19 Fantastic British Sci-Fi Series You Can Binge Right Now
By Lacy Baugher
Leonora Crichlow, Aidan Turner and Russell Tovey in “Being Human”. (Photo: BBC)
Being Human
Created by Toby Whithouse (who also worked on Doctor Who), Being Human tells the story of three supernatural flatmates who live together in Bristol. The roommates include Mitchell the vampire (Poldark’s Aidan Turner), George the werewolf (Looking’s Russell Tovey) and Annie the ghost (Leonora Crichlow). Honestly, the premise sounds a bit like the start to a “a ghost, a werewolf and a vampire walk into a bar” joke, but the series is charming, creepy and emotionally satisfying. And despite it’s fantastical premise, it’s grounded very thoroughly in the wonderfully rendered friendships between our three main characters.
In the second season, George gets a werewolf girlfriend named Nina (Sinead Keenan), rounding out our set of leads. Then the gang all moves to Wales in an attempt to lead more “normal lives.” Of course nothing goes normally for them. The friends must attempt to balance regular life issues like work and dating alongside the threat of exposure and the possibility of revolt in the vampire underworld. Suffice it to say, they’ve got a lot going on.
This is another show that went through several significant cast changes over the course of its five year run. And, admittedly, once the original trio of actors breaks up, Being Human is never the same, quality-wise. But the first three seasons are great and well worth a watch. And the last two aren’t bad, exactly. But you’ll probably be better off pretending that they’re part of a different show.
Number of Seasons: 5