TV GUIDE: Ask Matt: Mentalist, Good Wife, Smash, Glee, Parenthood and More!
Mar 6, 2012
by Matt Roush
Send questions to askmatt@tvguidemagazine.com and follow on Twitter!
... Question: Based off your previous columns, you are a fan of BBC 3/BBC America's Being Human. So am I! I have seen the first two episodes of the original version's fourth season, and for lack of a more original word: Wow. I'm not sure where to start almost. One major death off screen, another major death at the end of the first episode, it almost feels like a UK version of Fringe now with such a reboot of storytelling and focus. The show's dynamic on almost every level has changed, which has to be considered a huge gamble, right? The initial purpose of the show was to almost be a parable at how being human regardless of one's quirks was hard or different, but now it has this edge to it with what they are trying to do.
Also, unlike American TV, in the U.K. the main star of any show is usually the show itself. Whether it's Being Human or Spooks (aka MI-5), in the U.K. a character isn't the star of a show, the show is the star of the show, which enables them to freely kill anyone at anytime. The U.S. is much more based on brands, and TV stars are brands, and people tune in to watch the stars, not the show, so there is a diverging philosophical difference. Another difference is that actors in the U.K., once having proven themselves, will get offers from American TV or even Hollywood as is the case with John Mitchell's Aidan Turner, who got a part in The Hobbit. So what are your thoughts of the revamped (pun slightly intended) version of Being Human? And do you see America's version in a different light with its ability to tell a story without the worry of losing its cast to bigger (possibly) and better (possibly) things? Also you once said the U.S. version made a mistake in its casting. Slam on Sam Witwer? And why? — Trenton
Matt Roush: I am very intrigued by this transformative season of the British Being Human, and you make some very interesting points about the willingness of many British series to kill off major characters, even fairly early in a show's run. (Often precipitated, as in the case of Being Human this season, by the actors deciding to move on.) But I should also note that what I've seen of the Syfy version this season, it has improved quite a bit over last year. I still have issues about the principal actors who are not Sam Witwer, but as the show diverges from the original series, it is becoming more interesting...
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