By Abby Chandler | Follow on Twitter
Fans of shirtless men doing push-ups rejoice, for Being Human is returning to TVs this Sunday night. And Hal’s peculiarly exhibitionist work-out regime isn’t the only selling point – I’ve loved the series since the pilot. It’s the sort of show that’s properly adored by fans. It’s like a cute little werewolf puppy that will tear out your still beating heart from time to time and eat it before your horrified eyes.
Exploding Your Sensibilities
And that’s because the funny banter about ‘The Real Hustle’ and how to chat up girls (don’t tell them they look like a bee) hides a heart of ice-cold steel. They blew up a baby, for Christ’s sake! Mitchell was staked by his best mate, Nina was bludgeoned to death off screen, George copped it saving his baby daughter, who Annie later BLEW UP, as I may have already mentioned. Being Human isn’t a show that worries about making the bold choices.
And somehow they get away with it! As we go into series five (five!!), not a single original cast member remains. The original supernatural trio have been replaced by 500 year old OCD vampire Hal, naive werewolf Tom (he of the stressed eyebrows), and spiky new ghost Alex. Considering the quality of the original cast (Russell Tovey and Aiden Turner especially), the show should feel like a shadow of its former self. But, as of the end of series four at least, you barely even notice they’ve gone. Damien Molony and Michael Socha have impeccable chemistry as Hal and Tom, and Kate Bracken made a suitable impact in her few episodes last year.
Forget Me Not
Somehow, Being Human have managed to replace their entire lead cast, and they got away with it. It’s not always as easy as Toby Whithouse et al make it look, though. Just look at poor old Misfits. They, too, had a great original cast who, inevitably, went off to bigger and better things. Robert Sheehan’s departure from the scene-stealing role of Nathan triggered a mass cast exodus, until, by the end of series four, there were no originals left.
