Being Human famously started as one of six pilots on BBC3 in a competition designed to find new series. Thanks to a bit of rigging by BBC3, the thankfully forgotten Phoo Action won and was commissioned for a series before the rest of the pilots even aired. Except it was horrid, and obviously rubbish in comparison to Being Human so by the end of that year, at some expense to BBC3, Phoo Action had been cancelled and Being Human picked up for a series.
Trouble was, by that time, two of the three stars of Being Human were unavailable since their options had run out, so their parts were recast; Julie Gardner also says that once they lost the actors, they decided to take the show in another direction and the way Mitchell the vampire and Annie the ghost were portrayed in the pilot was too different from what they wanted.
Finding the pilot is now quite hard: it's not been rebroadcast since the series proper was commissioned; it's not been shown in the US; it's not been included on any DVD releases; and although it's been posted twice on YouTube, it's been taken down at the BBC's request. I've a copy, but then I'm lucky (anyone want one, provided they don't work for the BBC?)
Intriguingly, though, a deleted scene from episode eight of series two has just been posted by the BBC and it's a flashback to the pilot episode – except with the new cast. It's got more or less the same dialogue and you can see how odd it all feels with the new Mitchell.
Here it is, together with two of the pilot's scenes that still survive on YouTube. Wonder if they'll ever release it – or redo the whole thing with the new cast?
This week, gentle reader, I ask you the following question:
Despite the title of this 'ere blog, is the medium enough? Are you satisfied merely to watch a TV programme or do you need more?
In this exciting age of "360° commissioning", in which mobile phone content, podcasts, YouTube channels, books, DVD extras, games and more aren't just add-ons but designed as part of the production company pitch to networks, is a lot of time being wasted? Do you not care to follow your favourite characters on Twitter? Is that Facebook page never going to be friended? Do you simply want to sit back, relax and watch the tele?
Or have you been going to the Heroes web site for the graphic novels, games and webisodes? Did you download the TARDIS mobisodes? Have you already ordered all the Being Human original novels?
And does your answer depend on whether a show has finished or not? Is the Buffy comic vital reading now? Are the Big Finish Doctor Who, Dark Shadows and Stargate SG-1 plays on subscription in your house, because that's the only way to get more new content these days?
As always, leave a comment with your answer or a link to your answer on your own blog.
Another new idea - people tend to watch TV over the weekend so let's talk about what everyone's been watching on a Monday instead of a Friday. And since 24 and Lost are only a week out, moving to a Monday means you can talk about both shows, whether you're in the US or the UK.
The Winter Olympics and lack of Heroes meant there wasn't much new US TV week this week, but anyway:
Archer: Some more great moments as per usual.
Being Erica: Watched the end of season two at last. Overall, while they experimented a lot more this season, Erica's character arc felt less satisfying and the whole thing almost reset Erica's situation back to the start of episode 1 (that's time travel for you). Ethan's emasculation this season didn't endear the show to us either, since at least he was a decent love interest for her last year.
Being Human: Don't really remember last week's very much (that's how good my memory is), but this week's was scary in a different kind of way from usual (Mitchell). Not quite sure why Annie has flipped from wanting "door tuition" (you know what I mean) a few episodes ago to her current frame of mind, but Mitchell's arc has been great. Some odd directorial decisions mind.
Burn Notice: Not bad. The Chris Vance stuff is so much tag-on at the moment though.
The Deep End: Up to episode four, which was half dreadful, half fun. The romance between Australian guy and blonde girl is a little bit Sweet Valley High, but it's charming in its way; everything else, particularly the legal side, is like having a nail hammered into your head by someone thinking they're being zany.
Leverage: A good ending to the season, overall, but the lack of Gina Bellman for much of the season has been a problem for character arcs, and most of the characters have been treading water. Basically, not as good as season one.
Life Unexpected: A reasonable ep, but nothing spectacular, other than "Lux learns a lesson about responsibility".
Lost: Were those answers we just got? Or fake answers? Either way, a great Locke-focused episode. Nice that disability isn't regarded as an unhappy ending for him in the flash-sideways. And best name for alternative Locke I've heard so far: "The Locke-ness monster".
24: Someone kill Dana now. But at least half an episode of decent moments, with Jack doing a cross between Mel Gibson in Lethal Weapon and the guy in Metal Gear Solid. Still needs more excitement though.
But what did you watch? See if you can cast your memories back to last week, anyway.
UPDATE: I forgot to mention the following two new HBO shows that started up and which I can't be arsed to give full reviews to:
The Ricky Gervais Show: Heard The Guardian's Ricky Gervais/Stephen Merchant/Karl Pilkington podcasts? Thought they'd be better if they were all animated, with Ricky Gervais looking like Fred Flintsone? Then a) you're a nutter b) you'd be wrong.
How To Make It In America: Supposed to be a comedy about working class New Yorkers trying to hit the big time through whatever pie-in-the-sky business scheme they have (selling fake leather jackets, borrowing money off a violent cousin, selling black-and-white photos). Actually about as funny as reading stats about recessionary economics. Does have a few funny moments and okay as a drama, I guess, but not involving at all. Still, if you ever wondered what happened to Shassyn Sossamon (sp?) from A Knight's Tale, now you know.
As always, no spoilers unless you're going to use the <spoiler> </spoiler> tags, please. If you've reviewed something on your blog, you can put a link to it here rather than repeat yourself (although too many links and you might get blocked by the spam filter)
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Here's a little vid of the BBC's showing the highlights of their current and forthcoming drama output. Full details after the jump, but there's Idris Elba in Luther, Billie Piper in A Passionate Woman, Christopher Eccleston in Lennon Naked, Douglas Henshall in The Silence, Alan Bleasdale's The Sinking of the Laconia, as well as bits from Ashes to Ashes, Doctor Who (nothing new), Being Human, Survivors and The Deep.
About the blog
This is a UK media blog with daily news, views, exclusive reviews and good conversation. There's a bit of a bias towards the latest and greatest US TV, but we also cover British TV ranging from new Doctor Who to old Z Cars, Property Ladder to Big Brother, and BBC4 to S4C – yes, this blog is firmly part of the conspiracy to promote all things Welsh where possible, particularly Caerdydd.
Add in film, theatre, art, books, events and media journalism and you've (hopefully) got one of the best places on the web for media lovers. Oh yes, and there's The Carusometer, the ultimate guide to quality TV.
About me
I'm Rob Buckley, a freelance journalist who writes for UK media magazines that most people have never heard of. I've edited Dreamwatch, Sprocket and Cambridge Film Festival Daily; been technical editor for trade magazine Televisual; reviewed films for the short-lived newspaper Cambridge Insider; written features for the even shorter-lived newspaper Soho Independent; and contributed sarcastic articles about television to the blink-and-you-missed-it "web site for urban hedonists" The Tribe. I'm freelance now and have contributed to the likes of Broadcast, Total Content + Media, Action TV, Off The Telly and TV Scoop. Have pity on me.
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