Being Human is a British supernatural comedy-drama television series created and written by Toby Whithouse and first broadcast on BBC Three in 2009. The show blends elements of flatshare comedy and horror drama. The initial pilot episode starred Andrea Riseborough as Annie Sawyer (a ghost), Russell Tovey as George Sands (a werewolf), and Guy Flanagan as John Mitchell (a vampire) – all of whom are sharing accommodation and attempting as well as they can to live a "normal" life and blend in with the ordinary humans around them, striving to fit in more.

Two of the main cast were replaced in the series by Aidan Turner (Mitchell) and Lenora Crichlow (Annie). Russell Tovey was the only original main cast member. In the third series, Sinead Keenan became part of the main cast as Nina Pickering (a werewolf). In the fourth series, the ensemble was joined by Michael Socha as Tom McNair (a werewolf) and Damien Molony as Hal Yorke (a vampire). The fifth series added Kate Bracken as Alex Millar (a ghost). The first two series were set in Totterdown, Bristol, and the third series onwards relocated , across the River Severn, 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, Tovey announced that he was leaving Being Human after the first episode of Series 4 to work full-time on his other television series Him & Her. Furthermore, Keenan announced on 9 January 2012 that she had not filmed any scenes for Series 4, and would exit the show off-screen.

The series is one of the most popular shows on BBC's 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 for Series 3, the BBC announced a fourth series would premiere on the BBC in 2012. Series 4 began airing on BBC Three on 5 February 2012. The BBC Media Centre announced a fifth series had been commissioned, which started broadcasting on 3 February 2013. The BBC announced on 7 February 2013 that the fifth series would be the last. The final episode of Being Human was broadcast on 10 March 2013.

Plot The central premise of Being Human is that various types of supernatural beings exist alongside human beings, with varying degrees of menace; that three of these supernatural beings are opting to live amongst human 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 Sands (a reluctant werewolf in his mid-twenties) and John Mitchell (a vampire with the appearance and behaviour of a young man in his mid-twenties, but who is in fact over a hundred years old). Both are attempting to reject their natures 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 low-profile, low-status jobs as hospital porters and live as housemates.

Moving into a new house together, they discover that it already has an occupant – Annie Sawyer, the ghost of a young woman in her mid-twenties. Annie had lived in the house with her fiancé Owen but died after falling down the stairs. She has remained to haunt the property while Owen, unaware of her presence, has rented it out to Mitchell and George. As supernatural beings, George and Mitchell can see, touch and communicate with Annie, who is delighted to have their company and becomes the third member of the surrogate family.

All three have problems. Mitchell's central challenge is his struggle with his desire to feed (which is presented as being similar to a struggle against drug addiction). George's is to manage his monthly werewolf transformations in such a way that he does not kill anyone or 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). Annie's challenge is to deal with her new existence 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 into contact 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)

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 that 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 George's 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 organisation (possibly called the Centre for the Study of Supernatural Activity, or CenSSA) led by the scientist Dr Jaggatt and the priest-administrator Kemp. This organisation has identified and classified the three different types of supernatural creature – vampire, werewolf and ghost – and is continuing to research them, although it is 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 organisation, despite the threat it may pose to all of them.

Series 3 (2011) 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, including Mitchell having briefly snapped and murdered twenty people on a train in the Box Tunnel, in Wiltshire. As Series 3 progresses, the quartet must deal with the return of various figures and events from the characters' pasts as well as the complications of their relationships, notably after George and Nina conceive a child in their werewolf state and must determine what their child will be. 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, Tom McNair and his adoptive father (who have set themselves up as vampire hunters). Events lead up to a finale that leaves the household changed dramatically. Aidan Turner left the show at the end of the third series, which also marked the final appearance of Sinéad Keenan as Nina.

Series 4 (2012) Nina has been killed in a vampire attack and the gang now has to take care of baby Eve, whose werewolf heritage appears to have attracted the attention of vampire overlords known as the Old Ones. In the first episode George dies while rescuing Eve, leaving her in the custody of Tom (who moves into Honolulu Heights) and Annie. Another trio of elderly werewolf Leo, ghost Pearl and vampire Hal later come to Honolulu Heights seeking help for Leo's transformations after a strange experience, but in the end Leo dies, passing on with Pearl while Hal remains to become 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, Tom and Annie learning that Hal is actually a former Old One and vampire ruler, with Cutler's efforts eventually succeeding 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 followed by one of Cutler's 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 Alex's 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, completing her unfinished business, and "passes over" as she is no longer an Earth-bound spirit. The series ends with Hal, Alex, and Tom living together in Honolulu Heights.

Series 5 (2013)

On 26 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 were announced to be reprising their roles as Tom and Hal respectively. Lenora Crichlow did not return for Series 5 as the production team felt her storyline had reached a natural conclusion. Kate Bracken confirmed her return to the show in an interview before the series started shooting. The BBC referred to Alex (Kate) as "our new ghost", implying that Alex would become a main character in Series 5.

On 17 January 2013, the series synopsis was released, explaining that Alex would be adjusting to life as a ghost with Tom while Hal tries to keep his bloodlust in check, and they decide to take up jobs at the Barry Grand Hotel. The three must deal with Mr. Rook, a government agent whose job is to keep the truth about supernatural beings from the public, and a pensioner named Captain Hatch (Phil Davis) who is secretly a vessel for the Devil. The fifth series of Being Human was announced to be the final series on 7 February 2013; the final episode was broadcast on 10 March 2013.

Episodes and home video

In October 2011, Netflix announced it had obtained rights to stream episodes of Being Human via its home video service in the United States and Canada.Roxborough, Scott and Szalai, Georg. "Can Netflix Sell U.S. Users on Foreign Shows?" The Hollywood Reporter. 12 October 2011.

Cast and characters

Main characters

Name Portrayed by Series1 2 3 4 5 Annie Sawyer Lenora Crichlow colspan="4" colspan="1" George Sands Russell Tovey colspan="3" John Mitchell Aidan Turner colspan="3" colspan="2" Nina Pickering Sinead Keenan colspan="1" colspan="2" colspan="2" Hal Yorke Damien Molony colspan="3" colspan="2" Tom McNair Michael Socha colspan="2" colspan="2" Alex Millar Kate Bracken colspan="3" Dominic Rook Steven Robertson colspan="3"

Recurring characters