Being Human: The Underrated Vampire Show That Outshines Buffy

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Though Buffy the Vampire Slayer remains a hugely influential show, a five-episode vampire series from 2008 has largely been overlooked, despite being its strongest successor. Buffy, which premiered in 1997, was a major success, blending horror, drama, fantasy, and comedy with a compelling female protagonist.

Many consider Buffy the Vampire Slayer to be one of the greatest TV shows ever made, and it’s had a big impact on fantasy and horror television. Several shows have since tried to follow in Buffy’s footsteps, and though none have quite reached its level of success, they’ve all found their own audience.

One TV show worth revisiting is Being Human, a short-lived but brilliant British series. Despite being largely forgotten, it’s as good as, if not better than, Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Being Human Is The Best Buffy The Vampire Slayer Replacement

The TV show Being Human, created by Toby Whithouse, is set in Bristol and centers around an unusual house share. John Mitchell, a vampire, and George Sands, a werewolf, are friends and colleagues who decide to live together. They’re soon joined by Annie Sawyer, a ghost, making for a very unexpected household.

After Annie’s death, she remains in her house as a ghost. The show Being Human follows her, along with Mitchell and George, as they try to navigate everyday life while dealing with the challenges of being a ghost, a werewolf, and a vampire. It originally aired on BBC Three in 2008 and ran for five seasons, concluding in 2013.

Similar to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Being Human places traditional monsters – vampires, werewolves, and ghosts – into a contemporary world, successfully combining humor, scares, emotional depth, and fantasy. The show is surprisingly thoughtful, delving into complex topics like what it means to be human, finding your place, the importance of family, dealing with the past, and love, all while still delivering the thrills you’d expect from supernatural creatures.

Although Being Human doesn’t have everything fans loved about Buffy the Vampire Slayer – like self-contained mysteries and a wide variety of supernatural beings – this actually makes it a unique show. It’s not just the best series to fill the void left by Buffy, but it’s also a fantastic fantasy horror show that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.

Why Being Human Became An Underrated Fantasy Horror Show

As a big fan of fantasy horror, I really had high hopes for Being Human. It had all the ingredients to be a massive hit, but a couple of choices really held it back. The show went through some big cast changes starting in season three, and by the time season five rolled around, it felt completely different. Sadly, the new main cast just didn’t quite click with viewers the way the original one did.

Despite its quality, Being Human didn’t receive much marketing attention. Because it was made and shown on BBC Three, it was often seen as a low-budget, somewhat unconventional show, which made it stand out compared to more expensive, mainstream series.

It’s a bit ironic that one of the things that made Being Human so good ultimately held it back. The show had a definitive conclusion, which meant it couldn’t be extended into a long-running franchise and reach more viewers. Plus, the American version of Being Human directly competed with and affected the original series.

Being Human Got An American Remake In 2011

The British show Being Human was already three seasons in when an American version was created. This US remake, also called Being Human, kept the same basic idea: a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost sharing a house and attempting to navigate everyday life while dealing with their supernatural challenges.

The Syfy show Being Human starred Sam Witwer as a vampire named Aidan, Sam Huntington as a werewolf named Josh, and Meaghan Rath as a ghost named Sally. It aired for four seasons and was well-received by critics, largely thanks to its consistent cast who remained with the show throughout its entire run.

Both versions of Being Human are enjoyable and have their fans, but the original is generally considered the stronger show. If it had found a larger audience, it had the potential to become as popular as Buffy the Vampire Slayer did in the 2000s after that show ended.

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2026-03-15 16:59