Review: Syfy's 12 MONKEYS

★☆☆☆

The problem facing Syfy's remake of Terry Gilliam's 1995 sci-fi mystery 12 MONKEYS (itself an adaptation of 1962 short film La Jetée) isn't that it will, inevitably, pale in comparison. It's more the fact the whole concept feels utterly exhausted at this point, as we've seen so many permutations of the 'time traveller sent back in time to prevent the end of the world' that it doesn't hold much appeal now. A film has the benefit of a big budget, and a finite ending to play around with expectations, so there are still examples of this sub-genre that work extremely well... and perhaps will always exist, adapting to the ever changing cultural concerns of the day. However, a lower-budget television series has to play the long game, which means Syfy's take on 12 Monkeys is considerably less interesting and must appeal to a wider demographic than Gilliam's cerebral puzzle-piece...

Syfy's HIGH MOON • space lunar-cy

★★☆☆

I recently had the questionable pleasure of watching Syfy Original Movie HIGH MOON, which was actually a repackaged pilot for a nixed TV sci-fi drama. I watched out of curiosity because it was developed by Bryan Singer (Pushing Daisies, Hannibal) from 1969 sci-fi novel The Lotus Caves by John Christopher. It was totally insane, and not always in a good way.

Review: Syfy's Z NATION

★★ (out of four)

Unsurprisingly, this zombie apocalypse series from the producers of Sharknado isn't great. However, surprisingly, Z NATION isn't as unforgivably terrible as I was expecting it to be. It earns credit for at least identifying things The Walking Dead isn't doing over on AMC, so it doesn't feel like a lazy re-tread. Its zombies are of the high-speed variety, capable of chasing human prey; the pilot sets up an actual storyline for the show to arc; and there's a very strong militaristic vibe throughout. It's actually more 'Falling Skies with zombies' than a cut-rate Walking Dead.

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA to Z NATION; has Syfy sacrificed quality for cheap fun and notoriety?

Has it really been five years since Syfy's superb Battlestar Galactica remake ended? Since then, the network's fumbled with lame attempts to find anything close to equaling BSG's quality (even attempting two prequels few cared about), so their best shows are now pap like Defiance and Helix. And don't get me started on Dominion! It's one of the rare shows I had to turn off before the first ad break. Oh, and don't try and claim Lost Girl, Being Human, Continuum and Bitten are Syfy shows that buck the trend, because they're actually imports from Canada and therefore don't count. Maybe things will improve when sci-fi miniseries Ascension and their 12 Monkeys adaptation debut, although the latter's released a trailer that looks as underwhelming as feared...

TV Pilots I Want to See: 2014-15

It's that time of year again. The time when I cast my eye over the US pilots that are vying for full series orders in the 2014/15 season, although some are going direct-to-series. As usual, it's not an exhaustive list, but if I've missed something you think needs to be added just leave a comment. There's a chance some of these may slip into the 15/16 season, too, so apologies if that happens. These choices aren't the pilots I believe will definitely be good, just ones I want to see for some reason (usually involving the basic concept, the creative team, and/or the casting). It will also be updated with new photos, trailers, and each show's "status" as information trickles through about season pick-ups...

Syfy picks up 12 MONKEYS

Syfy have ordered 12 episodes of a television series based on Terry Gilliam's 1995 sci-fi movie 12 Monkeys (itself based on the French short movie La Jetée). The pilot (written by Nikita's Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett) has already been filmed, starring Aaron Stanford (Nikita) as a time-traveller from a post-apocalyptic future who arrives in the present day to find the source of the deadly plague that decimated mankind.

MSN TV: Channel 5's HELIX

Over at MSN TV today: I've reviewed the premiere of sci-fi contagion thriller HELIX, which made its UK debut on Channel 5 last night. (This is a reworking of my recent original review.)

I enjoy a good contagion thriller, but I'm not convinced that genre's a perfect match for long-form television. Helix is telling a story over 13 episodes, each representing a different day - potentially for many seasons to come. Or at least, that's the hope. For this reason, it's going to be much harder keeping audiences engaged unless the characters alone are endlessly fascinating, or the story goes against expectations and gives us something much deeper, richer and crazier than a two-hour movie could hope to achieve. It's too early to tell if Helix has any aces up its sleeve, but on the evidence of this premiere, I'm just happy it has some merit.

Continue reading at MSN TV...

