"Being Human" Early Preview & Pilot Review
The wait is finally over. Tonight SyFy will premiere their new series, Being Human, a "reimagining" of the BBC series of the same name. Some fans of the original series aren't sure if they should tune in tonight, but they should. The new series stands on its own, even with the same overall story - a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost live together as roommates. After that, is anyone's guess. According to those involved in the series, plots may change and even if situations are the same, characters may react in different ways. The second season may not resemble that of the original series at all. Regardless, the series so far is brilliant. After watching the pilot tonight you will be thirsting for more.Meet Aidan (Sam Witwer; Battlestar Galactica; Smallville), a tortured vampire who wants to control his addiction. He doesn't always succeed, and his "mentor" Bishop isn't helping things, always trying to pull him back into his seedy underworld. Aidan, however, would rather walk his own path, even if it is not easy.
Josh (Sam Huntington; Supernan Returns; Fanboys) is not a typical werewolf. He's shy and also nervous around the ladies. Not the alpha male that Hollywood has made us use to. Though that doesn't mean we don't get to enjoy him running through the woods naked.
Sally (Meaghan Rath; Prom Wars, 18 to Life) is the free-spirit. Even though she's been living a lonely existence for six months, considering no one but Aidan and Josh can see or talk to her, she often is the most cheerful of the bunch, even as she struggles with not being able to leave the house.
The three live together, trying to have some normalcy, and at the same time retain their humanity.
"Being Human" Holds its Own
Syfy has carried reimagined series before, take Battlestar Galactica for example. However, Syfy's newest series, Being Human, is different in that the original series is currently still on television in its third season on the BBC. Many people have been hesitant on whether or not to tune in to Syfy's version, especially fans of the original. After watching the first three episodes and talking to some of those involved in the show, however, I think everyone should give it a shot. Syfy's version can definitely hold its own.It's true that the general story line is the same - a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost become roommates, and because of the success of franchises like Twilight and True Blood, that may be enough to pull a certain demographic in. Some of the rules and myths of supernatural creatures are of course the same, but it is almost unavoidable that there would be an overlap with all of the other shows out there. However, this show is nothing like the other current popular shows with similar themes.
All three characters long for normality and consider themselved cursed. As you would expect, Aidan, the vampire (Sam Witwer; Battlestar Galactica, Smallville), tries (and at times fails) not to kill humans, as does Josh (Superman Returns, Fanboys), the werewolf played by Sam Huntington, who turns once a month. Meanwhile Sally, the ghost (Meaghan Rath; Prom Wars, 18 to Life) who haunts the friends' new apartment, learns what it means to be ethereal and struggles to live without being able to interact with others, or even to leave the apartment.
Having only seen a couple episodes of the original, I cannot say how similar certain storylines are, but from what I have seen, regardless, they are very enjoyable, even if some were familiar. The producers and actors of the show have stated in various interviews that even if certain situations are the same, they may be handled completely different on the new series. And it's great that Syfy also gets thirteen episodes compared to BBC's six to develop the story during the first season.
I found the stories compelling and the characters believable in their struggles. The scripts were well written and I was really surprised when each episode was over because it moved so quickly and was quite eager to start the next.
Review: The Walking Dead 1x03, "Tell it to the Frogs"
By Karen Moul
As The Walking Dead approached the halfway point of the season, the writers took a step back and gave us some character development and group dynamics. Episodes like this are needed to sustain the major themes through the rest of this season and into next. While it seemed as if not a lot happened, we had a huge advance in the Rick-Lori-Shane storyline. Add in some compelling action among the supporting cast and overall this was another excellent episode.
The Grimes family reunion was handled beautifully. I actually had a knot in my stomach waiting for Shane and Lori to see Rick. I can't remember the last time a TV show made me feel that much tension and anticipation, probably not since Lost. Sarah Wayne Callies was excellent in this scene, in just a few moments you could see the disorientation on Lori's face, then the recognition, and perhaps a split second of joy before her expression turned to horror. Andrew Lincoln's reactions as Rick saw his son were also moving. Nice work all around.
As The Walking Dead approached the halfway point of the season, the writers took a step back and gave us some character development and group dynamics. Episodes like this are needed to sustain the major themes through the rest of this season and into next. While it seemed as if not a lot happened, we had a huge advance in the Rick-Lori-Shane storyline. Add in some compelling action among the supporting cast and overall this was another excellent episode. The Grimes family reunion was handled beautifully. I actually had a knot in my stomach waiting for Shane and Lori to see Rick. I can't remember the last time a TV show made me feel that much tension and anticipation, probably not since Lost. Sarah Wayne Callies was excellent in this scene, in just a few moments you could see the disorientation on Lori's face, then the recognition, and perhaps a split second of joy before her expression turned to horror. Andrew Lincoln's reactions as Rick saw his son were also moving. Nice work all around.
