# Ashes To Ashes



## poster342002 (Feb 4, 2008)

Follow up to the excellent _Life On Mars _starts at 9:00pm this Thursday 7 February, BBC1. Can't wait for more of Philip Glenister's sarcastic DCI Hunt!


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## Jim Williams (Feb 4, 2008)

Thanks, been meaning to check when it was on. Thought it was going to be this week.


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## Belushi (Feb 4, 2008)

I'm worried its gonna be shit, loved Life on Mars.


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## poster342002 (Feb 4, 2008)

Belushi said:


> I'm worried its gonna be shit, loved Life on Mars.



If it recaptures the "feel" of the early 80s as well as it did the 70s, I think we're in for a treat. 

I wonder if we'll get any explanations as to whether DCI Hunt and co actually "exist" (within the world of the series) or does it all take place in a strange parrallel-world that people like Sam Tyler fall into when comatose?


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## marty21 (Feb 4, 2008)

looking forward to this


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## upsidedownwalrus (Feb 4, 2008)

Yeah Hunt is such a fantastic character that it has to, at least, be watchable.


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## Maurice Picarda (Feb 4, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> If it recaptures the "feel" of the early 80s as well as it did the 70s, I think we're in for a treat.
> 
> I wonder if we'll get any explanations as to whether DCI Hunt and co actually "exist" (within the world of the series) or does it all take place in a strange parrallel-world that people like Sam Tyler fall into when comatose?


 
That's been explained already somewhere. Hunt is Tyler's hallucination. Tyler recovers briefly frokm his coma, long enough to write detailed notes on his 70s retro fantasy, before jumping off the roof to his death. A researcher discovers the notes and finds them so compelling that she generates a Hunt of her own, only this time a 1980s one. There isn't meant to be any ambiguity any more about whether the 1970s copshop was real.


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## poster342002 (Feb 4, 2008)

Maurice Picarda said:


> That's been explained already somewhere. Hunt is Tyler's hallucination. Tyler recovers briefly frokm his coma, long enough to write detailed notes on his 70s retro fantasy, before jumping off the roof to his death. A researcher discovers the notes and finds them so compelling that she generates a Hunt of her own, only this time a 1980s one. There isn't meant to be any ambiguity any more about whether the 1970s copshop was real.



I saw the whole of _Life On Mars_, so know how it ends, but I'm still not sure it was ever that clear cut. Didn't Sam actually manage to change one or two events in the future by his actions back in his 1973 trip?


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## Maurice Picarda (Feb 4, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> Didn't Sam actually manage to change one or two events in the future by his actions back in his 1973 trip?


 
Not as I recall. We don't see much of the actual future. Sam's flashbacks are unreliable.


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## poster342002 (Feb 4, 2008)

I guess it's a moot point, anyhow, as one of the main purposes of the series is to show the social & cultural contrasts between then and now (70s, 80s and current day).


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## marty21 (Feb 4, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> I saw the whole of _Life On Mars_, so know how it ends, but I'm still not sure it was ever that clear cut. Didn't Sam actually manage to change one or two events in the future by his actions back in his 1973 trip?



didn't he manage to get that guy imprisoned in broadmoor who would have gone on and killed someome in his time, or something?


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## poster342002 (Feb 4, 2008)

marty21 said:


> didn't he manage to get that guy imprisoned in broadmoor who would have gone on and killed someome in his time, or something?



Bingo! That's it!


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## dylanredefined (Feb 4, 2008)

And when he went back at the end was still getting radio messages from the future he tuned them out so unclear .As he had left Gene in a middle of a fire fight which didnt look like it was survivable .Guess he didnt want to find out if Gene was around in the 200? 
  As they said austin powers best not to think about these things too much.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Feb 4, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> Bingo! That's it!



But if it's all in his head then he didn't do it. He never got to check in the future.


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## poster342002 (Feb 4, 2008)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> But if it's all in his head then he didn't do it. He never got to check in the future.



Ah, but didn't the scenes at his hospital bedside change a bit to reflect that this awful guy was (and always had been) locked away?


