via press release:
SYFY’S BEING HUMAN STARRING SAM WITWER, MEAGHAN RATH, SAM HUNTINGTON AND MARK PELLIGRINO BEGINS PRODUCTION IN MONTREAL
Adam Kane Directing and Producing with Executive Producers Michael Prupas, Anna Fricke and Jeremy Carver
Muse Entertainment Producing American Adaptation of Acclaimed BBC Original Series
New York, New York – July 29, 2010 – Syfy’s all-new drama series Being Human, starring Sam Witwer (Smallville, Battlestar Galactica), Meaghan Rath (The Assistants), Sam Huntington (Cavemen, Superman Returns) and Mark Pellegrino (Lost, Supernatural) has commenced production in Montreal, Canada. Adam Kane (The Mentalist, Heroes) is Director and Co-Executive Producer with Executive Producer Michael Prupas (The Kennedys, Pillars of the Earth) and husband and wife Executive Producers/Writers Jeremy Carver (Supernatural) and Anna Fricke (Men in Trees, Everwood). Muse Entertainment is producing 13 1-hour episodes for Syfy.
Being Human, a re-imagining of the acclaimed UK series created by Toby Whithouse, follows three paranormal, 20-something roommates living in Boston – vampire “Aidan” (Witwer), werewolf “Josh” (Huntington) and ghost “Sally” (Rath) – as they struggle to hide their dark secrets from the world, while helping each other navigate the complexities of living double lives and trying to be human. Mark Pellegrino plays Aidan’s charismatic but menacing vampire mentor “Bishop.”
The producer is Irene Litinsky (Human Trafficking, The Phantom) of Muse Entertainment, the director of photography is Pierre Jodoin (The Last Templar, Secrets of the Mountain) and the production designer is Zoë Sakellaropoulo (The Last Templar, The Phantom).
The original UK series is produced by Touchpaper Television and executive produced by Rob Pursey. RDF Rights distributes the UK series and the format internationally as well as the new US series.
Muse Entertainment Enterprises, headed by President & CEO Michael Prupas, is a major Canadian independent film and television producer and the country’s leading service producer for international studios and networks. Muse Entertainment is known for bringing well-crafted, high-quality, award-winning productions with strong international appeal to big and small screens. Since 1998, Muse has produced, co-produced or provided production services on 150 TV movies and mini-series, television series and feature films. Muse's head office is located in Montreal. Muse has four production operations in Montreal, Toronto and Los Angeles.
Syfy is a media destination for imagination-based entertainment. With year round acclaimed original series, events, blockbuster movies, classic science fiction and fantasy programming, a dynamic Web site (www.Syfy.com), and a portfolio of adjacent business (Syfy Ventures), Syfy is a passport to limitless possibilities. Originally launched in 1992 as SCI FI Channel, and currently in 95 million homes, Syfy is a network of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies. (Syfy. Imagine greater.)
I like the actors they cast. I've never seen the UK series, but I'm interested.
I'm always skeptical when American media tries to remake a British series. The results are rarely as good as the original.
Woman at the BBCAmerica booth at SD Comic Con this year opined that this show would likely suck.
I see that the part of Annie in the Syfy version will be played by a French Canadian actress.
Good news/bad news. Good news is they are going to give it a try. Bad news is that there is a high probability that they will kill it by taking all the quirkiness out of it that the British version has.
I'm with you on this. However, there have been a few notable exceptions. All In The Family comes to mind. I'm trying to come up with a second one.
Sanford and Son if you want to stick in the same era as All in the Family.
For the modern era while I know fans of the UK version think the US version of “The Office” doesn't hold a candle, from NBC's perspective the results have been very good.
Ok…the cast looks good….Sam Witwer as the Vampire is TOO far from what I see when I watch the British version.
Mark Pelligrino is the big win here, and I hope his part is fleshed out well (I like the originals part, and hope this holds up well)
Cheers
Ouch to the comment about the “modern era.” Damn I'm old.
I agree adaptations are rarely good, but are you implying it will suck BECAUSE the character will be played by a French Canadian actress? Cause that doesn't mean anything, we've got great actors. Caroline Dhavernas, the lead of Wonderfalls was brilliant, to name one.
I guess my above comment doesn't really matter to this anyway, because a quick google search of her name (because it didn't sound familiar to me) told me she's not actually French Canadian, just Canadian.
Her IMDb link http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1012010/ Says she was born in Montreal Quebec Canada.
And no, I wasn't saying it'd fail because she's French Canadian, just that it'll fail because it's a redo/remake/reimagination.
I love the BBC series and all I can think is Why? Why 're-imagine' the show with a Syfy spin? Usually that translates into cheap and according to David Howe's interview, shoehorning the show into the desired demo and mainstreaming it. The BBC series is fine, just re show that.
Yea, I'm really nervous how they are going to mainstream the werewolf. They guy that plays that on the british series is so good, and so different, I'm sure they are going to try to make him more menacing (kind of like the original pilot for the british series that was completely retooled)
I love the BBC Being Human, these remakes don't usually do well. Will have to wait and see, plan on giving it a try.
Wouldn't it be cheaper to just import the uk version? Or to get more Canadian funding why not just set it in some city in Canada?
I don't know why but, when critics highly praise something I just itch to run in the other direction. This was no different. I saw an episode of the original and it just bored me to tears. I may tune in if its paired with something I'm already watching like Warehouse 13.
Being I watch the UK version, I can't picture any of these actors (not familiar with the chick, so no opinion on her as the ghost) in any of the roles, although Mark Pellegrino could work, but the two in place as the vampire and the werewolf, eh, not so sure. I'll probably check out the pilot anyway, but, I find it hard to imagine it would remotely be as good as the original version.
I like some BBC shows(Torchwood, Doctor Who), so I gave Being Human a try since the concept was intriguing enough. Didn't work for me. Looks way too low-budget & cheesy. Couldn't get through an episode. So the new one can only be an improvement. Can't get much worse IMO.
You like Doctor Who, but complain about another show looking way too low-budget and cheesy? Seriously?
@Julia
Absolutely. Doctor Who has some interesting concepts and theories. Definitely can be low-budget & cheesy especially w/special effects but it has a quirky, tongue in cheek quality about it. I didn't get that from Being Human. The episode I saw seemed to take itself very seriously w/ 2 guys in the woods crying up a storm and pleading to & w/each other. Not to mention ridiculous looking fangs which looked like they were purchased at a halloween shop. The whole thing was pretty embarrassing. Maybe other episodes are better, but that one was laughable and had no intention of being so.
I don't like the idea of a remake while the original is still airing.
Fans of the original won't watch this and people who didn't like the original are likely to not try this.