Review: The Walking Dead 1x02, "Guts"
By Karen Moul
The Walking Dead was back this week with another great episode. It was perhaps not as excellent as the pilot but still worthy of an A-. At first look, "Guts" seemed to offer slightly less action than last week's episode, but that was mostly due to time contraints. The pilot was 90 minutes, and this week we had to settle for a normal one-hour show. But that hour gave us fast-paced storylines, great effects and very creative use of zombie guts.
The worst part of the episode? Nothing ruins an opening scene like seeing your two most hated characters having sex in the dirt. Ew. Shane's not an unattractive character. His conversation with Rick in the pilot made me think he is a jerk who doesn't like women all that much, and he seems to rule his little band more by bossiness than true leadership. And during a zombie apocalypse he thinks it's funny to sneak up behind someone and scare her? Very funny, jackass. He's lucky Lori was unarmed. Of course she's not too attractive either, she abandoned her comatose husband and she seems pretty into having sex with a jerk. So thanks writers for the sex scene, but I'd prefer to look at that zombie eating the rat.
The Walking Dead was back this week with another great episode. It was perhaps not as excellent as the pilot but still worthy of an A-. At first look, "Guts" seemed to offer slightly less action than last week's episode, but that was mostly due to time contraints. The pilot was 90 minutes, and this week we had to settle for a normal one-hour show. But that hour gave us fast-paced storylines, great effects and very creative use of zombie guts. The worst part of the episode? Nothing ruins an opening scene like seeing your two most hated characters having sex in the dirt. Ew. Shane's not an unattractive character. His conversation with Rick in the pilot made me think he is a jerk who doesn't like women all that much, and he seems to rule his little band more by bossiness than true leadership. And during a zombie apocalypse he thinks it's funny to sneak up behind someone and scare her? Very funny, jackass. He's lucky Lori was unarmed. Of course she's not too attractive either, she abandoned her comatose husband and she seems pretty into having sex with a jerk. So thanks writers for the sex scene, but I'd prefer to look at that zombie eating the rat.
AMC's Monster Hit: "The Walking Dead"
By Karen Moul
Caution - Spoilers!
It looks like AMC might have a hit with The Walking Dead, the new six-part series based on the comic books by Robert Kirkman. Sunday night's opener drew 5.3 million viewers, more than any series premiere this year on any cable network, according to SpoilerTV. It was also the highest audience for any series ever on AMC (the season finale of Mad Men drew half as many viewers.) Most critics seem to think if AMC can hold a good chunk of that audience, a renewal is likely.
This show deserves it. AMC has assembled a dream production team that includes Kirkman, writer/director/producer Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile), and effects and makeup guru Greg Nicotero, whose credits include more than a hundred feature films. Together they created a show that satisfies die-hard zombie fans as well as viewers new to Kirkman's story. And the network has clearly put some money into this show - great production values, great special effects (for TV), great music. The zombies look awesome.
Caution - Spoilers!
It looks like AMC might have a hit with The Walking Dead, the new six-part series based on the comic books by Robert Kirkman. Sunday night's opener drew 5.3 million viewers, more than any series premiere this year on any cable network, according to SpoilerTV. It was also the highest audience for any series ever on AMC (the season finale of Mad Men drew half as many viewers.) Most critics seem to think if AMC can hold a good chunk of that audience, a renewal is likely.
This show deserves it. AMC has assembled a dream production team that includes Kirkman, writer/director/producer Frank Darabont (The Shawshank Redemption and The Green Mile), and effects and makeup guru Greg Nicotero, whose credits include more than a hundred feature films. Together they created a show that satisfies die-hard zombie fans as well as viewers new to Kirkman's story. And the network has clearly put some money into this show - great production values, great special effects (for TV), great music. The zombies look awesome.
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!
Welcome! This is a place for those inspired by the strange, fantastic, and unknown. It is dedicated to those who share their talents with us and shine, whether it be on our televisions or on the silver screen. Here you will find interviews with celebrities, reviews from multiple genres, and other pop culture news and multimedia. While we originally started with a love for science fiction and fantasy, this site is no longer just for any one genre.Something you want to see featured here? Have your own site you'd like to see here? Don't hesitate to let us know!