British Dramas - British Dramas 2

7/31/2019 British Dramas - British Dramas 2

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Scott & Bailey

Rachel and Janet are close friends with different personalities: Rachel is impulsive and

free-thinking, whereas Janet is subtle and wise. Janet, who is older than Rachel, is married and

has two daughters, though her marriage is somewhat stale and is marred by an affair with a

colleague, Andy (Nicholas Gleaves). Rachel does not have a family, but was involved in a

tempestuous and unstable relationship with a barrister, Nick (Rupert Graves), whom Rachel

discovers is already married with children and is a serial womaniser.


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Debuting to strong viewing figures and with a fairly positive critical reception, Scott &

Baileyran from 29 May 2011 until 3 July over the course of six episodes. The second series

premiered on 12 March 2012 and consisted of eight episodes.

CONCEPTION

The name Scott & Bailey is rumored to represent the two easily recognizable elements

of justice in the UK, Scotland Yard and the Old Bailey. This was thought of by Sebastian Short

but has not been confirmed by the original author. Scott & Baileyis a based on an original

idea by Suranne Jones and Sally Lindsay, with Jones commenting that there needed to be

more roles for women that wasnt wife-of, sidekick-to, mother-of, mistress-to.[2] Jones

remarked, We were just chatting away over a bottle of wine in a pub when the idea came tofruition.[3] Lindsay, a fan of television programmes such as Cagney & Lacey, was interested in

the concept of a programme detailing the lives of two professional women came into thought.[2] Jones later spoke of the programme, saying it is the Cagney & Laceyof Manchester,[4]

though she acknowledged that Scott & Baileyas a drama was more gritty and real.[4]

Upon taking the idea to Nicola Shindler of Red Productions, Shindler contacted Sally

Wainwright, who wrote a script for an episode which, according to Jones, they loved it. [5]

Despite the positive reaction, the project kind of got a bit lost until ITV discovered it and

requested that Wainwright rewrite the script.[5] Subsequently, Wainwright paired up with

Diane Taylor,[5] a former Detective Inspector from Greater Manchester Police, to create the

programme, and the production expanded from Jones and Lindsays original concept.[2] From

Taylors perspective, police procedurals were often filled with not only technical inaccuracies,

but what she felt were inaccuracies of how officers behaved, saying: thats what really

irritates me in other dramas detectives crying over dead bodies and getting drunk

senseless. Youd last about two weeks.[6] She said, of her time as a police officer in

comparison to portrayals on television, that reality is much more interesting. I could pull a

thousand cases out of my head people would say would never happen. People need drama

because they would not believe the reality.[6]

CASTING

Jones, who had always envisaged herself playing Rachel Bailey when the idea of theproject came in to mind, was given the role, though at the programmes pre-production

stages the character had a different first name, Cathy.[7] It was originally intended that

Lindsay would star with Jones in Scott & Bailey, but she became pregnant with twins, so the

role of Janet was given to Lesley Sharp instead;[2] Lindsay received the smaller role of Rachels

sister, Alison, appearing in an episode. Lindsay approved of Sharp playing the role;[2] Jones

also felt pleased at the prospect of working with Sharp, saying I was really excited on the

day of the read-through.[5] Sharps husband Nicholas Gleaves was awarded the role of Scotts

lover, DS Andy Roper.[8] Despite the actors relationship, Sharp stated that it was not a


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contributing factor in his casting, stating: Nicks an actor and Im an actress we dont have

the same agent. Theres a script with a role in it that was right for him and it so happened

that there was a role that was right for me and we both got cast, but it wasnt a conversation

that we had that it would be a good idea if we did a television series together because thats

not the way life works.[9] Both Rachel and Janet are Detective Constables in the Major

Incident Team of the fictional Manchester Metropolitan Police force, with the team headed byDCI Gill Murray (Amelia Bullmore), who is loosely based on Diane Taylor. [10] Producers were

undecided on what age DCI Murray would be, but had originally pictured an actress older than

