Being American...

[jendaby]

So, I decided that I was being unfair by deciding I hated the American version of Being Human without having seen it. I knew they were planning to follow the same story on a different continent, and I just didn't think it would work. I was right. The original Being Human is an excellent show - intelligent, compelling, contemplative and often gloomy

Comments

[terri_osborne]

Oh, I'm so glad I didn't bother with it. It seems to have lived down to my expectations.

[terri_osborne]

And I totally agree that Russel Tovey is made of awesome and win. I adore that lad.

[jendaby]

He is seriously under-appreciated!

[jendaby]

It was really, really bad (IMO). I'll watch it a couple more times, but I don't anticipate liking it. :p

[janos_papagia]

Argh argh argh! I am not even going to bother watching an episode of the US Being Human. It really upsets me when America steals amazing shows and then ruins them >_< I just saw the first episode of the US Skins (another of my absolute favourite British shows) and it was awful too. And strangely, I had a lot of the same complaints as you did about Being Human! The music was overbearing in every scene, the actors were more like charicatures than characters. And yes, it is very obvious that they were sticking things in just to try to be edgy. I'm not sure how they get away with American adaptations, frankly. Why not just air the original British versions over here instead? They are already great, so why mess with a good thing?

/rant

[jendaby]

I <3 your icon. I should have used my George icon here for this post (though crying Annie is quite fitting!)

I hate it when America tries to re-do British shows instead of just importing them. I suppose they save money that way or something, but really - the Brits do it better. I have many American shows that I LOVE: White Collar, Castle, Leverage, Dexter, Burn Notice, Glee, etc. and I do not expect that they would translate exactly to British TV, but they air our shows instead of remaking them.

[janos_papagia]

I'm not sure what the reasons are for re-making British shows, but I doubt it's for money. I'm sure it costs much more to make episodes than to buy the rights. I have the feeling that the reason they re-make them is because they think the "Britishness" of the shows won't suit an American audience, so they have to do it their own way (hence the new-found "edginess" that is often inserted). It's just a theory, and it would make me feel worse if I am right!

I love this icon too, I don't get a lot of chances to use it because I am usually cheerful about things haha :D I like the George one too, you're right it is definitely fitting to this situation as well :)

[janos_papagia]

And also I just need to say that I love George too. Definitely my favourite! <3 <3 <3

[trinityvixen]

Just watched the pilot for the American version last night. I'm not hating it. I don't think the actor playing Josh will ever be as adorably dorky as George; the name "Aidan" doesn't drop off anyone's tongue with anything like grace; every time Sally speaks I expect her to be British and it's constantly jarring when she's not (because she looks so much like Annie); and I'm not sure that the pacing was really right with the pilot.

That said? I didn't hate it. The first episode of the BBC Being Human didn't catch me right off either. I'm willing to give it a few more episodes to really pick up. I actually like some of the changes they've made--having Sally not being able to touch/move things, Josh's sister showing up to show that you don't just become a werewolf and disappear and nobody notices.

[jendaby]

I do like the fact that it is his sister, not his ex-fiancee, who finds him. I think Annie is significantly more attractive than Sally (Annie has curves!), and I think the American vampire has too many dents in his face. I was much more drawn in to the British version, even after being annoyed that they replaced the initial Mitchell (which took me 3 episodes to adjust to).

I will watch a few more episodes of the American version, but whether it's because I am giving it a fair chance or I am a masochist I cannot say. I just hope they tell Sally to stop acting like she's eaten a barrelful of uppers and to actually have a personality.

[trinityvixen]

I haven't finished Being Human yet, so I didn't know George's fiancee shows up. Not that that's a tremendous spoiler, I just was comparing what I know of each show against the other.

Anywho, I'm a fan of Sam Witwer. He's such a weeper. Not in that he constantly cries, although his face is perpetually on the brink, just that he seems so vulnerable and child-like despite being tall and built like a god. I miss some of the accessibility of Mitchell, though Aidan is more believably dangerous. Mitchell's shading towards darkness always feels forced; his playful interactions (especially with George and Annie) always seem more genuine than his woe-is-me-I'm-a-vampire issues. Aidan is more believably dark, but he's also stand-offish.

Sally is no Annie, I grant you, but I don't love Annie overly. My favorite is definitely George, so kudos to the kid playing Josh who is probably doing the best of the Americans but still is hopelessly behind in trying to match his predecessor. George is just adorable and lovable for his foibles in a way that

[jendaby]

The fiancee is in the pilot and (I think) the first ep after the show was picked up. The sister has replaced her in the American version. I think that is the one and only thing they improved on.

I know what you are saying about Mitchell - he is the weakest of the British cast (but apparently the only one people make icons of regularly - I've spent hours searching for a decent George icon). The darkness that Guy Flanagan brought to the part in the pilot was amazing, and I'm not just saying that because skinny dark haired British guys with large noses make me swoon (actually, since I <3 Lee Pace and John Cusack, I guess they don't have to be British)... But anyway, yeah, the American guy seems more dark, but that could just be because his face is full of shadows. heh.

The werewolf character in both incarnations of the show is the best, to be sure, and Russell Tovey a tough act to follow.

[shell524]

Is the original available to watch somewhere? I saw an ad for the US version and am charmed by the concept but would rather see a good version.

[trinityvixen]

I could help you out, just saying. :)

[jendaby]

Me, too.

[shell524]

Sweet. :)

[jendaby]

I likely wouldn't been so adamantly annoyed by it if I hadn't seen all of the British version, and if said version weren't one of my favorite shows. :)

But I really feel there is no way anyone could ever expect to replace Russell Tovey in anything. He is far too talented. Annie is significantly better than Sally, too. As for Mitchell vs. Aidan...eh. Aidan Turner never seemed as good for the role as Guy Flanagan was, but I can't get over how odd looking the guy playing the American vampire is.