TV Guide Reviews : Remakes and Retreads

From TV Guide:

Does no one have an original idea in TV land anymore? Judging from tonight's latest batch of mid-season offerings, it hardly appears so. Programmers have either gone to England for inspiration, rarely improving on the source material, or back to the drawing board of tried-and-true formats like the courtroom drama, resulting in an unhappy epidemic of deja view viewing.

The best of tonight's premieres is Syfy's remake of Being Human (9/8c), and even it is a pale imitation of the provocative British original. Given the relatively limited reach of BBC America, and the inexplicable reluctance in some corners to embrace anything with a European accent, I get why Syfy would snap up and adapt this fetching premise for the American audience. In terms of production and casting, though, it leaves quite a bit to be desired.

For the unacquainted, this is the story of three supernatural roommates sharing a house in working-class Boston: an immortal and broodingly Byronic vampire (Sam Witwer, who comes the closest to embodying the spirit of the thing), a mild-mannered werewolf still awkwardly adjusting to his monthly curse (Sam Huntington, whose rhythms are a bit too sitcom-like) and a female ghost (shrill Meaghan Rath) who can't leave the house in which she died under mysterious circumstances. If all of this is new to you, the appealing mix of humor and horror may very well hook you. If you've already fallen in love with the British version, as I have, this uneven carbon copy will seem wildly unnecessary. And like me, you'll just find yourself counting the days until BBC America begins airing new episodes later this year.

Still, Syfy's Being Human is a gem compared to the mess MTV has made of Skins (10/9c), another British transfer that could just as well be titled Barely Human. What in the original incarnation was shockingly cheeky, in its graphic and profane depiction of teens indulging in sex-and-drug debauchery, has been neutered and tamed in a remake that is unconvincing, amateurishly produced and very poorly acted. (The exception being a lesbian cheerleader — a gender-reversed version of a male gay character from the original series — who is the focus of next Monday's episode. She's good, even when the show isn't.).

TV Guide Reviews : Remakes and Retreads

From TV Guide:

Does no one have an original idea in TV land anymore? Judging from tonight's latest batch of mid-season offerings, it hardly appears so. Programmers have either gone to England for inspiration, rarely improving on the source material, or back to the drawing board of tried-and-true formats like the courtroom drama, resulting in an unhappy epidemic of deja view viewing.

The best of tonight's premieres is Syfy's remake of Being Human (9/8c), and even it is a pale imitation of the provocative British original. Given the relatively limited reach of BBC America, and the inexplicable reluctance in some corners to embrace anything with a European accent, I get why Syfy would snap up and adapt this fetching premise for the American audience. In terms of production and casting, though, it leaves quite a bit to be desired.

For the unacquainted, this is the story of three supernatural roommates sharing a house in working-class Boston: an immortal and broodingly Byronic vampire (Sam Witwer, who comes the closest to embodying the spirit of the thing), a mild-mannered werewolf still awkwardly adjusting to his monthly curse (Sam Huntington, whose rhythms are a bit too sitcom-like) and a female ghost (shrill Meaghan Rath) who can't leave the house in which she died under mysterious circumstances. If all of this is new to you, the appealing mix of humor and horror may very well hook you. If you've already fallen in love with the British version, as I have, this uneven carbon copy will seem wildly unnecessary. And like me, you'll just find yourself counting the days until BBC America begins airing new episodes later this year.

Still, Syfy's Being Human is a gem compared to the mess MTV has made of Skins (10/9c), another British transfer that could just as well be titled Barely Human. What in the original incarnation was shockingly cheeky, in its graphic and profane depiction of teens indulging in sex-and-drug debauchery, has been neutered and tamed in a remake that is unconvincing, amateurishly produced and very poorly acted. (The exception being a lesbian cheerleader — a gender-reversed version of a male gay character from the original series — who is the focus of next Monday's episode. She's good, even when the show isn't.).

TV Guide Reviews : Remakes and Retreads

From TV Guide:

Does no one have an original idea in TV land anymore? Judging from tonight's latest batch of mid-season offerings, it hardly appears so. Programmers have either gone to England for inspiration, rarely improving on the source material, or back to the drawing board of tried-and-true formats like the courtroom drama, resulting in an unhappy epidemic of deja view viewing.

The best of tonight's premieres is Syfy's remake of Being Human (9/8c), and even it is a pale imitation of the provocative British original. Given the relatively limited reach of BBC America, and the inexplicable reluctance in some corners to embrace anything with a European accent, I get why Syfy would snap up and adapt this fetching premise for the American audience. In terms of production and casting, though, it leaves quite a bit to be desired.

