DATELINE: TOOBWORLD - "BEING HUMAN"

Russell Tovey, who plays George on the original 'Being Human' over in the UK, has announced that he's leaving the series. It's unclear whether it will happen during Season 4 or at the end of the season. Aiden Turner, who played the vampire Mitchell, left the series at the end of Season 3 when George fulfilled Mitchell's request to be staked. (Turner is now off in New Zealand filming 'The Hobbit' as one of the 13dwarves.)

There's some question as to whether the series could continue with two-thirds of its original cast now gone and there's no word yet from the production company as to there being a fifth season or not. But I don't see Tovey's departure as being an insurmountable problem.

First off, there's still the third member of that original tirumvirate, Annie the ghost (played by Lenora Crichlow). The only roadblock for continuation when it comes to Annie is that ghosts shouldn't age. So there's definitely a time limit on her participation.

Then there's George's girl-friend, Nina. As far as I can tell, the lovely Sinead Keenan is still connected to the series and has a major plotline still in the works with Nina being pregnant. See, she's also a werewolf, having been accidentally scratched by George. She's already a member of the household and could easily be the werewolf peg upon which to hang the premise.

If they need to bring in another vampire, why not bring back Adam? He appeared in the episode "Adam's Family" - a vampire in his mid-forties who still looked fifteen, the age at which he was embraced into the kindred.

But I think they should go in a different direction - vampires are old top hat now, don't you think? Toby Whithouse should consider finding a new kind of supernatural character who could be the third flat-mate. Russell Tovey joked that it could be a giant or a robot, but why not a genie? It would give the plots a bit of a goose and serve as a convenient deux ex machina. And there's always witches and warlocks to choose from; they're a fine old English tradition.

Keeping Annie and Nina and adding a third roomie would certainly change the dynamic. From being about two guys and a girl, it would either become two girls and a guy or why not even all of them being females? A ghost, a werewolf, a witch/genie? Or maybe a succubus if you want to get close to that vampiric type.

If it's another guy they need, are there male succubi? (Hugh informs me that the male version of a succubus is an incubus.  Thanks, Hugh!)  Still, there are male genies and of course, warlocks. I'd like to see a young version of the kind of warlock Maurice Evans played on 'Bewitched' - rich, aristocratic, arrogant; the kind of snobbish dilettante who would feel above his surroundings and those around him. Sort of like Major Charles Emerson Winchester on 'M*A*S*H'.......

Well, eventually we'll find out what their plans are. For alls I know, they could just end the series with the fourth season......

BCnU!
 
Thanks to Rob Buckley of the UK's Number Four blog about TV, "The Medium Is Not Enough" for clueing me in on that story.  (You can find the link to the left, boggarts.)  
 
When it comes to bringing you news stories of televisiological import, you can trust Inner Toob to get it to you third-hand....