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After a very successful run on BBC Three in the United Kingdom, Syfy in the United States decided it was time to get into the "Being Human" action, ordering 13 episodes of the series to run on Syfy by Summer 2010.

"'Being Human' is a smart, contemporary, young and imaginative series that reflects Syfy's new brand positioning," said Syfy president Dave Howe in a release. "We are very excited to adapt this for an American audience and bring it into Syfy's family of programming."

The show will be produced by RDF Media USA, the parent of Touchpaper Television, which took care of the British version.

"We've loved this project and been tracking it for a while," said Mark Stern, executive vice president of original content on Syfy. "'Being Human' definitely distinguishes itself as something new and different in a landscape filled with familiar supernatural fare. In adapting it, we intend to work closely with RDF to keep the wit, insight and humor of the original, while opening up the series for a new audience."

The show centers on three young roommates who just happen to have some supernatural aspects to their personalities. One is a ghost, another is a vampire and a third is a werewolf. Each of them struggle to keep their dark secrets from the world while helping each other navigate the complexities of living double lives.

The BBC Three version stars Lenora Crichlow, Russell Tovey and Aiden Turner, and has just been renewed for a second season by that channel. The British version has a large following, even internationally, which has some wondering why Syfy simply didn't pick up the British series instead.

Part of the reason could be the number of episodes. BBC Three has had just seven episodes, including a pilot, of "Being Human" produced so far, and Syfy typically likes to order at least 10 for a single season. At the same time, the deal being struck is not with BBC Three, but instead with the production company, so securing re-broadcast rights for the series -- which has already been made available in the United States on both BBC America an iTunes -- is not exactly a strong option.

Plus, there has been some success in recreating British series for American television, like "The Office" on NBC.

"We're incredibly proud of our British series and had a tremendous amount of interest in adapting the project for the states," said RDF Media chief executive Chris Coelen. "With Syfy's unwavering passion and dedication for the show, we're confident it can be as successful here as it is in the U.K."

No producers, writers or actors have been announced for the show as of yet, but it will likely be filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia, where many of Syfy's other original shows are produced. It is unlikely that the actors from the original show will be a part of the American version.