (did she really think that would work?), which was just farcical and beneath this show. A little better was Annie's little attempts to one-up Pearl, whom she sees as a rival, and it was also interesting to note that Pearl is written like Andrea Riseborough's original version of Annie from the Being Human pilot that spawned this show. I wonder if that was intentional, or am I just reading too much into surface similarities because Riseborough and Kari both just have northern accents?

The situation with the vampires is definitely the backbone of this series, as they await the arrival of the "Old Ones", and while I'm not a fan of this daft storyline, so far, I must admit I'm enjoying the performance of Andrew Gower as vampire spin doctor Cutler (who's trying to condition humans into accepting and fearing the existence of werewolves) and fanged policeman Fergus (Anthony Flanagan), who's basically a more weaselly and thuggish version of Herrick. It's almost a relief when the show switches to give us scenes between those two, who are much funnier than the three regulars.

Overall, I'm still not sold on what series 4 is doing, because there's no escaping the fact the replacements for Aidan Turner and Russell Tovey are noticeably worse actors—even if Molony has potential and his character has my interest. It just feels like Being Human's done everything it can with its high-concept premise of a vampire, werewolf and ghost sharing a house, so now it's being forced to reinvent itself in a largely uninspired way by embracing several B-movie clichés like returning vampire overlords, mysterious prophecies and Messiah-like babies. There's nothing here so bad it's insulting, and the show is still capable of making me giggle at times, but I'm having a hard time getting excited by any of the brewing situations and new characters.

written by Lisa McGee / directed by Philip John / 12 February 2012 / BBC Three

Review: BEING HUMAN, 4.1 – "Eve of the War"

Faced with the loss of three major characters by the end of this opening hour, Being Human's creator Toby Whithouse takes inspiration from his Doctor Who boss Steven Moffat and supercharges the show to compensate—turning it from a relatively demure house-share comedy-drama into a full-blown fantasy adventure with cartoon-y villains, a doomsday prophecy inked on skin, glimpses of an apocalyptic vampire-controlled future, and a newborn baby called Melody Pond Eve who's at the centre of everything...

I'm not sure if audiences will adjust to Being Human's revamp, as it's now relying on brand loyalty without Aidan Turner, Russell Tovey and Sinead Keenan's involvement. (At least until their replacements take hold as three-dimensional people.) It's true that many British shows thrive because they don't hammer a formula into the ground over five years, with every actor safely under contract... but will sweeping changes work in Being Human's case, seeing as it's a show founded on the chemistry and relationships between three specific characters? Replacing vampire Mitchell with Damien Molony's cultivated vampire Hal is one thing, but to lose Tovey within the first hour means there are now two huge holes to fill. And the knowledge that we still have Lenora Crichlow around as ghostly Annie doesn't ameliorate anything, as she was always a weak actress who flailed around playing an irritating and exasperatingly stupid character. (Already, Annie can't even manage to protect a baby from a vampire cop and a social worker she's invisible to, despite having all manner of metaphysical powers at her disposal. Why not just teleport somewhere safe with the baby, as she was told to do so by George?)

Michael Socha has also been promoted to regular status, having guest-starred throughout series 3 as werewolf Tom. Unfortunately, while the athletic Socha was fine as a dim-witted youth who's lived a sheltered life with an overprotective father, aided by his large puppy-like eyes, I'm not sure he's lead actor material. He looked out of his depth throughout this premiere, whenever his physicality wasn't required, and is definitely a weaker substitute for Tovey—who may have his own faults as an actor, but can generally be relied on to give expressive and heartfelt performances.

I'm more confident about Molony's debut, even if he wasn't given much to do in this opener, which was surprising, because the few scenes he had felt genuine and interesting—especially a lovely moment with him getting a haircut from a werewolf barber. Making his character, Hal, already part of another vampire-werewolf-ghost trio was also an intriguing and unexpected choice, while the simple fact he's so calm and collected makes him a refreshing change from Mitchell's impetuousness.

"Eve Of The War" was still a strange and awkward episode, though, partly because Whithouse had to contend with a thorny situation regarding the off-screen departure of actress Sinead Keenan (who infuriatingly didn't return to film a fitting exit, unlike Tovey). After a few years spent following the ups and downs of George and Nina's prickly relationship, it was frankly unforgivably to be told Nina was murdered by vampires while the show was off-air. It's hard to see what else Whithouse could have done, faced with an actress who upped and left, but it's nevertheless an unfortunate problem this premiere had to deal with, and it didn't do a great job because there's no escaping the necessary exposition and weird lurch in George's situation (going from expectant father to grieving widow and paranoid were-daddy).

