BBC America has released an official statement confirming the premiere date of season 4 of Being Human, reiterating much of what creator Toby Whithouse has said about the new season, and adding some new tidbits that some of you will relish, and some of you will find too spoilery. Proceed at your own risk, but know that many of your Being Human pals will be reading this and will likely spill the info inadvertently anyway.

BBC AMERICA’S ORIGINAL HIT SERIES, BEING HUMAN, RETURNS TO SUPERNATURAL SATURDAY WITH FRESH AND THRILLING FOURTH SEASON
Jan 26, 2012 | BBC America

A vampire, werewolf and ghost do their best to live normal human lives while fighting off evil and raising a baby

BBC AMERICA’s original hit series, Being Human, returns February 25, as part of BBC AMERICA’s Supernatural Saturday. In its fourth chapter, the show is reinvigorated with new cast members, shocking plot-twists, guest appearances and an altogether new type of supernatural creature. In sharing his excitement about the new season, creator and writer Toby Whithouse (Doctor Who, Torchwood) promises: “We take you to somewhere we’ve never been to before.” Being Human premieres Saturday, February 25, 9:00pm ET/PT on Supernatural Saturday.

Following the gripping season three finale, in which viewers watched Mitchell (Aidan Turner) fall victim to the wolf-shaped bullet, season four sees the aftermath as the housemates return to their home in Barry Island. There are also some new faces in town…

In an old B&B in a sleepy seaside town, we join Annie (Lenora Crichlow), her housemate George (Russell Tovey) and their new friend Tom (Michael Socha). With a newborn baby to look after, it’s never been more difficult to live life under-the-radar as a ghost and two werewolves. There are also vampires to deal with: lurking in every corner of society, waiting for the Old Ones, powerful older vampires, to arrive and take over the world with brutal force. Worse yet, there’s a malevolent ghost on the loose and someone’s seeking to expose the existence of werewolves – not to mention all the diapers that need changing.

Toby Whithouse on the series: “Every year we set ourselves the task of creating something bigger and bolder and better than anything that’s happened before. We knew this year was going to be especially tough because of the various cast changes…The mountain before us seemed even higher than usual. But once we’d stopped rocking and shaking, we saw season four as an opportunity: we could invent new characters, expand the show in different directions, create new worlds and monsters and heroes, and add new layers to the overarching Being Human mythology. Suddenly season four was a genuinely thrilling prospect.”

Whithouse continues: “But the essential DNA of the show remains the same. Recently I found the pitch document I wrote for season one. This was the opening paragraph:

‘We’re the stuff of nightmares. And we’re your only hope. George, Mitchell and Annie yearn for their vanished humanity. Being Human is a unique twist on the aspirational drama, as the things Mitchell, Annie and George struggle to achieve are so common place and normal to us, yet impossibly remote to them. And the desire to be accepted by their old lost race will drive them to acts of immense courage, and foolish hazard. Our heroes may be like characters that have tumbled from the pages of a book, but their problems are always recognisably human, and the stories will strike a balance between the supernatural and the domestic.’

Obviously, a lot can happen in four years. But looking back at it now, I’m relieved to see that those words are still relevant for a show that has a new cast, a new location, an American reincarnation and expanded beyond our wildest dreams. As ever, Being Human lives or dies on the strength of the characters and the cast, and that’s why I think this season is our strongest yet.”

All three previous seasonsof BBC AMERICA’s Being Human are available now from the BBC on Blu-ray, DVD and on several media platforms to purchase and download.

We also have this lovely Character Guide, outlining a bit of the paths that Annie, Tom, and Hal will be taking in the new season.

CHARACTER GUIDE

Annie played by Lenora Crichlow

Annie has been a ghost since her fiancé killed her back in 2007, but since then she’s seen more of life than ever before. She’s defied death’s door, been to Purgatory and back, discovered her lover (Mitchell) was responsible for the murder of twenty innocent people and watched as he was killed by best friend George. In this season, Annie is more than ever the matriarch of Honolulu Heights, left holding the baby with the fate of the world in her hands.

Tom played by Michael Socha

Werewolf Tom has spent his life on a mission: to kill vampires. In season three, Tom discovered that not only was his father, McNair, not his real dad, but that he was the one who gave him the werewolf curse. Since McNair’s death, Tom has stayed in Barry and is welcomed into Honolulu Heights. Putting his nomadic life and his mission to kill all vampires (mostly!) behind him, Tom has to learn to live like a human, love like a human and fight like a human. But will he succeed?

Hal played by Damien Molony

Hal has been a vampire for over 500 years and the temptation for blood and carnage still rules his every waking thought. Since meeting best friends Leo (a werewolf) and Pearl (a ghost) in 1955, Hal has managed to stay off the blood by sticking to a rigid structure and keeping away from all people. Coming to Honolulu Heights is a huge disruption for Hal. And he doesn’t cope well with disruption. At first, Hal – the stand-offish, posh vampire – and Tom – the common, feral werewolf – find themselves at each-other’s throats, but once a mutual respect is gained, we see this odd couple become close.

Being Human returns with a brand-new fourth season beginning February 25 at 9/8c on BBC America.