Pilot review: Syfy's HELIX

written by Cameron Porsandeh (1.1) & Keith Huff (1.2) | directed by Jeffrey Reiner (1.1) & Brad Turner (1.2)

I enjoy a good contagion thriller, but I'm not convinced that genre's perfect for television. A movie can go about its business of entertaining you, even if clichés begin to stack up, but it's all over after two hours and you're hopefully left with good impressions in terms of storyline, characterisations and enough unexpected twists to make it feel worthwhile. Helix is telling its story over thirteen episodes (each representing a different day), so it's going to be much harder keeping audiences engaged unless the characters alone are endlessly fascinating (unlikely), or the story goes against expectations and gives us something much deeper, richer and crazier than any movie could achieve in a fraction of the time. It's too early to tell if Helix has an aces up its sleeve, but on the evidence of this double-bill premiere I'm just happy it has some merit.

Trailer: Syfy's HELIX

The first trailer for Syfy's Helix has debuted, which you can watch embedded above. I'm only really interested in this because it's the brainchild of Ronald D. Moore, who blew most people away with the phenomenal Battlestar Galactica remake. It's been four years since that show ended, amazingly, so another RDM project has been a long time coming. This trailer looks okay, but there's nothing about it that really excites me. I think I've seen too many viral outbreak/contagion movies, and I'm not sure what bringing that concept to a weekly TV series will achieve. Even in an Arctic setting that evokes The Thing.

Review: BEING HUMAN (USA), 2.1 – "Turn This Mother Out"

I was planning to properly review the season 2 premiere of Syfy's Being Human, but then I watched it and remembered why I stopped bothering last year. It's not a bad show, by any stretch of the imagination, but it is an inessential show... and a world away from the seriousness and ingenuity of the BBC original. It just feels too emotional lightweight to me, and the writers aren't so willing to take risks. This premiere introduced the tedious idea of a Mother of vampires, which is a seriously bland notion for supernatural fiction—and a very disappointing development considering one of last season's few unique successes were the show's trio of Dutch vampire bosses.

Elsewhere, things just kind of happened and my mind wandered on several occasions. I think it's the repetitive music score that does it, because it generally does the heavy-lifting trying to elicit emotion because the characters don't really connect with me. The best part of this US adaptation is the visual effects, which do things the BBC version could never afford to—like actually show a Tunnel of Light beyond Sally's (Meaghan Rath) doorway to the afterlife.

But I'm not going to be so relentlessly down on Being Human USA, because it's a decent version of a British show that's catering for a different audience. BBC Three may be a youth-skewing channel, but what was always impressive about Being Human is how grown-up it feels. Syfy's version is very much aimed at impressing college kids, with far less bite to anything. It's just a semi-engaging show that can build some entertaining runs, but it never quite manages to seal the deal. I'll keep watching because it's good TV wallpaper for when a pile of clothes need to be ironed, but I can't see me coming back to review Being Human USA with any regularity... unless something remarkably ballsy and unexpected starts happening to its tone and the quality of storytelling.

written by Jeremy Carver & Anna Fricke / directed by Adam Kane / 16 January 2012 / Syfy

Aborted Reviews: 'Being Human': S1-3, 'Caprica': 1.14 - "Blowback", 'Dexter': S4 & 'Dollhouse': S2

I write a lot of stuff I never actually post here, usually because I proof-read and don't think it's good enough. It's true! I keep all my writing on a Word document that's currently 113 pages long, mostly consisting of hazy ideas for polls, talking points, random media-related articles, some research, etc.

Sometimes there are reviews (often of TV box-sets) that I struggle to find time to write from start to finish, so end up tinkering with them over a period of weeks, sometimes months -- mostly on afternoons when there are no reviews to write for shows I watched the evening before. Unfortunately, this means that these reviews can reach a moment in time where their "moment" has passed. Or, simply, I've become bored working on them, and they remain forever unfinished. Recently I've become frustrated with this fact, and increasingly aware that such reviews are destined to sit on my laptop forever, slowly turning into relics of my own mind. So, to hell with it, why not just publish what I have, in whatever state they're in?

And that's what we have here. A handful of TV reviews (mostly aborted or unfinished box-set appraisals) of Being Human, Dexter and Dollhouse, with a latter episode of Caprica thrown in for good measure. Obviously, these aren't finished (some are just "set up" really), but I think they're of sufficient quality to be posted. I hope. I don't think I'll ever find the time and proclivity to finish them, so hope you enjoy reading what I did manage to cobble together. Maybe this will embarrass me to finish what I started more often, or not start to begin with!

But that Firefly box-set review really IS coming. Honestly. Note its absence here. Trust me...

DVD Review: BEING HUMAN – Complete Series 1-3; kitchen sink supernaturalism

It's a peculiar premise that shouldn't work as well as it does: a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost share a house together. It's the kind of concept that could be taken in different directions, tonally, but Being Human goes for character-based drama with a gentle sitcom undertone, punctuated by moments of startling horror. It's a sweet confection that should delight most people drawn to Being Human, although the show's let down by several problems underpinning its mythology.