To be fair, Being Human couldn't have continued with new actors just stepping into the vacant roles of "vampire" and "werewolf" to keep the show's signature triumvirate intact. It's understandable that Whithouse has chosen to expand the scope of his show, by focusing on the idea of a vampire war and treating it with more seriousness than ever before (where it always felt like the silly fantasy of vampire boss Herrick). But it's still very cheesy, in a Primeval-type way, that this episode's doing things like jumping forward in time to "London 2037" to show us a world where vampires are taking over the planet in the manner of a shoestring Terminator 2 with fangs. Maybe that's because the budget isn't really there to do anything this ambitious, or maybe it's because Being Human always worked because it refused to do obvious and "American" things like that. I'm hoping the show will pull back slightly and focus on the characters in the present, although it's hard to see how the show can ever get back to the "vampire, werewolf and a ghost share a house together" simplicity of the previous three years now.

Overall, "Eve Of The War" offered a worrying but intriguing setup for this fourth series. I can't shake the feeling that Whithouse should have called it quits with 75% of his cast exiting the show (leaving us with Crichlow gabbling and half-forgetting some of her lines), but there's a chance we'll come to enjoy whatever Whithouse has planned. It's just hard to get excited about B-movie nonsense like symbols and prophecies from "vampire recorder" Mark Williams (playing things broad and irritating), while having to swallow oddness like the child of two werewolves not suffering from lycanthropy herself, or George being able to will himself into a botched "wolf-out" by simply looking at a poster of a Full Moon and getting very upset...

What did you think? Are you happy to see Being Human try something very different with new characters, or is the show moving too far away from what you loved about it to begin with?

written by Toby Whithouse / directed by Philip John / 5 February 2012 / BBC Three

Coming Soon: BEING HUMAN, series 4

BBC Three's acclaimed supernatural drama Being Human is back for a fourth series later this month, and the rollout of promotional material has begun. First you can visit the BBC Media Centre for a special introduction by creator Toby Whithouse, quelling fears that major cast changes don't mean the show's days are numbered.

More enticingly, above is a photo of the new-look cast: newcomer Damien Molony as resident suave vampire Hal (left); Michael Socha promoted from guest-star to regular as werewolf Tom McNair (right); both joined by original cast member Lenora Crichlow as ghost Annie (centre).

Russell Tovey is still involved as werewolf George, but is given a surprisingly less prominent position in the photo, sitting in the middle-distance with a face like thunder brandishing a wooden stake and crucifix. A sign that Tovey may actually leave the show earlier than we expected, and that his character's going to be very anti-vampire this year? The complete absence of Sinead Kennan, who's also decided to leave, perhaps signifies an even earlier departure for her character Nina.

There are also some little nuggets in the background: Lee Ingleby sat behind Tovey (reprising his role as an "Old One" vampire from the series 3 finale) Oops, it's actually Andrew Gower playing a vampire called Cutler; Mark Williams appears to the far-left reading a book, playing a character called Regus; and there's someone dressed as a policeman behind him. A replacement for dead vampire cop Herrick? Or just a red herring? And why is everyone sitting in a café? Will that be an important setting for the characters this year?

It's also been revealed that James Lance (I'm Alan Partridge) and Mark Gatiss (Doctor Who, Sherlock) have roles on the show this year, and Craig Robinson (Submarine) will return as "teenage" vampire Adam from series 3 (and webseries Becoming Human).

Unusually, the eight-part series' episode titles have also been revealed ahead of time: "Eve Of The War", "Being Human 1955", "The Graveyard Shift", "A Spectre Calls", "Hold The Front Door", "Puppy Love", "Making History" and "The War Child".

Dan's Most Anticipated TV Shows of early-2012

Who cares about what was good or disappointing about television in 2011? That's all in the past now, so let's move on. 2012! A shiny new year, full of old favourites and exciting newcomers. Below I pick my 11 Most Anticipated TV Shows of the new year period (Jan/Feb), so be sure to keep an eye out for the following on your screens:

11. Mad Dogs

(Sky1, 19 Jan) I'm in two minds about this show's return. I really loved half of series 1's four episodes, but felt the story tailed off sharply and didn't end well. Even worse, I didn't expect and still don't understand why Mad Dogs is coming back, because the story didn't seem to demand it. So I'm intrigued to see what they have planned in this second year, and if some lessons will have been learned from before. If nothing else, the great cast (John Simm, Philip Glenister, Marc Warren, Max Beesley) should be worth watching as the four childhood friends having a terrible time in paradise.

10. Smash

(NBC, 6 Feb) As Glee gets more ridiculous and repetitive, drowning in its own self-righteous silliness and celebrity cameos, will this brand new musical drama steal some of its thunder? I doubt it, because Smash is a very different beast, but maybe there are some disillusioned Glee fans who are craving something more substantial and dramatic. This song-and-dance drama, about the making of a Broadway show based on Marilyn Monroe's life, should be worth a few hours of your precious time.

