Being Human

Being Human is back on our BBC Three screens on a Sunday night and I record it and watch it when I’m alone. Otherwise my dh would be scoffing at it all the way through, and ruin it for me. So I just accept that dh doesn’t always appreciate my tv choices.

Being Human is the story of a quartet with problems. A ghost, a vampire and two werewolves. Now if that makes you choke on your cornflakes, read no further. Sometimes the storyline is deeply horrifying, the visuals shocking, but surprisingly for such a storyline, the acting is terrific. And sometimes a real gem sneaks through, as it did when Mitchell advises a young vampire to find good people and live to their expectations, because their trust will keep him true.

There’s humour too, in unexpected places, as when Nina buys black lace underwear for a special tryst with George, only to give up in frustration after a series of interruptions. I tried reading a screenplay adaptation of one of the Being Human series, and couldn’t hack it as the writing was banal. But as a visual, with in-depth characterisation brought about by brilliant acting, it has me hooked. And there is a lesson there for all wannabe writers. Characterisation is key. Without it, a story is nothing but cartoon characters going through the motions.