SyFy greenlights American Being Human

[Bob The Skutter]

From Broadcastnow.co.uk

Being Human is to get an American makeover after Syfy greenlit a 13-part remake from RDF Media USA.



The comedy drama, about a houseshare between a vampire, a ghost and a werewolf, started life as a BBC3 broadcast pilot and was subsequently commissioned for a six-part series, produced by RDF’s Touchpaper Television. It played to critical acclaim and later won a repeat slot on BBC1.


Touchpaper managing director Rob Pursey, who executive produced the UK series, will remain as exec on the remake, working out of the US.


The commission marks the first scripted order for RDF Media USA. The company claims it is also the first US remake of a UK show made entirely by the original indie, rather than as a co-production with a US studio.


The UK version of Being Human has already aired in the US on BBC America, but the Syfy ordered a remake to take it to a bigger audience. As in the UK, it typically acquires shows and this is the channel’s first scripted order.


Chief executive Chris Coelen said the company had received interest in an American remake from a lot of US broadcast and cable networks, but that Syfy had stood out. “From the beginning, Syfy was unwavering in its pursuit of the project and had a lot of conviction about doing it.”


However, the new series will not “slavishly” copy the UK series, Syfy president Dave Howe said.
He added: “We’ve always been keen on vampires and werewolves, and we loved the originality of ‘Being Human,’ the fact that the fantastical creatures in it are very young, accessible and charming.”


Pursey said he was “chuffed” by the deal.
“It’s great not to be tied up in the pilot process,” he said.”They responded to the quality of the show. It is a tribute to all the people who worked on it.”


RDF Media USA has yet to secure a writer or cast and has not yet confirmed where in the US the series will be set.
The UK version of Being Human returns to BBC3 for a second eight-part series next year.

The pilot of the British Being Human turned out remarkably well, I didn't expect much when I first heard the premise, and then didn't like that they changed the tone of it for the series, but it got very good within a couple of episodes, so I'll be interested to see what they do with the American version.

 

[Cky]

I was just about to post this very same thing under the title of "SyFy manage to find a way to ruin another great show." Glad I checked now, you always post it before me .

I really hate this idea. They're filming the second series of Being Human at the moment, and there is absolutely no need for an Americanized version of it. They'll completely ruin it. One of the characters will become a definate "main character" and the other two will become background cast, who once in a while do something good and unexpected.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I was just about to post this very same thing under the title of "SyFy manage to find a way to ruin another great show." Glad I checked now, you always post it before me .

I really hate this idea. They're filming the second series of Being Human at the moment, and there is absolutely no need for an Americanized version of it. They'll completely ruin it. One of the characters will become a definate "main character" and the other two will become background cast, who once in a while do something good and unexpected.

I can't say I disagree with you, I just kinda hope it doesn't go that way since it's being produced by the same production company.

 

[ParticleMan]

My wife got me interested in Being Human through BBC America showing it earlier in the year...I have absolutely no faith in SyFy to not completely stupid it up...we'll see, but until then, I'll enjoy the real deal on BBCA...

 

[TerriO]

Yeah, this bodes as well as the American Red Dwarf.

 

[Kelso]

Oh, great.

I thoroughly enjoyed Being Human... can't wait for season two.

 

[Peter the Younger]

Ah yes, the desperate Americna xeroxing of anythign remotely creative from British TV continues. Is SyFy aware that there is this network called BBC America where people can watch the original?

 

[Starbreaker]

BBC America probably doesn't reach half the audience of Syfy, and they've been absolutely creatively bankrupt since Farscape.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Whoah, that's a well worn concept there. I would prefer skiffy try something not quite so familiar. How about a civil war in space or Earth vs Mars colony war? Enough of this Earth shit, get us back out into space!

Maybe they can come up with a monsters-among-us show that's as charming as The Munsters, The Addams Family or Bewitched. But I fear a lot of corniness revolving around witch/vampire/werewolf* tropes mashed up with teenage angst tropes. Prove me wrong skiffy, though I know you won't.