9. Eternal Law

(ITV1, 5 Jan) A brand new fantasy drama from the writers behind Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes, which is reason enough to be excited. (Unfortunately they also did renowned flop Bonekickers, so there are no guarantees.) Eternal Law concerns two heavenly angels, Zak and Tom, who are working as lawyers in modern-day York and use their abilities to influence the community around them in a positive way. Will this be a mawkish Highway To Heaven-style courtroom drama? I have no idea, but it should be worth finding out.

8. Luck

(HBO, 29 Jan) A drama written by David Milch (Deadwood), with a pilot directed by Michael Mann (Heat), starring Dustin Hoffman in his first TV role. Those facts alone guarantee many people will be tuning into this horse racing drama, but it remains to be seen if this equine underworld and its granite-faced characters will charm viewers into going the distance. But can you really refuse anything that co-stars Nick Nolte, Ian Hart, Dennis Farina and Michael Gambon?

7. Justified

(FX, 17 Jan) The third season of Justified will hopefully build on the brilliant second, now the writers have found a great balance between telling standalone stories while keeping an eye on an larger story arc. Great performances from Timothy Olyphant and Walton Goggins, who are joined this year by the beautiful Carla Gugino as a U.S Marshall Assistant Director (an actress who's no stranger to the work of author Elmore Leonard, having starred in Karen Sisco).

6. Being Human

(BBC Three, TBA) This will be a difficult series of the supernatural drama, given the departure of Aidan Turner (as tortured vampire Mitchell) and the knowledge that Russell Tovey's werewolf George is also leaving. Creator Toby Whithouse has his work cutout introducing a more urbane vampire to the group dynamic (played by Irishman Damien Moloney), and it remains to be seen if fans will accept the coming changes. Might it be best to end the show and let fans embrace the fluffier US remake? Maybe, but I'm very interested to see if Being Human can keep its audience as 66% of the original cast leave for pastures new.

5. Touch

(Fox, 25 Jan) It's Kiefer Sutherland's return to TV after 24, in a brand new sci-fi mystery series from the creator of Heroes. The setup is very simple: Sutherland plays the father of an autistic/mute boy who is able to predict various disasters, which he then has to prevent. It doesn't sound very original, but you can't deny the potential for some exciting case-of-the-week stories as father and son save the day together. The test here will be finding ways to stop the formula becoming too irritating. At least it's only been given a half-season order, so it stands a better chance of not outstaying its welcome.

4. The River

(ABC, 7 Feb) Horror is the big thing on television right now, following the success of True Blood and American Horror Story (we'll forget the unjust failure of the brilliant Harper's Island). What makes The River so anticipated is its unique-for-television format: a documentary-style affair similar to The Blair Witch Project, about the search for a famous explorer who goes missing in the Amazon. Six months later, the man's family go on a search to uncover what happened to him, joined by a documentary filmmaker, and discover supernatural goings-on. From the director of Paranormal Activity and a writer of Millennium, The River has the potential to be something really gripping.

3. Alcatraz

(Fox , 16 Jan) The latest project from JJ Abrams' Bad Robot production company, Alcatraz could go either way. The concept sounds great for a movie (prisoners from "The Rock" all go missing one night in the past, only to reappear in the modern-day), but can a TV series sustain that idea and keep audiences interested? It's hard to see how the writers will keep this rolling for years (can't they just interrogate their first recaptured fugitive for answers?), but I'm willing to give anything with Abrams' name attached the benefit of the doubt. Even if he's not actually very hands-on with these shows, day to day.

2. Spartacus: Vengeance

(Starz, 27 Jan) The first true sequel to Spartacus: Blood & Sand, after last year's brilliant prequel, Vengeance sees the show painting on a much bigger canvas. The budget is bigger, meaning the show can take the gladiators beyond the confines of the Capua arena and their training camp, out into the wider world. The big uncertainty is if Liam McIntyre will prove to be a fitting replacement for the late Andy Whitfield in the title role, but I see no reason to be concerned from the trailers. He looks very similar (which helps) and appears to have the same kind of charisma. Expect more ultra-violence, sex, politics, tragedy, nudity, double-crosses, gore, swearing, death and mutilation. I can't think of many shows that are so relentlessly fun and entertaining.

1. Sherlock

(BBC One, 1 Jan) The long-awaited return of the BBC's Sherlock Holmes update, with Benedict Cumberbatch back as the world's greatest sleuth and Martin Freeman as amiable colleague Dr Watson. It's been 18-months since series 1's cliffhanger, and what's exciting about series 2 is that co-creators Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss have chosen to adapt Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's most famous stories: the one with Irene Adler ("A Scandal In Bohemia"), the one with a beast prowling the moors ("The Hound Of The Baskervilles"), and the one where Sherlock confronts his arch-nemesis Moriarty ("The Final Problem"). With three of the best stories to hand, if Sherlock maintains its sense of visual style, wit and inventiveness, I think we already have a very early contender for Best TV Show of 2012...