Published: Tuesday, 4th November, 2008 00:05
Newly human: Meet our new Annie and Mitchell
By Narin Bahar
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Right, before we start, the Cliff Notes for anyone coming late to the party. Earlier this year, with very little fanfare Being Human, a one-hour pilot of a show comedy drama about an ghost, a vampire and a werewolf sharing a house, aired on BBC Three as part of a season of one-off shows.
For anyone who didn't get to see (and if you didn't you missed out - it's still one of my favourite hours of telly this year, and yes, that includes the corking season 3 of Heroes and several episodes of Lost that left me weeping and whimpering in equal measure) it was funny, heartwarming but not nauseating, and jam packed with the kind of cultural references Spaced would have been proud of. I loved it and wrote a blog saying so. A couple of people commented in agreement which made it apparent I wasn't the only person who thought so and on a whim I set up an an online petition demanding the Beeb commission a full series. I can honestly say no one was more surprised (or chuffed!) than I when, after almost 4,000 people signed the thing, the Beeb did so - although I don't think the two things are actually linked.
Six new episodes are well on the way to being completed (it's pencilled in for a late January launch fact fans) and news about the show has been coming out a little at a time over the last few weeks - including a piece on sci-fi mag SFX's website where the show's producer said very nice things about the petition and the response on the 'net to the show - but I deliberately haven't posted anything till there was something tangible to talk about. And now there is. There have been some changes - and finally the full extent of what they are have been revealed.
Now don't look like that. First and foremost, Russell Tovey is back as George. Thank goodness. And while Guy Flanagan and Andrea Riseborough won't be reprising their roles as Mitchell and Annie (which is sad as they were both amazing in the pilot) the announcement today of who is going to be joining the cast has made me feel a little less worried about how they're going to replicate the amazing dynamic between the central trio which was so much at the heart of the first pilot, now, alas, consigned to the annals of history.
But now is the time to meet our new housemates:
Annie is now being played by Lenora Crichlow. Best known as Sugar from Channel 4's critically acclaimed (and rather good actually, even if it is overshadowed by the ego of Julie Burchill) Sugar Rush, she's also had recurring roles in The Bill and Casualty, and appeared as Cheen in the Gridlock episode of new Who.
Meanwhile, Mitchell will be getting a bit of Irish charm, courtesy of Aidan Turner, 25. Primarily a theatre actor, his IMDB page is looking a little sparse so far, but he's completed two films this year according to IMDB and had an uncredited role in The Tudors so he's got about a bit. He also, if you're a bit fickle about such things, has smouldering good looks that should hopefully make fangirls bemoaning the loss of Mr Flanagan feel a little happier.
In a press release sent out today, Danny Cohen, Controller, BBC Three says, “Being Human has that rare and brilliant combination of humour and darkness which this talented cast will bring to life perfectly. There was a palpable buzz about the pilot and a real appetite for more amongst our audience, so I’m incredibly excited to see how our characters and their stories develop over this series.”
Meanwhile Executive Producer Rob Pursey, says, “We were delighted with the audience reaction to the pilot of Being Human, and we’re relishing the opportunity to explore Mitchell the vampire, George the werewolf and Annie the ghost over a series of six episodes. Our brilliant young cast bring real humanity to these other-worldly lead characters, as they try to 'be human' and fit in with our exciting and sometimes frightening world.”
The way this news has been disseminated seems to have caused online rumblings of discontent and fears that the tweaked show will be a Hollyoaksified dilution, but I am (for now at least) going to stay the still small voice of positive, geeky, calm - especially now we've heard who the new cast are. Yes, I'm really sad that our original Mitchell and Annie won't be back - although my understanding is that it's as much that schedule-wise it just couldn't happen as these much vaunted comments about the showing being made younger and funkier. Of course the dynamic between these three characters is going to differ from the pilot, but Crichlow and Turner, pretty as they undoubtedly are, aren't talentless totty shoehorned in here. It's undoubtedly going to feel different to the first pilot, but different isn't necessarily bad.
Plus the return of Russell Tovey - arguably the show's heart as George, and now approximately 312 per cent more critically acclaimed since the pilot first aired following turns in Doctor Who and Little Dorrit - and the fact that the series is still being written by Toby Whithouse (of Torchwood and new Who) whose sparkling script did so much to establish these characters in the first place means no-one should be weeping into their tea just yet.
So all in all, I'd say there's nothing to worry about just yet. Although if, as per Russell T Davies' suggestion in his book, Russell Tovey ends up becoming the new Doctor Who you may yet see me picketing a production office somewhere. Losing all three of the cast would be a step too far...
Changing faces
Changes between a pilot and full series aren't always calamities. Here's the Geek Chic guide to pilot changes that turned out to be for the best:
* In the original Buffy pilot lovely technogeek Willow was played by Riff Regan. When Fox greenlit Joss Whedon's vision with a full season she was recast by Alyson Hannigan - and the rest is history.
* In arguably the most famous alteration ever, the original Star Trek pilot, The Cage, didn't even have Captain Kirk in it. Captain Pike (played by Jeffrey Hunter) ended up being replaced by some bloke called William Shatner after TV execs branded the show too intellectual and too slow and gave Gene Roddenberry the chance to look at the whole premise all over again and William Shatner the chance to speak slowly and with pauses in in. Compreh. Ensible. Places. Before flogging Crunchy Nut Cornflakes.
* In this year's US remake of Life on Mars (I know - the US' need to remake our successes is worthy of a blog post of its own) Colm Meaney played grizzled Gene Hunt in the initial pilot. However once the show was commissioned Hollywood heavyweight Harvey Keitel was brought in to take over the role. Here's hoping we have a chance to see him in action - although initial reports from across the pond aren't great about the reimagining of the reimagining of police life in Sam Tyler's mind so don't hold your breath...
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