For the unacquainted, this is the story of three supernatural roommates sharing a house in working-class Boston: an immortal and broodingly Byronic vampire (Sam Witwer, who comes the closest to embodying the spirit of the thing), a mild-mannered werewolf still awkwardly adjusting to his monthly curse (Sam Huntington, whose rhythms are a bit too sitcom-like) and a female ghost (shrill Meaghan Rath) who can't leave the house in which she died under mysterious circumstances. If all of this is new to you, the appealing mix of humor and horror may very well hook you. If you've already fallen in love with the British version, as I have, this uneven carbon copy will seem wildly unnecessary. And like me, you'll just find yourself counting the days until BBC America begins airing new episodes later this year.

Still, Syfy's Being Human is a gem compared to the mess MTV has made of Skins (10/9c), another British transfer that could just as well be titled Barely Human. What in the original incarnation was shockingly cheeky, in its graphic and profane depiction of teens indulging in sex-and-drug debauchery, has been neutered and tamed in a remake that is unconvincing, amateurishly produced and very poorly acted. (The exception being a lesbian cheerleader — a gender-reversed version of a male gay character from the original series — who is the focus of next Monday's episode. She's good, even when the show isn't.).

American "Being Human"

Well, they tried to retain some off the 'look.' The apartment is different but they were clearly shooting for some of the same art direction. Same with the hospital and room where George now Josh locks himself in. They even took the shot of George Josh with the dead deer. Same look to the vamping too. AnnieSally's outfit is somewhat similar.

Not at all sure why they changed the names. George is now Josh. Annie is now, inexplicably Sally (isn't Annie a more common American name? Why the frell Sally?) And Mitchell is now Aidan (which is just darn confusing!)

Oh and Merrick is now Bishop. (Seriously, what was the purpose of the name changes? I do not get it.)

They also decided to up both GeorgeJosh and Aidan from just being orderlies (I've forgotten the Brit term for their job, but from the way it was depicted, it was always the U.S. version of an orderly). GeorgeJosh is now pre-med and Aidan is a nurse. Annie Sally was a grad student. GeorgeJosh also now has a sister. I hope to god the irritating nurse isn't the American Nina. Seriously, if she is I'll be quite upset.

Plotwise, it's basically the same only more linear. Stuff that was shown in flashback (such as meeting Annie) was shown as linear plot here. Dialog and scenes were different. The death of Lauren Rebecca was shown as linear plot as well, except they sort of truncated it strangely.

Basically story is recognizably the same, but the script is different.

American "Being Human"

Well, they tried to retain some off the 'look.' The apartment is different but they were clearly shooting for some of the same art direction. Same with the hospital and room where George now Josh locks himself in. They even took the shot of George Josh with the dead deer. Same look to the vamping too. AnnieSally's outfit is somewhat similar.

Not at all sure why they changed the names. George is now Josh. Annie is now, inexplicably Sally (isn't Annie a more common American name? Why the frell Sally?) And Mitchell is now Aidan (which is just darn confusing!)

Oh and Merrick is now Bishop. (Seriously, what was the purpose of the name changes? I do not get it.)

They also decided to up both GeorgeJosh and Aidan from just being orderlies (I've forgotten the Brit term for their job, but from the way it was depicted, it was always the U.S. version of an orderly). GeorgeJosh is now pre-med and Aidan is a nurse. Annie Sally was a grad student. GeorgeJosh also now has a sister. I hope to god the irritating nurse isn't the American Nina. Seriously, if she is I'll be quite upset.

Plotwise, it's basically the same only more linear. Stuff that was shown in flashback (such as meeting Annie) was shown as linear plot here. Dialog and scenes were different. The death of Lauren Rebecca was shown as linear plot as well, except they sort of truncated it strangely.

Basically story is recognizably the same, but the script is different.

American "Being Human"

Well, they tried to retain some off the 'look.' The apartment is different but they were clearly shooting for some of the same art direction. Same with the hospital and room where George now Josh locks himself in. They even took the shot of George Josh with the dead deer. Same look to the vamping too. AnnieSally's outfit is somewhat similar.

Not at all sure why they changed the names. George is now Josh. Annie is now, inexplicably Sally (isn't Annie a more common American name? Why the frell Sally?) And Mitchell is now Aidan (which is just darn confusing!)

Oh and Merrick is now Bishop. (Seriously, what was the purpose of the name changes? I do not get it.)

They also decided to up both GeorgeJosh and Aidan from just being orderlies (I've forgotten the Brit term for their job, but from the way it was depicted, it was always the U.S. version of an orderly). GeorgeJosh is now pre-med and Aidan is a nurse. Annie Sally was a grad student. GeorgeJosh also now has a sister. I hope to god the irritating nurse isn't the American Nina. Seriously, if she is I'll be quite upset.

Plotwise, it's basically the same only more linear. Stuff that was shown in flashback (such as meeting Annie) was shown as linear plot here. Dialog and scenes were different. The death of Lauren Rebecca was shown as linear plot as well, except they sort of truncated it strangely.

Basically story is recognizably the same, but the script is different.