*Or is it ghost/vampire/werewolf? That would be better, I'm quite pro-ghost at least till Nov 1.

BBC America probably doesn't reach half the audience of Syfy, and they've been absolutely creatively bankrupt since Farscape.

BBCA doesn't really matter one iota in the US market. It's not generally on basic cable, while skiffy usually is, for better or worse. Skiffy wouldn't give a rat's patoot what they show on BBCA and I guess they figure they have better odds at success by making their own show rather than importing the original. I can't say the concept interests me much either way.

But of course I'll watch the premiere, if only to bash it and curse skiffy all over again. It's amazing - they have absolutely nothing worth watching till Caprica premeires, and they'll probably break land speed records cancelling it.

 

[Kelso]

But I fear a lot of corniness revolving around witch/vampire/werewolf* tropes mashed up with teenage angst tropes. Prove me wrong skiffy, though I know you won't.

*Or is it ghost/vampire/werewolf? That would be better, I'm quite pro-ghost at least till Nov 1.

I don't know about the SyFy version... but there are no teenagers in the original.

And, yes, it's Ghost/Vampire/Werewolf. I had similar concerns about it being well-worn territory but the show is actually quite good (though, the vampire stuff can be a bit cliche, at times).

 

[FordSVT]

From Broadcastnow.co.uk

However, the new series will not “slavishly” copy the UK series, Syfy president Dave Howe said.
He added: “We’ve always been keen on vampires and werewolves, and we loved the originality of ‘Being Human,’ the fact that the fantastical creatures in it are very young, accessible and charming.”

Does anyone else read a bit of this into that statement or is it just me?

 

[auntiehill]

My wife got me interested in Being Human through BBC America showing it earlier in the year...I have absolutely no faith in SyFy to not completely stupid it up...we'll see, but until then, I'll enjoy the real deal on BBCA...

My thoughts, exactly. I finally got really into Being Human, and ended up really liking it.

And now...........this. Bah. I do NOT have high hopes, here. I shall just keep watching BBCA and enjoy the original.

 

[Cky]

I love how he said "we love Vampires and Warewolfs". No love for ghosts then? Can already see whose going to be playing second fiddle (because they'll make George some type of strong hero, and completely forget the message he's portraying).

It's okay though, as long as there's a bad enough reaction to this, it'll go the same way as the proposed American pilot of Spaced. The gutter.

 

[HappyDayRiot]

This will be awful so can be safely ignored as I await the second series. Only a couple of months to go IIRC.

 

[js]

I'm a big fan of the UK Being Human and I'm assuming this remake will be just another on the cheap, filmed in Vancouver show. So unless they actually do some good casting (say, Kyle Schmid as Mitchell), I won't even bother to check this out because it will pale in comparison at best and make me want to throw my TV out a window at worst.

 

[ParticleMan]

From Broadcastnow.co.uk

However, the new series will not “slavishly” copy the UK series, Syfy president Dave Howe said.
He added: “We’ve always been keen on vampires and werewolves, and we loved the originality of ‘Being Human,’ the fact that the fantastical creatures in it are very young, accessible and charming.”

Does anyone else read a bit of this into that statement or is it just me?

I think you've nailed the fear many of us have about an Americanized Being Human...I think SyFy will look at it as a watered down version of Twilight...

 

[melancholymecha]

everything is being Twilight-ified these days...

I could also imagine SyFy would like a bit of the True Blood audience

Id only be interested if the show isnt about teens...

 

[Guy Gardener]

But the True Blood crowd only hung around for the B&B.

Boobies and butchering.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

everything is being Twilight-ified these days...

I could also imagine SyFy would like a bit of the True Blood audience

Id only be interested if the show isnt about teens...

If it's in any way true to the original, then it's not about teens. It's about people in their mid-twenties, who just happen to be a vampire, a werewolf and a ghost.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Well, the Vampire only "seems" to be 20.

have you all seen both pilots which had a different Vampire flatmate and a different Ghost flatmate?

I just want to see them squabbling over the power bill and communal shopping and such.

It's the "goes flatting" which is the hilarious part of the situation pitch for this story.