Bullmore.[10] After auditioning, Bullmore returned a month later, intent on playing Murray

tough, however, when meeting casting director Beverley Keogh in the toilets beforehand,

Bullmore recounted that Keogh said to her: Thats not what weve got you back for. We were

interested in seeing a warmer side.[10]

F ILMING

Principal photography for the series took place in a twelve-week window from

November 2010 onwards, it was reported by Female First.[11] The series was filmed on location

in and around Greater Manchester.[12] Jones mentioned that On the first day of filming [she

and Sharp] were stuck in a car on the moors.[4] Though not explicitly stated by Jones, it is a

possibility that Saddleworth Mooror a similar moor in the nearby areawas the filming

location, due to its close proximity to Manchester, as well as Jones simply referring to it as

the moors, with Saddleworth Moor being an infamous area widely remembered for its

association with the Moors murderers. Oldham was another location chosen for filming, with

local press reporting that Beal Lane in Shaw was used for filming.[13] The Oldham Evening

Chronicle supplied specially mocked-up newspapers to be used as props in filming.[13] Other

locations such as Manchester Crown Court have been used for filming. [10] Sharp, when

describing filming with her husband, Gleaves, who plays her on-screen lover, said, therearent too many people who can go to work and have an affair with their husband.[8] When

discussing the filming ofScott & Bailey, Jones said I cant pretend it wasnt a tough shoot,

both emotionally and physically, because it was,[14] before adding that on the last day of

filming she had to shoot a gruelling scene involving her chasing a suspect from a crime scene,

whilst Sharp and Bullmore were having massages and facials ready for the wrap party. [14]

When Scott & Baileywas recommissioned for a second series it was announced that

production on the series would commence at the end of October 2011, to be aired in 2012.[15]

In November it was reported that whilst filming on Hamilton Road, Whitefieldthe set of DC

Scotts homethat an emergency call was made after a member of the television crew, a

lighting technician, became stranded atop a cherry-picker style platform 12 metres (39 ft)above the ground.[16] Fearing the mechanism could fail and cause the crew member to fall to

the ground, they sought assistance from firefighters, who safely brought the technician to the

ground.[16] In February 2012, The Sun reported that series 2 was still being filmed, with Jones

pictured on location in Manchester with a prosthetic wound on her forehead. [17]


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PRESENT CAST

The central cast members ofScott & Baileyfrom left to right: DCI Gill Murray, DC Rachel

Bailey and DC Janet Scott DC Rachel Bailey (Suranne Jones), a newer member of the Major

Incidents Team and an up-and-coming professional, Bailey is a career woman in her 30s, who

for part of the series was involved in a fiery relationship with barrister Nick Savage. Shebecomes pregnant with his child, but miscarries. Her sometimes brash behaviour lands her in

trouble, though often she is helped by Janet. (Series 1-present)

DC/DS Janet Scott (Lesley Sharp), a kind-hearted, intelligent, long-standing member

of the team and friends with Rachel. Aged 46, married and with two teenage daughters, she

has an affair with colleague DS Andy Roper and contemplates leaving her husband Adrian.

She was inspired to join the police after the unsolved murder of her childhood friend Veronica.

(Series 1-present)

DCI Gill Murray (Amelia Bullmore), head of the Major Incidents Team and single

mother to a teenage son. Nicknamed Godzilla by Rachel, Murray is demanding andsometimes blunt, though has a lighter side. She has been friends with Janet for 19 years.

Bullmore noted the idiosyncrasies of Diane Taylor, on whom the character is based, to

develop Gill.[10] (Series 1-present)

DS Andy Roper (Nicholas Gleaves), who is desperately in love with Janet, he has a

one night stand with her, and tries to convince her to leave her family to be with him. (Series

1 - present)

DC Kevin Lumb (Ben Batt), is a detective constable who works alongside Janet,

Rachel, Gill, Andy etc. in the MIT department of the Manchester Metropolitan Police. (Series 1

- present)

Alison Bailey (Sally Lindsay), Rachel and Dominics sister who is married with

children. Remains in contact with Rachel regarding Dominics welfare. (Series 1-present)

