Being Human (North American TV series)

Lore & Background

The series follows three roommates in their twenties: Aidan (Sam Witwer), a vampire turned in 1791 (approximately 220 years old at the start of the series); Josh (Sam Huntington), a werewolf; and Sally (Meaghan Rath), a ghost. They try to help one another navigate the complexities of living double lives while trying to figure out their own at the same time. The first season opens with Josh and Aidan moving into an old Victorian-style house, where they meet Sally. Over the course of the season, viewers learn Aidan's origin as a vampire and the background of Sally's death, while Josh meets a woman named Nora. In season two, after Bishop's death, Aidan manages Bishop's faction of vampires while Josh and Nora meet fellow werewolves and attempt to kill Josh's creator. Sally fights her inner self and meets her mother again. Season three sees Aidan resurface after being buried alive in a coffin and finds his vampire family gone. In season four, after Sally's departure, Kristen Hager joins the main cast as Nora, and Aidan and Nora live in a house while trying to find a way to turn Josh back to normal.

Reader's Guide

The North American version of Being Human is significant as a direct adaptation of the acclaimed BBC series, maintaining the core premise while expanding the storylines to fill a 13-episode season compared to the original's six. The show is notable for keeping its three main cast members throughout its entire run, unlike the BBC series which experienced cast changes. The series was developed by husband-and-wife team Jeremy Carver and Anna Fricke, who aimed to use elements of the original while creating new characters and storylines. The vampire character Aidan was named after Irish actor Aidan Turner, who played the vampire Mitchell in the original series. The show aired on Syfy and ran for four seasons, concluding in 2014. Its legacy includes being a faithful yet distinct reimagining that explored dark and morally ambiguous themes, retaining the original program's qualities while forging its own identity.

Did You Know?

• The North American series maintained its three main cast members playing the supernatural roommates through its entire run, unlike the BBC series.
• The first 13-episode season roughly follows the narrative arc of the first season of the British original, which was only six episodes.
• Some elements of the directorial style of the first two episodes followed the original pilot and first regular episode of the UK series, in some cases shot-for-shot.

Premise & Core Cast

The North American adaptation of Being Human centered on three supernatural beings sharing what appeared to be an ordinary home. Sam Witwer portrayed Aidan Waite, a vampire turned during the Revolutionary War who worked as a nurse at Suffolk County Hospital in Boston. Sam Huntington played Josh Levison, a werewolf employed as an orderly at that same hospital. Meaghan Rath was Sally Malik, a ghost who haunted the house the other two rented. Unlike the BBC original, which saw its core cast rotate through multiple seasons, this version kept all three lead actors in their roles from the January 17, 2011 premiere through the April 7, 2014 finale. The premise asked viewers to follow these three characters as they navigated the daily complications of concealing their true natures from the outside world while supporting one another through personal crises and the extremity of their shared living situation.

Narrative Arc Across Four Seasons

The four-season run traced a clear escalation in stakes for each roommate. Season 1 introduced the trio as they discovered the house was haunted, revealed Aidan's vampire origins and Sally's death backstory, and saw Josh develop a romantic attachment to Nora. Season 2 brought Bishop's death, forcing Aidan to manage Boston's orphan vampires and confront old feelings, while Josh and Nora undertook a dangerous mission to kill Ray, Josh's creator, and Sally encountered her deceased mother for the first time. Season 3 saw Aidan buried alive in a coffin with his vampire family swept away, a teenage werewolf crisis for Josh and Nora, and Sally running into someone from her past who required a witch's intervention. Season 4 found Aidan and Nora living in a trailer, attempting to reverse Josh's werewolf condition, Aidan confronting an unexpected new vampire boss, and Sally finally confessing her feelings to a special someone before the series closed.

Supporting Ensemble & Supernatural World

Beyond the three roommates, the series built a layered supernatural community around them. Mark Pellegrino played James Bishop, a vampire turned in England during the 15th century who created Aidan and served on the Boston Police Department. Kristen Hager joined as Nora Sergeant, Josh's girlfriend. Dichen Lachman appeared as Suren, daughter of the all-powerful vampire known only as Mother, portrayed by Deena Aziz. The recurring cast expanded the world further: Terry Kinney as Heggemann, an ancient Dutch-clan vampire elder; Robert Naylor as Stevie Atkins, a ghost who killed himself in high school; Kyle Schmid as Henry Durham, a World War I-era vampire created by Aidan; Susanna Fournier as Zoe Gonzalez, a living nurse who could see ghosts and merge their souls into newborns; and Dusan Dukic as the Reaper, tasked with shredding ghosts who overstayed on Earth. Amy Aquino played Donna Gilchrist, a witch working at a soup kitchen.

Creative Team & Production Context

The North American Being Human was co-developed by Jeremy Carver, an American television writer and producer known for his work on The CW's Supernatural and the television adaptation of Frequency, alongside Anne Fricke, whose credits included Dawson's Creek, Everwood, Men in Trees, and Privileged. The show was based on the BBC Three series created by Toby Whithouse, an English actor, stand-up comedian, and screenwriter who also appeared in the 2001 film Bridget Jones's Diary as Alistair. The adaptation premiered on January 17, 2011, and concluded on April 7, 2014, spanning four seasons. A notable production distinction was the show's commitment to casting stability: while the British original cycled through different actors in the three lead roles over its run, the American version retained Witwer, Huntington, and Rath in their respective vampire, werewolf, and ghost parts for every episode, giving the audience a consistent core through which to experience the escalating supernatural drama.