Mitchell (Aidan Turner) is a 115-year-old vampire who led a hedonistic lifestyle with his diminutive "recruiter" Herrick (Jason Watkins) over the 20th-century, before deciding to abstain from human blood, get an inconspicuous job as a hospital porter, and live with his werewolf friend George (Russell Tovey.) The two pals move into a pink semi-detached house in Bristol, later becoming aware they're sharing it with Annie (Lenora Crichlow), their landlord's dead fiancée, and a unique support group is formed as the trio attempt to "be human" without arousing suspicion from friends and neighbours.

The premise is actually quite flawed, as the idea of overcoming your nature to fit in with mankind only works in the case of a vampire going through withdrawal symptoms -- which act as a drug addiction allegory, natch. After all, George is perfectly human for 353 days of the year, while Annie has little choice but to accept she can't be seen by normal people to achieve "social acceptance". But still, the interaction of the three characters living under one roof is the focus of the series, and fortunately the actors have an engaging rapport. Mitchell is the mandatory brooder who struggles to turn his back on his debauched past, particularly with Herrick on every corner trying to coax him back into the fold; George is the intellectual, emotional, socially-awkward guy who's tormented by his werewolf curse; and Annie's the insecure, ditzy, and impulsive one trying to understand her situation as a spirit.

Series 1 deals with storylines that are most pertinent to the show's themes and intent, as each one neatly highlights the major issues and concerns the lead characters have. Mitchell exists in a state of constant temptation from the vampires beyond the sanctuary of his new abode; George starts having a relationship with a headstrong nurse called Nina (Sinead Keenan), while trying to keep her ignorant of his hairy affliction; and Annie starts to piece together the circumstances of her death and, after realizing her fiancé murderer her, decides to exact justice from beyond the grave so she can "move on" to the next life. Each storyline cuts to the core concerns of the characters and their struggles with their very natures, and it's a synergy that Being Human never quite manages to top in later years.

By Series 2, there's more confidence in Being Human's ability to deliver compelling drama and horror, so some of the humour takes a backseat. Instead, the mythology of the show widens to encompass the presence of an organization headed up by a Dr Jaggatt and a former-priest called Kemp (Donald Sumpter) who are aware "supernaturals" exist and intend to eradicate them. Added to that, Mitchell turns preacher in trying to get the city's vampires to join him in blood abstinence; George and Nina's relationship disintegrates in the wake of George passing on his lycanthropy to her (a thin AIDS allegory), which thus pushes George into a hasty rebound with a single mother; and Annie tries to find a purpose now that she's chosen to remain earthbound.

It's a strong series, but perhaps one that alienated fans who were attracted to Being Human because of its lead character's interactions and veins of comedy. The trio tend to get lost in their own situations too much, while there's a clear sense of desperation about how to deal with Annie (who's even given a corporeal body for awhile, almost out of desperation over the constraints of a character most people can't see.) But there's enough imagination and self-belief to keep you watching, together with some genuinely gripping sequences – like the moment when George loses track of time and starts to transform into a werewolf in the middle of a primary school. A genuinely tense and visually superb sequence of mounting horror and uncertainty.

Finally, Series 3 offers minor reinvention. Mitchell, George and Nina move to Barry Island in South Wales to escape the previous year's events and, after renting a former B&B called Honolulu Heights, Mitchell manages to rescue Annie from the purgatory she was banished to the year before. From there the show takes a more inward-looking approach to its drama -- as secrets, lies and lost memories play a part in tearing the four friends apart. Guest stars play a more active role than ever, often headlining largely standalone episodes that are scheduled to break up the year's deeper story. We meet a middle-aged vampire trapped in a teenager's body, a party girl turned into a zombie, George's milquetoast father, and new semi-regulars are introduced in haggard werewolf McNair (Robson Green) and his sheltered son Tom (Michael Socha), before the return of an amnesiac Herrick lends the whole series an unpredictable edge when he becomes their lodger in the attic.

DVD Review: DEXTER: Complete Series 4 (2009)

After the misfiring third season, Dexter needed to deliver a convincing comeback in its fourth year, and found the answer to its prayers in esteemed actor John Lithgow. The series went back to its roots of having Dexter Morgan (Michael C. Hall) contend with another serial-killer on his patch; namely The Trinity Killer (Lithgow), a fiend who's escaped detection for three decades, but has returned to Miami to end his clandestine killing spree.

Retired FBI Agent Lundy (Keith Carradine) has become a self-made Inspector Abberline to his very own Jack The Ripper, determined to catch Trinity while colleagues/friends treat his theories as bunkum. Meanwhile, new father Dexter struggles to find balance between his parental responsibilities and entrenched need to slaughter criminals. The twist to this particular tale is that Dexter comes to realize he has much to learn from Trinity; a wiser, more experienced killer, having apparently perfected the art of hiding in plain sight...