DCS Dave Murray (Vincent Regan), Gills ex, who had several affairs without her

knowing. He is father of her child, who left Gill when he got a 23-year old uniform officer

pregnant. He and his present girlfriend persuade her son to live with them instead of Gill. He

is acting Head of the Review Team while the head is away on maternity leave. (Series 1,

Series 2-present)

PC Sean McCartney (Sean Maguire), an old school friend of Rachels who wastransferred to the Met but later returned to Manchester. (Series 2-present)

Dominic Bailey (Liam Boyle), Rachel and Alisons brother who was in prison for armed

robbery. He currently lives with Rachel and is looking for a cooking occupation. (Series 2 -

present)

Dorothy Parsons (Judith Barker), is Janets mother who currently lives with her while

recuperating after a big operation. After a series of arguments with Adrian, he walks out on

his family. (Series 2-present)


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FORMER CAST

Nick Savage (Rupert Graves), a wealthy barrister and Rachels ex-partner.

Unbeknownst to her until after they break up, he is married with two sons living in Wilmslow.

He has an apartment in the city centre where Rachel lives for some time after practically

blackmailing him. In the final episode he is charged with the attempted murder of a policeofficer (Rachel) after she discovers he had an affair with a juror whilst defending a client at

court. He does not return in series 2 but is mentioned in episode 3 because Gill discovers the

attempted murder charge is dropped and tells Rachel. He is later released without charge. He

dies in the finale of season 2 due to being attacked and beaten. He died in A&E.(Series 1)

DCI Julie Dodson (Pippa Haywood), a sarcastic DCI who acts similar to Gill. She used

to work with Kevin, nearly getting him chucked of MIT. (Series 2)

Adrian Ade Scott (Tony Pitts), Janets Geography teacher husband, father to Taisie

and Elise, who left and moved to his dads after a series of arguments with Janets mother

Dorothy. (Series 1-2)

Geoff Hastings (Kevin Doyle), is the serial killer brother of Janets childhood friend

Veronica. He killed 6 woman and also stabbed Janet. He was later put under psychiatric

watch. He will return in episode 2.5. (Series 1, Series 2)

SERIES 1 (2011)

SERIES 2 (2012)

A second series was commissioned containing eight episodes, however it was not

shown on STV in Scotland.

CRITICALRECEPTION

This series promises so much more than the usual oft-time lazy ITV Sunday cop drama.

Euan Ferguson, The Observer[38] Scott & Baileyhas received generally good reviews thus far.

Tom Sutcliffe ofThe Independentremarked that although it was a less-than-courageous

decision for ITV to commission a detective drama for Sunday nights, Scott & Baileyhad

genuine signs of life in the thing.[39] Sam Wollaston ofThe Guardian, however, questioned

the plausibility that the character of Rachel would not realise her partner of two years was

already married, considering she was a detective, and progressed to describe the series as

Lewis with skirts on.[40] However, Grace Dent, also ofThe Guardian, described it as of great

televisual comfort.[41] Alexandra Heminsley, another writer for The Guardian, described it as


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a genuinely gripping crime series and added: what about a second series? [42] Euan

Ferguson ofThe Observerstated that it was actually rather gripping.[38]

John Preston ofThe Daily Telegraph gave a mixed review, though commending the

acting of Sharp and Jones, he stated that it badly needs some shape and tension.[43] The

Metro took a decidedly critical stance, with its reviews getting progressively worse as the

series progressed; firstly describing it as comforting but could have been so much better,[44]

then later quipping that Scott & Baileywill never be compelling TV,[45] and that the

programme is a mediocre crime drama amidst a saturated market of mediocre crime

dramas.[46] Tim Oglethorpe, of the Daily Mail, wrote that the men often appear to be

feckless, devious or dangerous and stated that DS Andy Roper (Gleaves) was the only man

to emerge with any credit.[8] Dianne Butler, who reviewed the programme upon its airing in