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Feb 4, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> Ah, but didn't the scenes at his hospital bedside change a bit to reflect that this awful guy was (and always had been) locked away?



Maybe the whole show is in his head. Maybe the whole show is in the head of someone else.


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## poster342002 (Feb 4, 2008)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> Maybe the whole show is in his head. Maybe the whole show is in the head of someone else.



God, let's not go there ...! 

Maybe it'll end with David Tenant sitting bolt upright in the TARDIS and telling his companion about this weird dream involving an old cop show ...!


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## Belushi (Feb 4, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> Maybe it'll end with David Tenant sitting bolt upright in the TARDIS and telling his companion about this weird dream involving an old cop show ...!



Or the Doctor regenerating as Gene Hunt...


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## poster342002 (Feb 4, 2008)

Belushi said:


> Or the Doctor regenerating as Gene Hunt...



Actually, I did find myself thinking he'd make a great, no-more-mr-niceguy, Dr Who!


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## sojourner (Feb 4, 2008)

Belushi said:


> I'm worried its gonna be shit, loved Life on Mars.



Yep, about sums it up for me


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## elevendayempire (Feb 4, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> I saw the whole of _Life On Mars_, so know how it ends, but I'm still not sure it was ever that clear cut. Didn't Sam actually manage to change one or two events in the future by his actions back in his 1973 trip?





Spoiler: Ashes to Ashes



It's made clear he's dead in the first five minutes of Ashes to Ashes



I've seen the first episode, and... well, it's not quite up there with Life on Mars. Biggest problem is that the lady cop character _knows what's going on_ from the outset, so all the sinister mystery elements are out the window. That said, the creepy-ass bits are just as creepy as the Evil Test Card Girl from LoM.


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## poster342002 (Feb 7, 2008)

Just a reminder that this is on tonight (Thursday) at 21:00 on BBC1...


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## _angel_ (Feb 7, 2008)

I hope this isn't going to be shit!


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## paolo (Feb 7, 2008)

For location spotters... name the abandoned building where Alex Drake meets Gene Hunt for the first time.


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## Stig (Feb 7, 2008)

elevendayempire said:


> I've seen the first episode, and... well, it's not quite up there with Life on Mars. Biggest problem is that the lady cop character _knows what's going on_ from the outset, so all the sinister mystery elements are out the window. That said, the creepy-ass bits are just as creepy as the Evil Test Card Girl from LoM.



I don't think that the lack of mystery will matter too much, I wads expecting that as there's no way round it after the first series.

Evil Test Card Girl, brrrr!  I'll be the one with my head under the duvet.


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## madzone (Feb 7, 2008)

_angel_ said:


> I hope this isn't going to be shit!


Me too - I'm a bit excited


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## susie12 (Feb 7, 2008)

I think it's just a cynical attempt to cash in on an unexpected success.  It's been smartened and glossed up, moved to London and the protagonist is now a sexy woman.  Quel surprise.


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## Mallard (Feb 7, 2008)

susie12 said:


> I think it's just a cynical attempt to cash in on an unexpected success.  It's been smartened and glossed up, moved to London and the protagonist is now a sexy woman.  Quel surprise.



And I'm looking forward to it


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## _angel_ (Feb 7, 2008)

susie12 said:


> I think it's just a cynical attempt to cash in on an unexpected success.  It's been smartened and glossed up, moved to London and the protagonist is now a sexy woman.  Quel surprise.




I noticed the moving it to London bit! 

Wonder if the locations will now consist of more than one half of a row of terrace houses and a factory?


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## Reno (Feb 7, 2008)

susie12 said:


> I think it's just a cynical attempt to cash in on an unexpected success.  It's been smartened and glossed up, moved to London and the protagonist is now a sexy woman.  Quel surprise.



It was successful, so it gets continued and if you don't like the idea don't watch it. To say that continuing a series that is a success is cynical strikes me as somewhat OTT. I think it's more interesting that they are mixing it up a bit and that they are exploring another decade with another lead who is more self aware rather than continuing the same thing till it runs out of steam.


