Over the course of two series, Being Human has been balancing its co-existing halves, much like the characters within. The funny flatshare soap, pitted against the gothic fantasy. Neither the show nor its leads have always succeeded in this schizo-juggling, but it’s always been captivating viewing, even if you come away bemused.

In the opening episodes of the second run, as chronicled here, it took a swing into the far reaches of its darker territory, and risked becoming a depressing experience in the process. Luckily, the writers took a chill pill, and the humour crept back in.

As the rest of the story unfolded, happily they kept one foot in their BBC Three sitcom roots. George’s ludicrous werewolf-Tourettes attacks in one episode stood out amongst the angst and gloom, but that’s exactly what’s needed to keep proceedings grounded.

(Yes, his ‘rebound’ relationship was obviously doomed, but that was made so obnoxiously clear throughout that it seems utterly pointless to even bring it up.)

Even vampire Mitchell’s darker journey was punctuated by a bizarre attempt to persuade his group of blood-hungry vampire followers to “kick the habit”, including starting a Bloodaholics Anonymous group. It’s these adult-yet-silly touches which give the show its charm.

Lurking alongside all that is the ongoing storyline, in which the heroes are investigated by a coalition of religion and science. As the middle episodes passed, the soap operatics of the cast intertwined with this increasingly omnipresent conspiracy, raising intrigue as it went.

Alas, I wasn’t as enamoured with the climactic episodes as the build-up. It may be a matter of personal preference, though, as the tone lurched back into full-on gothic misery. There are a few actions in the penultimate episode, by Mitchell in particular, which are certainly shocking, but so much so that it’s hard to imagine him actually undertaking them.

The final episode does provide the necessary drama and resolution, but the ending of the main conspiracy storyline doesn’t entirely pay off all the preceding groundwork. The two prime antagonists, who had been unusually well realised until then, get a bit lost in generic psychopathy and confused motivations.

Still, I can’t say I wasn’t hooked until the very end.  The beauty of the lighter touches in the mid-season episodes is that, even if I roll my eyes at the later brooding melodrama, I still give a damn about the characters and shed a manly tear at the sad parts.

Fundamentally, even with my petty niggles, I was always entertained. And I’ll definitely be back next year.

When the BBC’s Being Human first stalked onto the screen, it was alarmingly unlike the average BBC Three flatshare series.

For one, it featured a vampire, a ghost and a werewolf. And those expecting “Two Pints Of Blood And A Packet Of Death” had to wait a lot longer than anticipated for the first nob joke. (Although it did come in the end.)

Instead, it demonstrated a capability for straight-faced character drama and involved fantasy, with the odd joke to keep the non-geeks involved. There were a few shaky episodes, but it ended up being a genuinely warm yet dark adult fantasy, in the vein of Angel.

With the opening episodes of its second series, Being Human has once again skipped to one side and thwarted expectations. No longer does it simply resemble Angel, it resembles… one of the more depressing seasons of Angel. The mid-run years when all the lead characters seemed doomed in their endeavours.

The events of the previous series finale do justify the supernatural housemates being a little unhappy, but this viewer did miss the light-hearted bonding moments. Happily, the second and third episodes seem to be moving back in this direction, with the sense of doom being offset by a reliable (if grim) sense of humour. If this review had been written after seeing only the first, I would have to advise hiding all sharp objects before viewing.

For other reasons as well, this episode is not the strongest in Being Human’s history. George’s dark turn is enthusiastically portrayed by Russell Tovey, but is also so emphatic that one finds it hard to believe he hasn’t been possessed, or at least hit hard on the head.

But his hesitant charm re-emerges in the next one, and it’s odd how that alone makes everything seem better. In the third week, he even plays a more convincingly written depressed version of George, hopefully underlining that the earlier attempt was a mere blip.

In fact, a scene from the third episode where the three housemates attempt to watch The Real Hustle nearly caused me to have a hysteric fit. Although none of us want to see Being Human descend into BBC Three mediocrity, scenes like that, or Annie’s ludicrous matchmaking shortly later, are as important to the health of the series as the crying and gothic slaughter.

But the supernatural uber-storylines remain present, including new villains who combine the most unsettling elements of religion and science. Meanwhile, Mitchell the vampire is thrust into the undead underworld, uncovering a degree of depravity greater even than his own use of hairstyling products.

Despite the new series starting on a shaky note, it has the potential to be another good year. [Nick Bryan]

“Hello Bloggers!” says Colin Teague, director of the first three episodes of Being Human, series two, before going on to show us a glimpse of Mitchell without a top on.

Apparently, the last 10 minutes of the third episode are the best 10 minutes of Being Human so far, but it’s not like he’s going to say the first five minutes of the series opener are the best and then you might as well switch off.

More Being Human on Dork Adore

Amongst the many reasons why I love this colder time of year (and most of them involve stodgy food of some kind) is the brilliant range of TV shows lined up.

From the return of Doctor Who to the Beeb’s alternative to Flash Forward, there’s something for every geek girl’s viewing taste.

Check out the great shows we’ll all be snuggling up in our slankets to in the coming weeks.

• Doctor Who

The rather gorgeous David Tennant returns for the first of three special episodes that mark the end of his run as the Doctor. The first episode, titled The Waters of Mars, is due to screen on the 15th November on BBC1. The trailers have already started popping up, and it looks like a corker.

Expect lots of jumpy bits, quirky monologues and amazing special effects. Also, keep an eye out for the revamped logo (right)

• Spooks

Spooks returns for its 8th series on BBC1 on the 4th November.

This time, the suspicions of  Ros and Lucas are aroused over whether their leader Harry has really been kidnapped and murdered. The discovery of the body of his kidnapper further piques their interest in the case, as they begin their own investigation.

• Paradox

Tagged as the Beeb’s answer to Flash Forward, Paradox is due to air at some point later this month. The drama, starring Tamzin Outhwaite as Detective Inspector Rebecca Flint, centres around some images received from space that seem to be of a tragic event.

The twist? The event has yet to happen.

Get a sneak peak here.

• Misfits

Misfits looks to be the jewel in the crown of E4′s winter schedule. The story centres on a group of five outsiders undertaking community service. When they get caught in an electrical storm, they realise they’ve been given super powers.

The series follows their lives as we discover what actually happens when you can read everyone’s thoughts or turn invisible.

You can check out the Misfits trailer here

• Being Human

Popular BBC series Being Human is due to return for a second run. The show, which centres on a vampire, werewolf and girl ghost living as flatmates, is due to return to our screens in January 2010.

Fancy a little more of your Mitchell the vampire fix before the series returns? Have a peek at this behind the scenes interview.

With these new shows, there’s really no reason to have to resort to watching Celebrity Big Brother.

What are your must watch shows for the colder months?