Australia, made a similar point, questioning the relevance of the shows male characters,

saying that there are some men in this but theyre fairly incidental. [47]The Guardians John

Crace expressed his belief that most of the programmes male characters are deficient in

some way, writing: surely it must be possible to make a show with women lead characters

without having to make every male a complete dork? From Janets useless husband andRachels idiot brother who cant boil an egg without burning down the kitchen. [48]

The series has been nominated for a 2012 BAFTA TV award for Best Drama Series.[49]

TELEVISIONRATINGS

A breakdown of the ratings the show received from its three airing channels, ITV1, ITV1 HD,

and ITV1+1. Since Scott & Baileys debut it has fared well in the ratings. Days after its

premiere, The Sun reported that overnight figures suggested 8.2 million watched the episode,[50] which was according to the newspaper, the most successful drama launch of 2011 so far.[50] It reported that the show had secured a 33% audience share in its timeslot.[50] The

programmes closest rival was a broadcast of the film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans

Chest, which received 20.9% of the audience share.[51]Scott and Baileyaired as the follow-on

programme from Britains Got Talent, which had received 9.86 million viewers and a 40.4%

audience share in its timeslot.[51]

The Broadcasters Audience Research Board (BARB) later released consolidated

information stating that the first episode had received 8.31 million viewers on ITV1,[18] with a

further 801,000 tuning in on ITV1 HD,[19] and 310,000 on ITV1+1,[20] totalling the viewing

figures to 9.42 for the first episode. The episode was 2011s fourth highest-rating drama

broadcast, as well as the highest-rating broadcast for a new drama. [52] By episode two it was

reported that Scott & Baileyhas dropped nearly 1.8 million viewers from episode one, with

overnight figures suggesting 6.14 million (23.6%) tuned in, though it was still the number one

rated programme in its timeslot.[53] The programme continued to outperform its competitors

in its timeslot until its end, beating competition including BBC1 dramas Case Histories and

Stolen.[54][55][56][57]


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Being Human (TV series)

Being Human is a British supernatural drama television series. It was created and

written by Toby Whithouse and is currently broadcast on BBC Three. The show blends

elements of flatshare comedy and horror drama. It originally starred Lenora Crichlow as Annie

Sawyer (a ghost), Russell Tovey as George Sands (a werewolf) and Aidan Turner as John

Mitchell (a vampire) all of whom are sharing accommodation and attempting as best as

they can to live a normal life and blend in with the ordinary humans around them. In the

third, Sinead Keenan became part of the main cast. In the fourth series, following the

departure of Turner and Keenan and, shortly after, Tovey, the ensemble was joined by

Michael Socha and Damien Molony. The first two series were set in in Totterdown, Bristol, and

the third series onwards relocated to Barry, Wales.

On 13 March 2011, series creator Toby Whithouse announced that Turner had left the

show and that new characters would be introduced. On 11 November 2011, Russell Tovey

announced that he was leaving Being Human after the first episode of Series 4 to work full-

time on his other show, Him & Her. Furthermore, Keenan announced on the 9th January 2012

that she had not filmed any scenes for Series 4, and would exit the show off-screen. Joining

the cast of series four are Michael Socha who featured in series three and has now been

upgraded to a series regular as werewolf Tom, and Damien Molony as new vampire Hal.

The series is one of the most popular shows on BBCs iPlayer. The second series

premiered on BBC Three on 10 January 2010. The third series launched on 23 January 2011.

The day following the final broadcast in series 3, the BBC announced a fourth series would


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premiere on the BBC in 2012. Series 4 commenced airing on BBC Three on Sunday 5th

February 2012. The BBC Media Centre announced a fifth series has been confirmed.

The central premise ofBeing Human is that various types of supernatural beings exist

alongside human beings, with varying degrees of menace; that three of these supernaturalbeings are opting to live amongsthuman beings rather than apart from them; and that these

three characters are attempting (as much as is possible) to live ordinary human lives despite

the pressures and dangers of their situations. They are constantly threatened with exposure

or persecution, with pressure from other supernatural creatures, and with problems caused

by their attempts to deal with their own natures.