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## Rollem (Feb 7, 2008)

susie12 said:


> I think it's just a cynical attempt to cash in on an unexpected success.  It's been smartened and glossed up, moved to London and the protagonist is now a sexy woman.  Quel surprise.



thats harsh. why not move it to london, its ten years later after all

i am worried its gonna be shit and i will be outed for only liking _life on mars _for mr john ronald simm


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Feb 7, 2008)

susie12 said:


> I think it's just a cynical attempt to cash in on an unexpected success.  It's been smartened and glossed up, moved to London and the protagonist is now a sexy woman.  Quel surprise.



Yeah but it's a slick 80s parody so what can you do?


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## Santino (Feb 7, 2008)

susie12 said:


> I think it's just a cynical attempt to cash in on an unexpected success.  It's been smartened and glossed up, moved to London and the protagonist is now a sexy woman.  Quel surprise.


Yeah, because the first series was so obscure and anti-populist.


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## Stig (Feb 7, 2008)

Alex B said:


> Yeah, because the first series was so obscure and anti-populist.


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## DexterTCN (Feb 7, 2008)

Totally looking forward to this.

Expecting it to be _at least _as good as LoM.


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## elevendayempire (Feb 7, 2008)

The biggest problem I had with it is the same problem that blighted the Pirates of the Caribbean sequels. Johnny Depp was a great, quirky _supporting character _in the first film, but second time around the writers knew he was the star and put him front and centre - and turned his character into a caricature. It's the same with Gene Hunt - literally his first line is the "armed bastards" one. And he was part of a double-act with Simm, _and_ he was specifically a caricature of a _70s_ copper. He just doesn't work as well in this series.


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## poster342002 (Feb 7, 2008)

elevendayempire said:


> It's the same with Gene Hunt - literally his first line is the "armed bastards" one. And he was part of a double-act with Simm, _and_ he was specifically a caricature of a _70s_ copper.



It's odd to work out how to feel about Gene Hunt, though. On most levels he's a truly obnoxious piece of work, yet he also comes across as someone who it'd be quite entertaining to share a few pints down the pub with.


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## elevendayempire (Feb 7, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> It's odd to work out how to feel about Gene Hunt, though. On most levels he's a truly obnoxious piece of work, yet he also comes across as someone who it'd be quite entertaining to share a few pints down the pub with.


Hmm, I've always thought the character is _entertaining_, but a genuinely horrible person. Particularly in light of the writers' comments that they deliberately toned down Hunt's racism after a readthrough (but happily left the homophobia intact...) - smacks of whitewashing the past to me.


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## poster342002 (Feb 7, 2008)

elevendayempire said:


> Hmm, I've always thought the character is _entertaining_, but a genuinely horrible person. Particularly in light of the writers' comments that they deliberately toned down Hunt's racism after a readthrough (but happily left the homophobia intact...)


True enough - he's not meant to be a _pleasant_ charecter, but he _is_ witty and entertaining at times (in an ultra-sarcastic way). His one-liners are hard to resist laughing to, you must admit.


elevendayempire said:


> - smacks of whitewashing the past to me.


Not sure I'd go that far. I think there _may_ be a case for saying it unintentionally whitewashes the present a bit (sort of "this is how it _used_ to be. It's not like that anymore").


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## mrsfran (Feb 7, 2008)

> Hmm, I've always thought the character is entertaining, but a genuinely horrible person. Particularly in light of the writers' comments that they deliberately toned down Hunt's racism after a readthrough (but happily left the homophobia intact...) - smacks of whitewashing the past to me.



I <3 Gene Hunt. I know he's an ignorant bastard. But I don't care because he is, crucially, _not real_.


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## mrsfran (Feb 7, 2008)

I think I might have 'oops for tea in preparation.


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## clandestino (Feb 7, 2008)

I hope they don't try too hard to make it similar to Life On Mars. I don't want another trapped in time, what's going on story - we've been there. I like the character of Gene Hunt, and want to see him on the rampage, cracking heads. That's all. My worry is that they've overthought it, and tried to come up with another bizarre time travelling scenario. 