The common weakness of Dexter is that most subplots unrelated to its eponymous anti-hero play like dispensable off cuts from a formulaic cop show, and that continued to be the case here. Fortunately, season 4 finds a compelling way to involve Dexter in Trinity's life for an extensive period of time, and does a great job slowly unraveling the psychosis at the heart of season 4's villain. It has the backbone of an unraveling mystery, which takes the sting out of the more tedious subplots.

Lithgow uses his pallid features and piercing blue eyes to unnerving effect, acting a portent of what Dexter's life could become, yet he's still able to evoke sympathy when the root of his problem is eventually revealed. It's a performance that buoys the entire season, even when various leaks burst through the hull, bagging Lithgow a deserved Emmy award. More importantly, he provides Hall with someone of comparable skill to bounce off, and the season takes full advantage of these two heavyweights. A visual tableau at the tail-end of "Hello, Dexter Morgan" paints the two actors as boxers squaring up to each other in the ring. To continue the allegory: season 4 may have its weak rounds, but it ends with a chilling knockout punch.

TV Review: 'CAPRICA' 1.14 – "Blowback"

"Blowback" kicked off the final five episodes in glorious style, delivering panache and forward momentum with the key stories: Daniel Graystone (Eric Stoltz) discovered the Guatrau have been smuggling some of his Cylons off-world to fight in the Tauron civil war, so persuaded its leader to stop this illegality with the promise of quicker results with his life-changing resurrection program "Grace"; Lacey (Magda Apanowicz) was sent to Gemenon aboard an STO vessel with other young recruits, only to find herself embroiled in a violent hijacking by a group of polytheists; police Captain Duram (Brian Markinson) was pressured by his boss Gara Singh (Peter Wingfield) into revealing who his informant is working undercover at Sister Clarice's (Polly Walker) abode; and Clarice herself finally got her hands on Zoe's infinity broach, which contains a backup of the martyr's avatar software, which she hopes will form the basis of an STO "afterlife".

For once, there wasn't a single storyline that bored me here, which was a huge relief after a mid-season run of duds, which felt responsible for Syfy yanking the show off-air and deciding to cancel it. Maybe they should have waited a few weeks? Everything was very neatly handled and very entertaining, with Lacey's storyline being particularly gripping as the poor girl was forced to fight for her life before the hijackers executed her fellow "heathens" and ejected their bodies out of an airlock. The twist that the entire situation was a staged test of loyalty managed to fool me, despite being a common trick, and I enjoyed the final moments when Lacey realized those who failed the test were blithely executed by an armed Cylon. The penny seemed to drop for Lacey that she's joined a religious cult that are actually as crazy as the fake polytheists.

Blu-ray Review: DOLLHOUSE - The Complete Second Season (2009)

Joss Whedon's Dollhouse was given a last-minute reprieve by Fox after its low-rated debut season in 2008, but after being transferred to the "graveyard slot" of Friday nights, the network announced its cancellation barely four episodes into its sophomore run. Fortunately, the axe fell early enough for Whedon's team to condense their potential five-year plan into the remaining half-dozen episodes. This resulted in a rip-roaring season that, while unsurprisingly hectic and devil may care in attitude, birthed so many interesting ideas and surprises that the loyal fan-base were given a satisfactory conclusion and several of the year's most exciting hours of sci-fi drama last year...

To recap the premise, Dollhouse concerns a secret organization that has pioneered mind-altering technology, enabling them to erase and implant memories into human brains. They currently use this technology to create "dolls"; willing volunteers who sign away periods of their life for financial recompense, allowing their bodies to become the shell for various personalities that a client demands. The dolls can become the world's greatest midwife, hiking companion, prostitute, soldier, secretary, pop star, or any other occupation desired. More controversially, dolls can be given the personality and memories of actual people, living or dead (provided they've had their minds copied and stored for future use). The very idea throws up an abundance of existential questions and ideas, most of which Dollhouse explores throughout its two seasons: from "sleepers" who don't even know they're dolls, sent out into the real world to keep tabs on people trying to expose the Dollhouse, to questions of mortality if one could continually inherit a host body and transfer your consciousness to a new one when age or health becomes an issue.

"Echo" (Eliza Dushku) is our heroine, a feisty volunteer for the program's Los Angeles facility, run by the authoritarian Adelle DeWitt (Olivia Williams), who has the unique ability to retain her memories of past experiences and personalities after the obligatory "treatment" (mind erasure) that followers every assignment. In season 2, Echo's ability will prove instrumental if they're to destroy the Dollhouse from the inside-out, with the help of Ballard (Tahmoh Penikett), a former FBI Agent who attempted to rescue Echo in season 1, but is now a double-agent working for the enemy, and Echo's former "handler" Boyd (Harry Lennix), a fatherly figure who's questioned the morality of the Dollhouse from the very start.