SERIES 1 (2009)

Series 1 is set in the English city of Bristol and introduces George (a reluctant

werewolf in his mid-twenties) and Mitchell (a vampire with the appearance and behaviour of a

young man in his mid-twenties, but whos actually over a hundred years old). Both are

attempting to reject their current nature as supernatural predators George by strictly

managing his transformations and their effect on others, Mitchell by abstaining from blood-

drinking. Despite a long history of antipathy between the werewolf and vampire races,

Mitchell and George have formed a deep friendship: they have both taken low-profile, low-

status jobs as hospital porters and live together as housemates. Moving into a new house

together, they discover that it already has an occupant Annie, the ghost of a young woman

in her mid-twenties. Annie had previously lived in the house with her fiance Owen, but died


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after falling down the stairs. She has remained to haunt the property while Owen, unaware of

her continued presence, has rented it out to Mitchell and George. As supernatural beings,

both George and Mitchell can see, touch and communicate with Annie, who is delighted to

have the company and becomes the third member of their surrogate family.

Russell Tovey, Lenora Crichlow and Aidan Turner in a promotional image from the show

All three, however, have ongoing problems to deal with. Mitchells central challenge is

his struggle with his desire to feed (which is presented as being similar to a struggle against

drug addiction). Georges is to manage his monthly werewolf transformations in such a way

that he does not kill anyone, nor pass on the werewolf affliction. He considers his condition to

be a curse, over which he is in a certain state of denial (including referring to his wolf-self

as if it were a different person). Finally, Annies challenge is to deal with her new life as a

ghost (including the isolation and loneliness which results from it) and to discover the reason

why she has remained on Earth instead of passing over to the afterlife.

The remainder of Series 1 deals with the protagonists attempts to deal with these

situations and with the various characters (human or otherwise) with whom they come intocontact or conflict. All of the problems are finally brought to a ferocious climax which the trio

survive, but with their existence no less precarious.

SERIES 2 (2010)

George in his werewolf form Series 2 (also set in Bristol) deals with the aftermath of

Series 1. Mitchell must struggle with the dual responsibilities of managing his own urges and

attempting to manage the now scattered and rudderless Bristol vampire community. George

must cope with the responsibilities of intimacy and the problem of having passed on his

curse despite his best efforts. Annie must find a new purpose in her continued presence

(having resolved the initial issues which kept her on Earth) and must also deal with the

malignant attention of another type of supernatural being, resident in the afterlife but able to

influence events in the earthly world.

The lives of Mitchell, George and Annie are further complicated by other new factors.

There is now a need to fit Georges girlfriend Nina into the household, and deal with urgent

new problems she is facing herself; there are problems with the police, and two powerful and

playful vampires (Ivan and Daisy) have arrived in Bristol with the threat of causing mayhem.

The trio are also subject to the growing attentions of a mysterious organization (possibly

called the Centre for the Study of Supernatural Activity, or CenSSA) led by the scientist Dr

Jaggatt and the priest-administrator Kemp. This organization has identified and classified the

three different types of supernatural creature vampire, werewolf and ghost and is

continuing to research them, although its evident from the start that they are quite prepared

to let subjects die in the course of the research. The lives of each of the four main

protagonists gradually draw them closer and closer to the organization, despite the threat it

may pose to all of them.

SERIES 3 (2011)


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Series 3 saw the protagonists move to Barry Island in South Wales (as the result of

events in Series 2). They set up house in a former bed-and-breakfast hotel and attempt to

resume their normal lives, despite the overhang of the results of the Series 2 climax. As

Series 3 progresses, the quartet must deal with the return of various figures and events from

the characters pasts as well as the continuing complications of their own developing

relationships. In addition, they must deal with further supernatural incursions - more vampires(including a teenager and a pair of suburban swingers), a zombie girl and a pair of

werewolves (who have set themselves up as vampire hunters). Events lead up to a finale

which leaves the household changed dramatically. Aidan Turner left the show at the end of

the third series, which also marked the final appearance of Sinead Keenan as Nina.

