Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes

Stupid Mr Whoopsie Name

[IMG]http://img13.imageshack.us/img13/8706/samtyler.jpg[/IMG] wrote:

"My name is Sam Tyler. I had an accident and I woke up in 1973. Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever's happened, it's like I've landed on a different planet. Now, maybe if I can work out the reason, I can get home."

And it's just like he says: Sam was a DCI of the Greater Manchester Police in 2006. During an especially taxing investigation, Sam is accidentally struck by a moving vehicle and blacks out. When he wakes up, he finds himself still in Manchester, but the time is now 1973. Sam then tries to integrate his modern view of policing into the seemingly lawless aspects of law enforcement of the 70's. This leads to him constantly butt heads with DCI Gene Hunt, the epitome of 1970's police bravado.

As the series progresses, Sam tries to unravel the true nature of his predicament while aspiring to be the best damn cop he can be in 1973. It is worth noting, however, that these sci-fi elements are only peppered through out the series and with the exception of the series bookend episodes, almost feel downplayed. A good reason for that is because of just how well the police procedural aspect of the show is written, and the chemistry between Philip Glenister's Gene Hunt and John Simm's Sam Tyler is the very backbone of Life on Mars.
Sam wakes up in 1973

[IMG]http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/2904/alexdrake.jpg[/IMG] wrote:

My name is Alex Drake. I've just been shot and that bullet has taken me be back to 1981. I may be one second away from life, or one second away from death. All I know is that I have to keep fighting. Fight to live. Fight to see my daughter. Fight to get home."

This is the sequel-series to Life on Mars. It features DI Alex Drake, a detective and trained psychologist from 2008, who is involved in an ongoing investigation of Sam Tyler's case when she suffers a gunshot wound to the head. After blacking out, Alex wakes up in London, 1981. There she works along side LoM characters Gene Hunt, Ray Carling and Chris Skelton.

A2A definitely plays up the camp a lot more initially, but does eventually find its own footing regarding the mystery surrounding Alex's circumstances. Her big motivation is the fact that, unlike Sam, she has a daughter she is desperate to return home to. Though it seems controversial to some, I'd say the chemistry between Phil Glenister/Gene Hunt and Keeley Hawes/Alex Drake is of a wonderful sort, running the gamut of both professional and romantic, the likes of which audiences haven't really seen since the days of Moonlighting.

Series 1 of A2A has wrapped and the first episode of Series 2 just premiered, so by all accounts Ashes to Ashes is still an ongoing series, expected to run for at most three series.

Alex wakes up in 1981


I've tried to keep the descriptions above tantalizing but ultimately spoiler free, as the suspense and mystery of the series is one of its biggest drawing points, so I implore everyone in the thread to do their best in keeping it spoiler free.

Also, even though there was recently an ABC remake of the show (an apparently an upcoming Spanish remake as well), I'd rather avoid nosediving this thread into "American remakes always suck!". However, I don't think discussing the divergence of the two versions is trouble, though. I do realize there was already a thread devoted to the ABC version of the show, but look at this as more of a thread to focus on the original continuity of the series.

Lastly, Life on Mars has a boss soundtrack.






So, who else watched Ashes to Ashes last night?

obolon84

I watched both series of Life on Mars about a month ago for the first time and really liked it. Haven't seen the 'sequel', but I'll buy the Ashes to Ashes DVD once I can get it imported for a lower price.

Bogart

No one can say 'bastard' like Gene Hunt.

Szechuanosaurus

I'd describe Life on Mars as 'A lot better than it may at first sound'. We didn't watch it when it aired but ended up getting the DVDs and are so far enjoying it. Season 1 of A2A apparently didn't go down as well with the fans but I'm prepared to give it a whirl when we finally get around to finishing Life on Mars.

Bogart

Ashes to Ashes doesn't quite gel as nicely as Life on Mars, but it's still pretty good.

WMain00

I think it didn't go down well with fans was because "It's not John Simm" and "It's not the 70's" were the main criticisms, which is unfair considering A2A isn't bad in the slightest, and Keeley "Lara" Hawes is hot.

Bogart

Well, maybe, but I just don't think Hawes character was as compelling as Simms. And there's the inevitable lessening of tension with an idea being a retread rather than being original. Don't get me wrong, I really like Ashes to Ashes (especially the ending, which totally blindsided me), I just think it doesn't quite measure up to the original.

This

Life on Mars was fucking brilliant. Also the opening sequence rocked. Ashes to Ashes just seems stupid to me. I watched the first episode, and whats-her-face is really hot and everything but it just comes across as completely pointless and lame to have someone else also waking up back in time with the same characters after a life-threatening injury. I don't care what the in-story explanation for it is, because it's just too obvious that the real explanation is an out-of-story one.

KrunkMcGrunk

The third series should be called Ziggy Stardust, which is about a delusional janitor that is transported back to the year 1973 after suffering from an electrical shock. He finds himself in the place of a gender-bending British glam rocker that is worshipped by hipsters for years to come.

Idoliside

Life On Mars is one of the best things i've watched on TV ever.
The new series of A2A is brilliant too, its started off much better than the first series.