'BEING HUMAN' (USA) 1.10-1.13 catch-up

1.10 - "Dog Eat Dog" (**½ out of four)
1.11 - "Going Dutch" (*** out of four)
1.12 - "You're The One I Haunt" (** out of four)
1.13 - "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Me Killing You" (**½ out of four)

I was surprised my previous batch-review of Being Human's Stateside remake didn't elicit much comment, considering how some people expressed their disappointed I stopped weekly reviews after four episodes. Consequently, I was in two-minds about posting a follow-up to cover the last four episodes of Being Human's first season. But, if only for the sake of completism, why the hell not...

I won't bore you by repeating the points I always make about Being Human USA (hereafter BH:USA). I still believe it's inferior from a performance standpoint, yes -- but the increased budget makes for a more visually-entertaining show. It doesn't feel as raw and vérité as the UK version, no -- but it's easier to watch and perhaps more immediate fun. It also became clear that the remake's writers have a firmer grasp on the vampire/ghost lore of BH:USA. It helps that they can afford to make their vampires preternaturally powerful, their ghosts more incorporeal, but its vampire subculture was more central and engaging, if ultimately just trotting out clichés.

Still, when BH:USA was spending time with the vampiric "Dutch Elders" revived by Bishop (Mark Pellegrino) after decades of hibernation, the show achieved its apex. This was a unique storyline the remake could actually call its own, which felt like an oasis for viewers, like myself, who've spent the majority of this season comparing things to the original. The sequence where Bishop cleverly poisoned and paralyzed the Elders around a banquet table (containing a shackled woman as their meal), before proceeding to chop off their heads while delivering a speech, was wonderful stuff.

But the game of comparing Being Human's is still impossible to resist. I found it interesting that terminally ill Celine -- the aged woman who was once a lover of Aiden's (Sam Witwer) in the '70s -- was noticeably less decrepit in this version of the story. Was there a concern American viewers would be too disturbed by the idea of a 25-year-old man kissing a granny? (Is that any weirder than seeing Hugh Heffner kiss a playmate? Discuss.) Celine was instead a "cougar" the acceptable side of 50. That kind of rethinking is indicative of why BH:USA isn't as satisfying as the original, really -- it smoothes too many rough edges, then marinades the diluted drama in twangy pop-songs.

I also found it intriguing that the US version chose to tackle two prominent storylines from the BBC's third series: the vampire pastime of forcing werewolves to fight for their lives in cages, and nurse Nora (Kristen Hager) falling pregnant with Josh's (Sam Huntington) child. This was either a simple and explicable coincidence, or Being Human's creator Toby Whithouse got wind of the remake's intentions and chose to incorporate some of their ideas into his show. Payback time? I don't actually blame him if that's true, knowing how much BH:USA owes him, but we'll probably never know for sure.

Naturally, some of BH:USA's changes were clear and definite improvements -- which tends to happen when you have an existing body of work to dissect and study for weaknesses. I preferred seeing Aiden vanquish Bishop in an intense warehouse punch-up, assisted by Sally (Meaghan Rath), which neatly misdirected us away from the UK version's ending of Bishop getting slain by Josh-wolf in the hospital basement. It was the more obvious creative choice, sure, but it carried more weight having Aiden deal with his maker -- as we had a deeper sense of the history between them than their British equivalents.

Overall, BH:USA was a unexpectedly good remake that kept me entertained, despite knowing where most of the story would go. It's just a shame it lacks the sharp lo-fi realism of the UK version (this is very much a "show" not a "drama"), especially when it comes to the characters. In fact, the biggest problem BH:USA has is that the core trio rarely felt like close friends who support each other through thick and thin. There are moments when they sit around the kitchen table discussing their day, or are forced to deal with each other's crap (like Aiden and Josh stopping Sally's crazy ex-fiancé burning down their house), but I just don't get a feeling the characters are a true "family". In the BBC version, the chemistry was palpable between everyone from the get-go (particularly best-friends George and Mitchell), but that's not so clear in the syrupy Syfy version.