SERIES 4 (2012)

Nina has been killed in a vampire attack and the gang now has to take care of babyEve, whose werewolf heritage appears to have attracted the attention of vampire overlords

known as the Old Ones. George dies while rescuing Eve, leaving her in the custody of Tom

(who moves into Honolulu Heights) and Annie. Hal later turns up and becomes the new

vampire at Honolulu Heights. Lawyer Nick Cutler, a vampire created by Hal in 1950, plans to

expose werewolves as part of a larger plan involving a vampire conquest of Earth. Cutler tries

to get Hal back to his old ways of drinking blood and eventually succeeds in breaking Hal

down. The blood sends Hal into overdrive and he repulses Alex, whom he is dating, with his

crude and unusual behaviour when they meet for a second date. Alex leaves angrily but is


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followed by one of Cutlers men. Meanwhile, Eve, from the future, reveals to Annie that in her

future, most of humankind are dead or living in concentration camps and vampires now rule

every inch of the world. Annie is shocked to learn that Hal is the ruthless leader of the new

vampire revolution. To save the world, Eve asks Annie to kill her when she is a baby. Cutler

reveals Alexs dead body drained of blood as revenge for Hal murdering his wife in similar

fashion in 1950. Cutler then locks Hal up but Alex returns as a ghost and helps Hal escape.The Old Ones then arrive in Barry. To save the world Annie blows up Eve and The Old Ones,

therefore saving the world, which is her unfinished business. The series ends with Hal, Alex

and Tom living together in Honolulu Heights.

SERIES 5 (2013)

On 26th March 2012, the day following the series 4 finale, it was revealed that series 5

of Being Human would air in 2013 and comprise six episodes. Michael Socha and Damien

Molony will reprise their roles as Tom and Hal respectively. Lenora Crichlow will not be

returning for series 5 as the production team feel her storyline has reached a natural

conclusion. Kate Bracken confirmed her return to the show in an interview before this series

started shooting. The BBC have referred to Alex (Kate) as Our new ghost, implying that Alex

will be a main character from Series 5 onwards

Main article: List of Being Human episodes In October 2011, Netflix announced it had

obtained rights to stream episodes ofBeing Human via its home video service in the United

States.[19]

CHARACTERS

MAINARTICLE: L ISTOF BEING HUMANCHARACTERS BACKGROUND

Creator Toby Whithouse was approached by production company Touchpaper

Television to develop a drama series about a group of friends who buy a house together.[21]

Whithouse was not enthusiastic about the idea but came up with three characters, George,

Mitchell and Annie. Touchpaper Television liked the characters so they started developing theproject. For months Whithouse and Touchpaper Television struggled to come up with a

storyline for the first episode. Eventually they had a final meeting to see if they could come

up with a storyline or the project would be scrapped. Whithouse came up with the

supernatural elements and the characters were changed.

P ILOTEPISODE


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Promotional image from the pilot. Whithouse was contacted by the BBC who told him

they were making a series of pilots.[22] Whithouse was not a fan of the television pilot process

but believed otherwise the show would never get made so the pilot script was submitted. In

2007, Danny Cohen, the controller of BBC Three, commissioned the pilot ofBeing Human,[23] West 10 LDN, Mrs In-Betweeny, and Phoo Action pilots as part of the rebranding of BBC

Three. Before the pilots were broadcast, Whithouse was told that only Phoo Action would becommissioned for a series. The pilot episode was broadcast on 18 February 2008. The

journalist Narin Bahar of the Reading Chronicle started an online petition to lobby BBC Three

commissioning editors to greenlight a full series which was signed by over 3000 people.[24]Phoo Action was cancelled after it was decided that the scripts for the series were not good

enough[25] and Being Human was then commissioned.[26]

CASTING

The pilot episode starred Guy Flanagan as Mitchell the vampire, Andrea Riseborough

as Annie the ghost, and Russell Tovey as George the werewolf, as well as featuring Adrian

Lester as Herrick (the vampire leader and main antagonist of Series One) and Dominique

McElligott as the recent vampire convert Lauren (converted by Mitchell). With the exception

of George, these parts were recast when the series went into full production.

