Syfy's 'Being Human' cast and crew haven't really watched British version

Tackling the beloved original -- still airing in the UK and stateside on BBC America -- the producers and writers behind Syfy's "Being Human" adaptation are under close examination of how they'll make it their own.

And apparently they're doing this by avoiding their source material. Executive producers Jeremy Carver and Anna Fricke addressed reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour, saying that they're really going for their own take.

"We've actually only seen their first season," says Fricke, speaking for Carver and herself, "and I'd say we follow their trajectory for a few episodes."

The first round of Syfy's "Being Human" comes in at 13 episodes, more than double the 6-episode run of the original. That extra space will be filled with new stories and arcs, and if they get an order beyond that, it will take them to uncharted territory.

"We made a point of not watching Season 2 when it aired on BBC America," Fricke continues. "We didn't want to be swayed by it. I don't think we ever will."

The actors have seen even less. "I've seen the first episode," says Sam Witwer, who plays the vampire Aidan. "When I was auditioning, I wanted to have an idea of what it was."

Regardless of how much they've seen, everyone involved in the new project seems to have reverence for the original -- and it's one of the reasons why they think people will tune in.

"I would say if you're a fan of the original, you're going to see a show that starts much in the same way," says Carver. "We explore these moments and what the characters experienced in the British version and say to the writers, 'What if we do this differently?'"

You can see how different it is when it premieres Jan. 17.