Being Human: UK's answer to Buffy?

Season 2 of Being Human started a couple of weeks ago on BBC3. As the title suggests it's about what it means to be human. The irony is its three main characters are anything but. A vampire, werewolf and ghost to be precise. At this point you've probably already decided whether or not this programme is for you. Much like musicals, sci-fi/fantasy shows have limited cross-over appeal. However, to me judging a show purely on its premise, is as silly as judging a person purely on their appearance.

(Minor spoilers for season 1 in this paragraph)
So if it's not just a fantasy show: what is it? Well really it's a show about the relationships between the three housemates at the centre of the piece. The fantasy elements acting as metaphors for issues people deal with in real life. In the first season we saw the vampire, Mitchell, coping with his lust [for blood] and whether he can have, or even deserves, redemption for sins of the past. The werewolf was trying to form a relationship with someone, but keeping his 'disease' secret kept pushing her further away. Finally, the ghost was dealing with a break-up: having to cope with the fact she can no longer be her fiance on account of her lack of a pulse. However, we later learnt she'd idolised her relationship with him, and chosen to forget certain memories too painful to consider.

Serious Stuff.

Despite these rich, tough themes, the show is also very funny. The 'odd couple' (or 'odd trio') nature of the premise providing for plenty of comic moments. This mixture of humour and deceptive depth reminds me a lot of the aforementioned Buffy. That show was a master of making you laugh one second, then shocking you the next: welcoming you into a world of brilliant, likeable characters with great rapport, then shooting you through the heart with a tragedy or misfortune. Although Being Human is a lot darker than Buffy ever was, it still holds true to that formula.

Season 2 Episodes 1-3 are available on iPlayer now. If what I've described sounds interesting to you, please check it out:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/search/?q=being%20human

Or if you have a lovefilm account season 1 is here:
http://www.lovefilm.com/film/Being-Human-Series-1/126250/