F ILMING

Lighting trucks at Being Human film shoot, College Green, Bristol The first and second

series were set and filmed in Bristol featuring views of Clifton Suspension Bridge and Clifton

Village. Windsor Terrace, Totterdown, Bristol, was the location of Mitchell, Annie, and

Georges home and the pub shown in the pilot. Scenes set at the hospital where Mitchell and

George work were filmed in and around Bristol General Hospital and Glenside, Bristol.

The third series was filmed and set in Barry (Barry Island). The new house is located on

Cannon Street. Some filming took place in Hensol Woods near Cowbridge, Vale of Glamorgan,

in July 2010.[27] The move to Barry Island and Wales was prompted by the BBCs Out of

London project, which seeks to move productions away from London and to new production

facilities in Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales.[27] Some interior filming occurred at an

abandoned bus depot which had been converted into a film studio.[28]

On 13 March 2011, Whithouse and BBC Three announced that Being Human would

return for a fourth series.[29] Eight 60-minute episodes were commissioned[30] and co-produced

with BBC America.[31]

The producer also said some old characters would return, and heintended to introduce new ones and that the characters will continue to live on Barry Island.[29]

The filmmakers returned to Barry Island to film season four in late July 2011, where

they continued to use local man Gary Rowes house as the groups bed-and-breakfast base of

operations.[32] Students from the drama and theater programme at Coleg Gwent were used as

extras and in minor roles on the show.[33] The internal and external cafe scenes were filmed in

the Pillgwenlly area of Newport.


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The pilot episode was not widely reviewed, and some reviews were not necessarily

positive. A review in the Daily Telegraph called the pilot one of BBC Threes wildly uneven

new shows.[34] Brian McIver, writing for the Daily Record felt the show lacked sex appeal and

that the plot was boring, and concluded: so what?[35] But by late January 2009, the Daily

Record reported that most of the reviews of the pilot had raved about the new show.[36]

Viewership for the pilot was very high,[37] and a massive online petition drive helped turn the

pilot into a series.[36]

Reception of the series has been extremely favourable. Stephen Armstrong in The

Guardian gave the show a warm review, noting that its primary appeal was not supernatural

or horror. It was, he wrote, a curious genre mash-up drama about a ghost, werewolf and

vampire sharing a flat in Bristol, which deals more with the horror of living in modern Britain

than the horror of the undead.[38] David Belcher writing in the Glasgow Herald was effusive,

however, calling the series Easily the sole good programme on BBC3 Being Human: thesupernatural drama thats super in its depiction of human nature. [39] At the conclusion of the

first season, Andrea Mullaney ofThe Scotsman had high praise for the shows premise and

writing:[40]

The series started well and seemed to get better almost every week. By last nights

conclusion, it had matured into a marvellously enjoyable and surprisingly affecting show,

which turned its punchline of a premise into a metaphor for everyday struggles to make

connections, overcome their selfishness and insecurities and to live a decent life.

Remarkably un-clichd and well written by Toby Whithouse, this was hugely better than most

other British attempts at genre shows the ropey Torchwood, the dreadful Demons and even

most recent episodes ofDoctor Who. When it debuted on BBC America in 2009, the showwon similar plaudits. The Miami Heralds Glenn Garvin praised the shows balance of humour

and pathos: What it is is darkly funny, deeply affecting and utterly cockeyed, a work that

celebrates life by dwelling on death, love by abiding loneliness. Its a tale of cold, dead noses

pressed up against the window pane of humanity. But for all the laughs, Being Human

never loses sight of the menace of its characters.[41] Writing in the New York Times,

Alessandra Stanley called the series compelling and praised its equal emphasis on horror,

remorse, and humour:[42]

