Vampires seem to be everywhere these days. No matter where you look, be it at the movies, in books, on cable, or even smack in the middle of primetime, you are bound to find some character who is drinking someone’s blood. Now I’ve always liked the vampire mythos, but at some point a saturation level gets reached. This is the attitude I had when I tuned into BBC America’s new Saturday night fare, “Being Human.” Happily though, I could not have been more wrong, for this is not just another vampire story, but is actually something so much more.

The new series, a joint production for the BBC from BBC America and Touchpaper Television, follows three flatmates, a vampire, Mitchell (Aidan Turner, “The Clinic”), a ghost, Annie (Lenora Crichlow, “Doctor Who”) and a werewolf, Geroge (Russell Tovey, “Doctor Who”) as they each try and seek out exactly what it means to “be human.” It shows how these characters each deal with the unique supernatural qualities that separate them from the human world around them, and in this respect, the show explores issues of alienation, isolation, and liminal populations. The friends are unlike each other, but their greater separation from the common human experience binds them together as they depend on one another for support and to blend into the “normal” world. It is a bit of what we all do to be human.

As writer Toby Whithouse explains, “I like the idea of suggesting that there is some kind of underworld, another life, another story that is going on in the world that we’re unaware of that’s hidden. I wrote an episode of “Doctor Who” a couple of years ago that was set in a school. The Monday after it transmitted I heard reports that teachers were walking out to the front of their class and saying, ‘Physics, physics, physics’, which is what the Doctor said. It made the kids wonder if their teachers were really aliens.”

While that may be the underpinning of the series, there is definitely a sexy and dangerous gloss on top. There is the threat of George killing someone while in his werewolf state, Mitchell’s struggle against his inherent vampire nature to kill, the question of what unresolved matter is keeping Annie around as a ghost, and a mysterious vampire plot to overthrow humans. There is even an underground vampire group that is trying to bring Mitchell back into the fold, going so far as to send him video recordings of kills to remind him what he truly is. While some may feel that “True Blood” is addressing what it is like for a vampire to go against their innate instincts, what is intriguing here is how Mitchell interacts with the others in his flat who are all approaching the meaning of their humanity from different perspectives. Only two episodes into the series, there is already plenty to keep an audience entertained, and coupled with the promise of multiple plots just beginning to unfold, “Being Human” is definitely a must watch show of the summer.

The look of the show is glossy with just the appropriate level of special effects for the small screen that don’t become a distraction, but instead keep you immersed in the world of the characters. Even the werewolf transformation scenes flow well and do not take away at all from the story. You thus find yourself watching a compelling story about three supernatural beings, allowing you to become more interested in their individual problems than you would be able to if it was a large, special effects laden project.

The three lead actors are all brilliantly cast and each bring a unique introspection into playing their respective characters. Although he is playing a werewolf, actor Russell Tovey still approaches the role from a basis that most people would be familiar with. “He’s a screwed up fellow but he’s also got a heart of gold, he’s a sweetheart and he doesn’t want to hurt anyone. I think people will find him a bit odd but he’s a very endearing, loveable guy. He just wants to be normal, and I suppose a lot of people in life struggle with this if they’re somehow different. They just want to be the norm but the point is, what is the norm?”

All in all, the show is definitely worth checking out. It is not only entertaining, but it does make you think a bit about the nature of being human.

“Being Human” airs Saturday nights on BBC America.