Who cares why we're suddenly in the eighties, and what happened to Sam Tyler. He's dead. Move on, Dorothys. I want the Gene Hunt show in all its un-PC glory.


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## elevendayempire (Feb 7, 2008)

missfran said:


> I think I might have 'oops for tea in preparation.


Ah, but it's not the 70s anymore. You need a quintessentially 80s food...


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## Stig (Feb 7, 2008)

cheesy chips and Vienetta?


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## Dan U (Feb 7, 2008)

Yay!


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## moose (Feb 7, 2008)

I want a quattro turbo coupe so badly.


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## spanglechick (Feb 7, 2008)

well i liked it.  i don't want alex and gene hunt to get all lovey though.  it will work better if he hates her.

not sure about all the gunplay, though.


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## Serotonin (Feb 7, 2008)

That was pretty good. Lots of scene setting, but then again the first ep of Life On Mars felt similar. 
I am going to give it a chance, just for the Quattro.


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## marty21 (Feb 7, 2008)

loved the quattro and the music took me back to my teen years and it wasn't  too bad, i'm going to give it chance


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## marty21 (Feb 7, 2008)

last episode of the first series on bbc4 now!!


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## tangerinedream (Feb 7, 2008)

I didn't like it anywhere near as much as life on mars. It was silly in parts and camped up situations that were tense in l.o.m. I'm going to keep going with it though cos it's unfair to slate it after one but I thought it was not in the same league.


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## Sigmund Fraud (Feb 7, 2008)

Keely Hawes acted everybody else off the screen.  The show was a bit short of locations and the time jokes are wearing a bit thin but Keely Hawes is so flippin beautiful I'm prepared to let that go.  

Can't see them having enough for a second season though but its probably in pre-production as we speak.


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## Dan U (Feb 7, 2008)

like the computer jiggery pokery of Tower Bridge on to Millenium Millls 

enjoyed it. wait and see how it develops between them all.


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## clandestino (Feb 7, 2008)

I wasn't blown away, sadly. 

I'm going to reserve judgement for the moment. A few things worry me about the set up as it stands, but we'll see how it pans out.


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## madzone (Feb 7, 2008)

It was ok.

Something about the pace of it didn't seem right


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## zoooo (Feb 7, 2008)

I thought it was fantastic.
Already prefer it to Life on Mars, for some bizarre reason.


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## clandestino (Feb 7, 2008)

There was something a bit naff about it - I think it's partly the depiction of the 80s, partly the female lead, who I didn't find particularly engaging. Life On Mars took a very uncool decade and made it feel cool. This didn't feel like a cool show at all. 

But, as I say....I'm doing my best to reserve judgement. Hopefully it'll all settle down once the individual episode stories (rather than the bigger story) start kicking in.


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## killer b (Feb 7, 2008)

it wasn't too bad. i hated the lady, though. which doesn't bode well...


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## wishface (Feb 7, 2008)

This show is a comedy, right?


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## killer b (Feb 7, 2008)

not really.


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## Kaka Tim (Feb 7, 2008)

I thought it was great. Thoroughly entertained.


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## belboid (Feb 7, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> True enough - he's not meant to be a _pleasant_ charecter, but he _is_ witty and entertaining at times (in an ultra-sarcastic way). His one-liners are hard to resist laughing to, you must admit.


the bastards (almost) always get the best lines


okay start, hopefully all the 'knowing' stuff will diminish rapidly on the coming episodes, and we'll just be watching The Professionals with a sexy chick doing an ironic commentary over it


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## belboid (Feb 7, 2008)

wishface said:


> This show is a comedy, right?



comic drama, like shameless


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## Reno (Feb 7, 2008)

ianw said:


> Life On Mars took a very uncool decade and made it feel cool. This didn't feel like a cool show at all.



The 70's were pretty cool, they've just been marketed to us as uncool for the last couple of decades by reducing them to a few visual cliches.


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## belboid (Feb 7, 2008)

i think the seventies uncoolness went a little bit beyond a few 'visual cliches'.  Hawkwind aside, cool was not the phrase.