Three young friends share a shabby apartment in Bristol, England, as well as secrets, and

those sound like the set-up to a corny joke a vampire, a ghost and a werewolf walk into a

bar. Only in this case the bar is a pub and there is no punch line. Being Human takes the

killing and the perpetrators anguished remorse seriously, but still manages to find the

humour in their predicament as these monsters in human form struggle to blend into normal,

almost Seinfeldian life that includes work, going out on dates and having the tedious

neighbors over for drinks. All three characters are highly appealing, but the charm of the

show lies in the delicate balance of engrossing drama and disarming humor; the series is not

campy or self-conscious, its witty in an offhand, understated way. Writing for the Chicago

Tribune, Mary McNamara lauded the shows humour, but emphasized its moral seriousness


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and metaphorical nature. [D]espite more than a few laugh-out-loud moments, Being Human

is no sitcom, no Will & Grace with monsters, she wrote. Creator Toby Whithouse takes all

the themes associated with the cursed and the damned very seriously, and if his exploration

of them is less baroque than other franchises, it promises to be even more effective.

Addiction is the obvious comparison, and Whithouse makes it nicely the relationship

between John and Lauren (Annabel Scholey), the woman he hopes is his last victim, plays likeclassic junkie love.[43]

The praise has continued throughout the series run. Matt Roush from TV Guide, having

given critical plaudits to the third season, said of the series: Cant recommend it highly

enough.[44] Reviewing the Series 3 Blu-ray release, the Wichita Falls Times-Record-News

noted: So many movies and TV programs will suggest how evil people can be and how much

characters can suffer. Being Human actually can make viewers feel something of that horror

and awfulness.[45] Melinda Houston, writing for the Sydney Morning Herald, applauded the

way the show took the common television theme of the disenfranchisedsuddenly

retaliat[ing] and inverted it.[46] Moving beyond the teen tropes, it sets itself squarely in a

mire of 20-something Gen Y angst. Being special and having power has no upside; beingdifferent is a burden and a nuisance and all anyone wants is a life of ordinariness.[46]

AWARDS

The show was nominated for Best Drama Series at the 2010 British Academy

Television Awards,[47] but lost to Misfits.[48] It was nominated for the same award again in

2011,[49] but lost to Sherlock.

Being Human was crowned Best Drama Series at the 2011 TV Choice Awards.

RATINGSANDSOCIALMEDIA

Being Human garnered some of the largest audiences in the networks history when

it debuted on BBC America in 2009, and again during its second season run in 2010.[52]

In March 2011, the BBC announced that live, delayed, and online viewership for the

launch ofBeing Humans third season was 1.8 million viewers, the largest viewing audience

for a season premiere in BBC Three history.[30]

The average viewership per episode in Season3 was 1.4 million viewers on television and another 400,000 viewers via the shows release on

iPlayer.[30] The network also revealed that Becoming Humans finale, which aired on BBC

Three rather than online, received more than 1.5 million viewers on television and iPlayer.[30]

In August 2011, the BBCs Director of Television, George Entwistle, revealed that Being

Human had 330,000 Facebook fans, compared to 2.3 million for the Facebook pages of

EastEnders and 220,000 for Springwatch.[53] Two months later, the Web site

InsideSocialGames.com reported that Utinni Games is developing a social network game


17/17

based on the show, in which players can create their own character and participate in an

extensive, constantly evolving storyline set in the shows universe. [54]

NORTH AMERICANADAPTATION

Main article: Being Human (North American TV series) A remake of the series produced

by Muse Entertainment Enterprises aired on Space in Canada and Syfy in the U.S. in 2011.

The first season was 13 episodes. A second season premiered January 16, 2012.[55][56]

BECOMING HUMAN

Main article: Becoming Human The BBC commissioned an online extension called

Becoming Human, which was launched midway through the transmission of the third series.[57]

Becoming Human stars Craig Roberts as teenage vampire Adam, Leila Mimmack aswerewolf Christa, and Josh Brown as ghost Matt, the three working together to solve Matts

recent murder.

BOOKS

In 2010, BBC Books published the first set ofBeing Human books,[58] set at some time

during Series 2.

Documents

British Dramas - British Dramas 2