Being Human - Pilot

New, one-off drama, Being Human, is a witty, exciting, sexy and extraordinary look at the friendship between three, twenty-something outsiders trying to find their way in an enticing, yet complicated world.

The BBC Three drama stars a cast of bright, up-and-coming actors – Guy Flanagan (Totally Frank), Andrea Riseborough (Margaret Thatcher: The Long Walk To Finchley) and Russell Tovey (The History Boys) – alongside Adrian Lester (Hustle).

Being Human explores what it's like trying to find where you fit into the grand scheme of things when you live with an unusual affliction…

Mitchell (Flanagan) and George (Tovey) are two twenty-something lads who, like any of their peers, would love to hit the town, pull girls and spend evenings down the pub.

Mitchell is a hospital cleaner, good looking, laid back and a hit with the ladies. Oh, and he's a blood sucking vampire.

Mitchell's friend George works in the same hospital as a porter. He's an awkward but loveable geek who was befriended by Mitchell two years ago.

George was heartbroken after he had to move away from the love of his life; he had to leave before she discovered that at every full moon, he sprouts a snout, grows a very hairy back and transforms into a werewolf.

Having had enough of sleeping in hostels and temporary accommodation, Mitchell and George decide to get a flat together where they can indulge in their love of beer, pizza and watching TV.

They just want to have a go at being normal; being human.

Annie (Riseborough) is their uninvited lodger. When the guys move into their new creepy abode they are not expecting to share it with a ghost with a confidence crisis.

Annie used to live in the flat with her boyfriend but following a fatal accident, and now suffering from a distinct lack of self-esteem, she can't move on.

So, she spends her time wandering around the house, making cups of tea she can't drink and scaring away anyone who dares try to move into her home.

But when George and Mitchell move in Annie's surprised to find two new friends who are as unusual and weird as she is.

Rob Pursey, executive producer for Touchpaper Television, says: "Being Human is a warm, funny, aspirational drama with an irresistible twist. Mitchell, George and Annie are supernatural creatures but they are desperate to be a part of a life we all take for granted.

"It's an exciting and contemporary take on friendship and finding your way in the world. Toby Whithouse's witty, emotionally powerful script makes these three misfits come alive even though they're far from human."

Being Human is commissioned by Danny Cohen, Controller of BBC Three, and Jane Tranter, Controller of BBC Fiction, and produced by Touchpaper Television, part of the RDF Media Group.

Executive producers are Julie Gardner (Head of Drama, Wales and Head of Drama Commissioning) and Lucy Richer (Commissioning Editor, Independent Drama).

It is written by Toby Whithouse (Hotel Babylon), produced by Matthew Bouch (The Sarah Jane Adventures), directed by Declan O'Dwyer (Wire In The Blood) and executive produced by Rob Pursey (The Queen's Sister) and Julie Gardner.

The cast and tone of Being Human changed between the pilot and the series. Compared to the pilot, producer Matthew Bouch described the series as "less gothic and slightly more rooted" as well as "a bit funnier"; he also described the series as "kind of a reboot" of the pilot. Writer Toby Whithouse, however, said that he does consider the pilot to be canon.

Interior shots of Mitchell, Annie, and George's home, the hospital, and the vampires' funeral home headquarters are filmed on sound stages with exterior shots filmed on location. The funeral parlour's exterior and reception room are filmed in an old car showroom in Bristol, while the back rooms are filmed in a television studio.

To promote the show, the BBC launched a blog, and on 22 December 2008, the BBC Being Human web page aired three prequel videos to introduce the three main characters: Mitchell's is set in the 1960s, George's is a video diary of his visit of Scotland, and Annie's shows her as a ghost terrorizing a couple who had moved into the house. Series one of Being Human premiered in the US on 25 July 2009 on BBC America and on 4 August on Fox in Portugal.