"The sixties weren't all bad, it was the seventies that stank"


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## Reno (Feb 7, 2008)

belboid said:


> i think the seventies uncoolness went a little bit beyond a few 'visual cliches'.  Hawkwind aside, cool was not the phrase.
> 
> "The sixties weren't all bad, it was the seventies that stank"



Any decade when black civil rights, feminism and gay rights went mainstream is pretty cool to me. Most of the clothes, design, art, films and much of the music I like best are from the 70's, so you are talking to the wrong person. Of the four and a half decades that I lived through it was by far the coolest.


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## marty21 (Feb 7, 2008)

Reno said:


> The 70's were pretty cool, they've just been marketed to us as uncool for the last couple of decades by reducing them to a few visual cliches.



they weren't that cool, i remember them

i liked gene hunt's cowboy boots - very of the time - don't remember any police officers wearing them, but they were popular among young men at the time


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## cybertect (Feb 8, 2008)

Dan U said:


> like the computer jiggery pokery of Tower Bridge on to Millenium Millls



Aye. All I kept thinking was that the river doesn't turn that sharply that close to Tower Bridge to get a view like that. 

Not up to LoM on first viewing, but there was enough there to keep me watching.


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## zoooo (Feb 8, 2008)

Aw! That wasn't real?


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## belboid (Feb 8, 2008)

Reno said:


> Any decade when black civil rights, feminism and gay rights went mainstream is pretty cool to me. Most of the clothes, design, art, films and much of the music I like best are from the 70's, so you are talking to the wrong person. Of the four and a half decades that I lived through it was by far the coolest.



you were too young for the sixties n too cynical for the nineties then 

(obviously I'm skipping over the eighties cos only a madman in a long black raincoat would call them the coolest decade)


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## marty21 (Feb 8, 2008)

there has to be a cool decade surely - what is it?


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## clandestino (Feb 8, 2008)

marty21 said:


> there has to be a cool decade surely - what is it?



the sixties.


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## marty21 (Feb 8, 2008)

ianw said:


> the sixties.



well it produced me


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## paolo (Feb 8, 2008)

"Fire up the Quattro".

What a line. Alan Partridge on steroids. 




Dan U said:


> like the computer jiggery pokery of Tower Bridge on to Millenium Millls



Heh... indeed. I had a double take at that point... just to be sure they hadn't switched to Chambers Wharf.


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## paolo (Feb 8, 2008)

cybertect said:


> Aye. All I kept thinking was that the river doesn't turn that sharply that close to Tower Bridge to get a view like that.



It would have to turn very sharply indeed... Millennium Mills isn't actually on the Thames.  (sorry, I'll stop geeking about abandoned buildings now  )


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## madzone (Feb 8, 2008)

I think I'll like it if I can stop comparing it to LoM.


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## marty21 (Feb 8, 2008)

i really wanted cowboy boots in 1981 - but couldn't afford them


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## poster342002 (Feb 8, 2008)

I enjoyed it. I think there's more more humour in this series compared with LoM, but not to the point where it's pure self-mockery. Captured the 80s quite well, too, so far. Gene Hunt is more of a mainstream hero in this, I think, and much less the dubious and sinister anti-hero he was in LoM.

A good start - looking forward to more.


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## madzone (Feb 8, 2008)

Someone on another forum has questioned some of the music. Too early?


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## Maurice Picarda (Feb 8, 2008)

No, not good. It's a cover version, a tribute act. 

Gene Hunt was an amusing secondary character in LOM, but he has to do too much work here. It would be pretty hard to live up to the dramatic entrance scenes that he has every five minutes. Simms is a very subtle, nuanced actor who managed to sell the ambiguity of his 1973 role. The bird from _Spooks_ doesn't do that, although to be fair, that's partly because the plot premise can't supply any tension about whether the setting is real. 

LoM got the drabness of the 70s bang to rights, while A2A bombarded one with pop-culcha references that felt plucked from a Channel 5 talking heads nostalgia programme. 

But comparisons aside, it just wasn't a very good show.


