Parents' Guide to

Being Human (U.S.)

By Matt Springer, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Horror series is clever but heavy on sex and gore.

TV Syfy Drama 2011
Being Human (U.S.) Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this TV show.

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age 14+

Based on 6 parent reviews

CSMContentDefault
CSMContentDefault Adult
February 17, 2020
age 14+

Great show for monster fans

Being human is about 3 monster roommates who help each other through the day to day struggles of being a monster and a social outcast. The show explores what it means to be human and the values, experiences, mistakes and beliefs that seperate humans from the supernatural within the show. Most of the violence is within the plot to show the struggle of the supernatural charcters livinf amongst humans. It can be intense so parents may want to preview before their kids. There is a couple of sex scenes in later episodes and seasons. I highly reccomend this show overall though.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Lucie54
Lucie54 Parent of 13 and 16-year-old
December 30, 2015
age 13+

pretty good

I like this show very much it does get a little iffy at times but it is all about how mature your child is

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
See all 6 parent reviews

What's the Story?

Based on a series originally aired on the BBC, BEING HUMAN examines the personal lives of three classic horror character types -- a vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost -- as they attempt to carve out something resembling a "normal" existence when they're not drinking blood, howling at the moon, or haunting an old brownstone.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (6):
Kids say (8):

It sounds like the opening to a bad joke -- "A vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost are living together..." But Being Human is a pleasant surprise, a horror series that actually tries to approach its larger-than-life horror tropes as something resembling human beings. In that sense, it's in the tradition of plenty of other great series and films, most notably Joss Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Like Buffy, the first episodes of Being Human are a little too on-the-nose with dialogue and characterization.

Still, there's something here. Josh (Sam Huntington) is a neurotic werewolf who's hopeless with women. Aiden (Sam Witwer) is a sexier-than-thou vampire trying to atone for a horrific past and escape the shadow of his monstrous sire Bishop (Lost's Mark Pellegrino in a fantastic performance). And Sally's just a little too happy to have company in her brownstone after six months of talking to herself. As these tragic characters manuever through their particular struggles, they find solace in each others company, and explore what's at the root of humanity -- the desire for love, happiness, and fulfillment. Far from a bad joke, Being Human might be a bright spot on the genre TV landscape.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how to deal with violence on television when it's conducted by fantasy characters. Is it easier to accept blood and gore when it's a vampire engaging in violence instead of an actual human character? Why or why not?

  • How do you think the show handles its take on such classic horror characters as vampires, werewolves, and ghosts?

  • How does the show compare to its British counterpart? Why are so many TV shows remakes from the U.K.?

TV Details

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