The remake's writing and performances simply don't connect in the same way. Witwer's a man trapped inside a marble effigy of himself, Huntington's twitchy amiability grew tiring after awhile, and Rath is less irritating than her bouncy British counterpart, but she's also twice as bland. Still, BH:USA has delivered a baker's dozen of fun that, removed from comparisons, delivered some entertainment. Hopefully its sophomore season will learn from its mistakes, the cast will interact more purposefully, and the story will plough ahead with its own originality. That approach worked wonders for NBC's The Office, after all...

written by Jeremy Carver & Anna Fricke (1.10 & 1.13), Chris Dingess (1.11) & Nancy Won (1.12) / directed by Paolo Barzman (1.10), Erik Canuel (1.11 & 1.12) & Adam Kane (1.13) / 21 March, 28 March, 4 April & 11 April 2011 / Syfy

'BEING HUMAN' (USA) 1.5-1.9 catch-up

1.5 - "The End Of The World As We Knew It" (*½ out of four)
1.6 - "It Takes Two To Make A Thing Go Wrong" (** out of four)
1.7 - "I See Your True Colors... And That's Why I Hate You" (**½ out of four)
1.8 - "Children Shouldn't Play With Undead Things" (*½ out of four)
1.9 - "I Want You Back (From The Dead)" (**½ out of four)

I stopped reviewing Syfy's Being Human after a month because the performances didn't really grab me, it was clashing with the BBC version (I only have mental space for one vampire/werewolf/ghost triumvirate), and the storylines were contentedly following in the original's footsteps. It was therefore hard to feel invested in a plot I knew the broad outcome of. It was becoming a weekly game of spot-the-difference, which was fun... but it got boring very quickly. But I've still been watching the show every week, and promised I'd chime in with more thoughts in the near-future. Now that Being Human has wrapped its third series in the UK, that time has come. So how has BH:USA progressed since I stopped reviewing it after episode 4?

Well, my general opinion hasn't altered that much from where I left off. It's funny seeing the show continue to "sex up" the characters (no offence to Sinead Keenan as Nina, but her counterpart Kristen Hager is more "conventionally attractive" as Nora), although the show still isn't as sharp and edgy as I'd like. There are moments when it comes close (like the scene where Josh's primal urges took over and he had doggy-style sex with Nora at work), but other times it backs away from genuinely surprising twists (such as the moment when Josh started to transform in front of Nora, which was revealed to be a lazy dream sequence.) It's mostly a cuter version of BH:UK with half an eye on the emo crowd (how many times was the Donnie Darko arrangement of "Mad World" played during episode 9?) Whenever it dares stray from the UK's core storylines, it's on instantly shakier ground -- like that dumb scene with Sally (Meaghan Rath) and a gathering of weird ghosts writing on hospital walls in luminous green, what, ectoplasm?

In a weird coincidence, both Being Human's had a "meet the parents" episode for Josh/George in the same week; and while Syfy's episode was a predictable farce, with Josh having to keep his lycanthropy a secret from his parents as a bad vampire prowled around outside trying to get in, the BBC's episode was a more imaginative story about a "dead" milquetoast father reacquainting with his secretive son. There's just more heart, creativity, and risks on the British show, which trumps the enviably higher production values of Syfy's remake. No spoilers here, but the events of BH:UK's series 3 finale alone would be almost unthinkable to reproduce in this Americanization.

And despite claims the Syfy version diverged from the UK version around mid-season, that's not wholly accurate. There are some differences and a few new subplots, but nothing substantial that's taken the show into uncharted territory. I think people have just forgotten the arcs of Being Human's first year. Annie's story with her killer ex, haunted love rival, and materializing engagement ring are identical. Aidan (Sam Witwer) even received a "vampire sex tape" that was accidentally seen by a little boy called Bernie in the neighbourhood, whom he took a shine to. A silly subplot stolen from the original I thought the remake would wisely avoid. No sign of Aidan being persecuted as a pedophile in the US version, predictably, and the sex tape itself was robbed of all creepiness because vamps in Syfy's remake have reflections. So it wasn't an eerie vampire snuff movie of a man being killed by what appears to be an "invisible woman", it was just a soft porn clip where a vampire lady smacks her bloodied lips at the camera lens. It's hard to understand why Aidan found it so titillating, really. Yes, I understand that Syfy are pitching the show to wider, slightly younger audience, so they can't be quite as gritty as the original. That's fine. But as someone who watches the original, you can't help comparing the two shows.

To its credit, the US version attempted to do something moderately interesting (with a Let The Right One In vibe), by having Bernie die in a car accident and return as a vampire (against Aidan's wishes), but that story was concluded within the hour! The idea of Aidan having to deal with a "son", whose very existence causes him greater pain than his untimely death, could have fuelled a run of episodes, so why drop it so soon?

The remake's still an entertaining show, if smothered by sappy guitar-based pop songs, pretentious voiceovers, and a tonality that's nowhere near as witty, creative and unpredictable as its British parent. It also seems to like keeping the core trio apart, each stuck in their own individual stories, with less emphasis on the idea these are three people who love and support each other.

As I keep saying, I'm sure Being Human's more of a treat for fans of the genre going in fresh, but I can't erase my memories of the original, and the show refuses to let me stop comparing the two because it's so slavish to the show I know and love.

