Tag Archives: Lenora Crichlow

Fangirly First: The US Version is Better

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4s4i8E9  As a rule, I generally hate remakes. I didn’t love The Office (US), and loathed MTV’s adaptation of The Inbetweeners. Maybe I’m alone here, but reformatting shows that are still on the air seems like a pretty lazy and uninspired way to make TV. So you can imagine my surprise when I realized that I was enjoying the Syfy series Being Human even more that the original Toby Whithouse masterpiece. Allow me to state my case:
1) The cast is better- Although just seeing those words written down triggers my gag reflex, it’s the absolute truth. Don’t get me wrong, a adore the cast of the original show, but I often found that the characters they played could really get under my skin, and not in a good way (example: does George really have to burst into tears in every episode? He’s a werewolf, not a John Boehner impersonator). And while the characters in the US adaptation have eerily similar back stories to their BBC forbearers, I’m really enjoying watching them make these characters themeaghan-rath-as-sally-being-human-us-18440900-600-337-scaled500ir own. Sally the ghost (Meaghan Rath) has all the spunk of Annie (Lenora Crichlow) without some of the Type-A weirdness that could, at times, become a little exhausting. Harsh? I hope not.
2) It’s the difference that makes it- Ok, yes, the two shows are identical in almost every way. However, I’m finding it’s the little differences that allow the US version to stand out. Josh the werewolf wants to go to med school, unlike his UK counterpart George, who all but gave up on life. So while they are basically the same show, I think that the differences Josh-being-human-us-18572564-600-337are making all the, well, difference.
3) The UK version is… having problems. There, I said it. Not only did the BBC Being Human undergo a complete cast overhaul, I have to admit that the story has been a little out there as well. I think we can all agree that the “war-child” narrative from season four got a little…weird. Obviously I will continue to watch both shows, but for the moment I have to say that the writing in the Syfy series is just a little bit stronger.
But this is just one Fangirl’s opinion! Do you agree? Disagree? Think I should get a life? Make yourself heard in our comment section!

-Whitney

Anglophiles Anonymous: Being Human

Posted in Anglophiles Anonymous, Sweet Streams, TV by

These days, there’s nothing I find more annoying than sexually driven supernatural TV shows (I’m looking at you, True Blood). They are everywhere, and although I remain an avid fan of The Vampire Diaries, I was starting to find the vampire/witch/ghost/werewolf monster-mash melodrama a bit tedious. Then I discovered that there are some shows that are so witty, so well written, and so awesome that they can transcend their spooky, sordid roots. Enter Being Human.

Ok, yes, it’s a show about vampire Mitchell (Aidan Turner), ghost Annie (Lenora Crichlow), and werewolf George (Russell Tovey) cohabitating and trying to navigate their respective supernatural situations. And if that were all there was to it, I would have stopped watching a long time ago. But this British import is also hilarious, sweet, and surprisingly poignant. The best example of this is probably George, who lost his job, his girlfriend, and his family after getting mauled by a werewolf while on a Scottish vacation. Here’s a clip of George going bananas.

This show has experienced quite a shake up since last season, including the arrival of three new lead characters, but I think season 5 is going to rule nonetheless. The first three seasons are available to stream on Netflix, something to keep in mind the next time you get a hankering for quality British TV. Which, of course, is always.

-Whitney