Being Human is one of those rare shows – along with Doctor Who – that makes me want to give the BBC vast sums each year for the license fee. I originally caught the pilot back in 2008 and loved it, only to become a little wary when the BBC commissioned a full series but recast all the parts except for Russell Tovey’s portrayal of George, the Jewish werewolf. The story revolves around three twenty-somethings trying to blend in – trying, as the title suggests, to be human – while dealing with their own complex lives.

Annie is a ghost, George a werewolf and Mitchell a vampire and all three live in a rundown house in suburban Bristol and the six episodes in series one really serves to introduce the main players and the world in which they live. It’s not a nice place either, bordering the world we know but far enough apart to make even the bravest human wary. Mitchell has to deal with a bunch of vampires, his blood-lust and his last kill, Lauren, whom he accidentally turned. Annie is trying to figure out why she died and her place as a ghost, even if she can be seen by the odd human. Finally there’s the lovable George, who is battling with the beast inside him whilst attempting to live a human life while dealing with a new girlfriend.

The episodes manage to walk that fine line between focusing on one specific character too much and drip feeding just enough about the universe to keep you hooked. Yes some of the special effects – particularly George’s wolf form – are a tad cheesy but the realism of the characters more than makes up for any negatives. This is a dark series – as emphasised by George’s graphic transformation and the chilling narration by Mitchell in episode 2 – but not without comedy.

Each arc within the series is complete within itself; Annie meets a fellow ghost and also discovers the identity of her murderer (her husband-to-be Owen). George meets a fellow werewolf named Tully only to discover he is the reason George must turn into a wolf once a month, he also has to find a way of dating a co-worker named Nina without letting her know about his time of the month issues. Finally Mitchell tries to make a friend in a human child named Bernie, only for the local community to denounce him as a paedophile after Bernie accidentally watches a vampiric snuff film. Oh and there’s also an undead uprising to deal with.

The series is paced well and while six episodes is enough, you can help but want for more (which is why I’m pleased series two has eight episodes). The world of Being Human is gripping and full of promise, the mythology is rich and my doubts about the recasting were needless. As a result Being Human is now one of my favourite series and I’m eagerly awaiting the start of series two next month.

Being Human: Series One is out now on DVD and Blu Ray. Series two starts on BBC Three on January 10th and will be released in April, also on Blu Ray and DVD.