Asides

• If you haven't already heard, Syfy have recommissioned Being Human for a second season, as it's averaged 1.8m viewers over its run so far. That makes it their highest-rated winter series launch for six years.
• Admittedly, Syfy's CGI werewolf is an enviable improvement on the BBC's "hairy-brown-carpet-suit" (see photo above.) That said, the remake's actual transformation scenes are still far less upsetting, intense and horrific.
• Kristen Hager appeared in the monumentally atrocious Alien Vs Predator: Requiem. She can cram that skeleton into her closet all she likes, but it's not going anywhere.
• I wonder if Aidan playing football soccer with Bernie was a nod to the show's British roots, or do American kids play soccer more than "catch" with baseballs these days? I also noticed a ghost wearing a Union Jack T-shirt at the hospital.

'BEING HUMAN' (USA) 1.4 - "Wouldn't It Be Nice (If We Were Human)"

This isn't actually a review, just a quick note to say I'm dropping Being Human USA from my weekly review cycle. I don't hate this remake, but it's a pale imitation of the BBC version and, frankly, the fact it's recycling so many storylines and ideas means I can't summon the will to write about it. You know my general thoughts about the tone, style and performances by now. It's a show that knows all the notes, but doesn't quite hear the music. But if you haven't seen the UK original, I'm sure you're enjoying it just fine. Hopefully you'll be encouraged to watch the pedigree version; which is more pragmatic, scarier and funnier.

'BEING HUMAN' (USA) 1.3 - "Some Thing To Watch Over Me"

I'm still uninspired to write about Syfy's Being Human remake in great depth, but that's not a reflection on its quality. It's not a bad show, really -- it's just a toothless version of an even better show. Also, because the characters and most of their storylines exist elsewhere in another form, which I watched 3 years ago, it's hard to feel engrossed. That said, "Some Thing To Watch Over Me" was a perfectly enjoyable episode that borrowed elements from its progenitor, but also moved forward with some new ideas of its own. To be positive, here's what I actually prefer about the US remake:

Inevitably for a North American series, there's a more engaging grasp of its supernatural elements. Ghost Annie (Meaghan Rath) disappears leaving wisps of energy hanging in the air, the vampires are more powerful (they hypnotize people, can erase memories, and have super-speed and strength), and werewolf Josh (Sam Huntington) exhibits more canine traits in his human guise. I know the UK's George retains a keen sense of smell, but for the most part he's a regular guy until a Full Moon, whereas Josh is more obviously struggling with his "inner animal" whenever he gets angry and turns violent. Interestingly, the remake's decided it likes the low-fi take on the afterlife from the UK series, as this episode debuted "The Door" to the other side, which retains its humdrum nature. No ostentatious "tunnel of light" CGI, which wouldn't have been expected, just a spooky door.

I prefer the American take on the lore. It's always annoyed me that the BBC series keeps all of that so low-key, likely because of budget concerns. Ghost Annie tends to materialize off-camera (is it THAT expensive to do vanishing effects?), vampire Mitchell has fangs but I don't recall him having super-powers, per se, and I've already mentioned George. In fact, it's sometimes hard to remember why the British characters find it so difficult to "be human" -- Annie may be invisible to normal people, but she can touch things in the UK series; swap blood with heroine and Mitchell's no different to a common drug addict; and George is 100% human nearly all month.

So yes, the US version's doing a better job making us view the trio as more obviously non-human people. The problem with the US version is that the trio don't feel real to me, unlike the UK characters. Here they're three actors playing roles, and you can sense it -- especially in the case of Sam Witwer, who's doing the am-dram version of "brooding vampire".

Also, Mark Pellegrino is good as Bishop. Despite his odd hairstyle, the actor's pursed smile and numinous vibe is more appealing to me than Jason Watkins' original character Herrick. There was more humour to Herrick, who made for a slightly absurd leader of vampires (being a short, red-haired, middle-aged cop), but I believe more in Bishop. He's a genuine threat, physically, and I can live without the comedy Watkins brought to the role -- which always felt misplaced to me, in the context of what Herrick should be representing for Mitchell. I mean, I can believe that Witwer and Pellegrino were depraved vampire friends for decades. Did I ever believe Aidan Turner hung around with Jason Watkins in the Swinging Sixties? No.

Overall, I think I'm saying that Being Human USA is a decent remake for Syfy audiences (with some superficial improvements I approve of), but the original's raw attitude didn't survive the trans-Atlantic trip, together with the verisimilitude the British actors brought to the table.

written by Jeremy Carver & Anna Fricke / directed by Jerry Ciccoritti (SYFY, Mondays @9/8c)

'BEING HUMAN' (USA) 1.2 – "There Goes The Neighborhood: Part 2"

I'm in a quandary with this series. As a remake it hasn't offended my love for the UK original, which started its own third series last weekend, and that's great. It's just a hard show to review at this unripe stage, because it's largely following the BBC version's storylines. Frankly, I can't really get excited about anything happening because I know where it's all going, or can hazard a very educated guess. Maybe when Being Human USA is standing on its own two feet, it'll be more entertaining to review every week, similarly to how NBC's The Office was a tedious affair for awhile because it was content to walk in the BBC's footsteps.

So for now, I'll just say this: "There Goes The Neighborhood: Part 2" was of equal quality to "Part 1", but I was surprised they explained the backstory to how Aidan (Sam Witwer) and Josh (Sam Huntington) lost their humanity in the brief prologue, considering the potential for a whole episode explaining their origins, and the fact the BBC made the wiser decision to wait before delving into all that background. It sometimes feels like the US version's too eager to get to the next opportunity for a special effect, rather than make us get under the skin of the three characters. Witwer's not terrible, but he's a little bland and wooden; Huntington's a likeable presence, but there isn't much of the thwarted passion Russell Tovey brings to the character; and Meaghan Rath is sweet and competent, although her character's more depressing than her bubblier UK counterpart. There are no major problems with Being Human USA so far, just a feeling that the show's a soft sitcom version of the original's grittier drama.

It's impossible to watch this show with a totally clear head if you've seen the UK version, really. I can't help comparing the performances to the British cast and noticing how the tone of the remake's softer and less realistic in some ways. Or as real as a show about a vampire, werewolf and ghost housemates can be. Being Human USA feels like a television show about a supernatural trio, whereas Being Human feels like a drama about three people afflicted with inhuman conditions. For me, this remake has good fidelity to the original's premise, storylines and characters, but not to its "kitchen sink" realism in terms of tone and performances.

Overall, I'm not sure I'll be writing full reviews of Being Human USA from hereon in, at least not until the majority of its storylines have clearly diverged from the BBC version (as Josh's appears to be, slowly.) That may take awhile, but I'll perhaps chip in with brief thoughts every week, until the show starts to feel less like "a copycat American twin" and more like "a sharp, witty British cousin who emigrated to the United States and developed an accent".

WRITERS: Jeremy Carver & Anna Fricke
DIRECTOR: Adam Kane
TRANSMISSION: 24 January 2011, Syfy, 9/8c

Poll: What did you think of 'Being Human' USA?

Syfy's remake of the BBC's Being Human debuted last Monday, to decent ratings but mixed reviews. Personally, I thought it was a decent pilot and I'm interested to see where it goes once more original elements come into play. But what did you think of it? Is it a worthwhile or pointless remake? Does it only suffer in comparison to the UK version, or did it improve on the BBC series in some ways? Vote in my poll, and leave your thoughts below if you'd like:




This poll will close on Monday 24 January @5pm (GMT). The results will be revealed shortly after.

'BEING HUMAN' (USA) 1.1 - "There Goes The Neighborhood: Part One"

Take a bite out of Obsessed With Film, where I've reviewed Syfy's supernatural comedy-drama BEING HUMAN, a US remake of the acclaimed UK series, brought to you by the architects of hospital basements:

The British are coming... and they have television formats. The UK's been a prolific exporter of hit reality/gameshow formats since the turn-of-the millennium, but just recently many British drama premises are finding a home in the US. A remake of underclass drama Shameless debuted on Showtime a few weeks ago, Torchwood's become an Anglo-American co-production for Starz, an Americanized version of teen-drama Skins launched on MTV this week, and now BBC3's supernatural comedy-drama Being Human has been adapted by a Canadian production company for Syfy. Continue reading...

Syfy burn 'Caprica' this January

This new is days old now, but I thought it was worth mentioning here. Maybe a few people have yet to hear. Syfy have confirmed plans to "burn off" the remaining 5 episodes of axed sci-fi drama Caprica, with a back-to-back marathon on Tuesday 4 January 2011 @6/5c.

Good news for fans who don't intend to buy the DVD to see the ending, and for those who want to record Syfy's five-hour marathon and watch them at their leisure. I'll most likely be amongst the latter, perhaps writing capsule reviews of the remaining hours for a final wrap-up post. I hope the writers give us resolution, or at least don't let it end on a cliffhanger that'll never be answered. That said, there's a chance in-development prequel Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome will be able to fill the gaps in Caprica's story.

TRAILER: 'Being Human' USA

I've said all I have to say about the US remake of Being Human (there's clear potential, I like the look of the cast), so just enjoy the short trailer embedded above. Has anybody changed their mind about this show based on the promotional material released, for better or worse? Being Human USA premieres on Syfy this January.