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## poster342002 (Feb 8, 2008)

The Zippy & George scene made my hair stand on end. Very nightmarish. An instantly recognisable 'cosy' part of 80s culture, but turned on it's head and made sinister.


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## Rollem (Feb 8, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> The Zippy & George scene made my hair stand on end. Very nightmarish. An instantly recognisable 'cosy' part of 80s culture, but turned on it's head and made sinister.


i thought the zippy and george scene was shit personally

i dont know, its gonna be a slow burner for i think.

love that its set in 1981, with the brixton riots and race issues going on - great juxtapoistion to the unthinking racism that was present in Life on Mars

but felt at times that the whole 'gene hunt' thing was a bit over done - like when the music built up just for him to come out of his office. a bit overworked for me. though at the same time i am intrigued by the message that sam died coz he didn't listen to gene "stick with hunt and you'll be ok" 

whilst i love the change to the female being the lead, in a time of power suits and padded shoulders, i am worried about the woman. she grated a bit. guess the lack of confusion as to what's happened was a bit of a downer, her insider knowledge just proved a bit disapointing. though i did love the looks on the faces of ray and chris when she talks about going home, clear throw back to the tyler years 

but overall it did feel a bit too silly. bit too slapstick which i think got in the way of the darker stuff at times. 

i'll hold judgement for now....


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## Belushi (Feb 8, 2008)

Maurice Picarda said:


> No, not good. It's a cover version, a tribute act.
> 
> Gene Hunt was an amusing secondary character in LOM, but he has to do too much work here. It would be pretty hard to live up to the dramatic entrance scenes that he has every five minutes. Simms is a very subtle, nuanced actor who managed to sell the ambiguity of his 1973 role. The bird from _Spooks_ doesn't do that, although to be fair, that's partly because the plot premise can't supply any tension about whether the setting is real.
> 
> ...



Exactly how I feel. Not giving up on it yet but I dont think this series is going to be a patch on LoM.


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## sojourner (Feb 8, 2008)

Didn't bother watching it in the end.  Loved LOM, didn't even fancy the review of this


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## poster342002 (Feb 8, 2008)

Rollem said:


> but felt at times that the whole 'gene hunt' thing was a bit over done - like when the music built up just for him to come out of his office. a bit overworked for me.



Agree there - although I think it reflects how Drake's view of him differs from Sam's. Whereas Sam saw Gene as a reactionary old throwback (which he is) and a bit of a joke, Drake finds him fascinating and almost admires him as an imaginary charecter come to life. She not-quite hero worships Gene, but it's not far off - and the feel of the show brings that across (albeit a bit _too_ heavy-handedly at times).


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## dodgepot (Feb 8, 2008)

i thought it was ace.


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## belboid (Feb 8, 2008)

madzone said:


> Someone on another forum has questioned some of the music. Too early?



No, none that I checked (sad bastard that I am).  I thought same Old Scene came out much earlier, but it was an 80/81 hit after all.

I'll be watching attentively tho.

Now the Ford Quattro, that WAS too early


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## Artie Fufkin (Feb 8, 2008)

madzone said:


> Someone on another forum has questioned some of the music. Too early?



yes, Stranglers 'No More Heroes' was released in 1977.


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## Belushi (Feb 8, 2008)

I thought the Yuppies were a bit early, were they around in '81?  I always associate them with a bit later in the decade.


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## belboid (Feb 8, 2008)

that means it wasn't too early then!  it was still being played in '81


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## Rollem (Feb 8, 2008)

Belushi said:


> I thought the Yuppies were a bit early, were they around in '81?  I always associate them with a bit later in the decade.



good point


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## madzone (Feb 8, 2008)

belboid said:


> that means it wasn't too early then! it was still being played in '81


No, I didn't make it clear. She means the song was too early for 81.


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## Artie Fufkin (Feb 8, 2008)

belboid said:


> that means it wasn't too early then!  it was still being played in '81



quite and so were the Beatles. but it's association and context and it felt wrong. but hey, a small gripe really.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Feb 8, 2008)

I thought it was OK.


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## treelover (Feb 8, 2008)

I think it was certainly more ironic and knowing then LOM, soaked in a post modern sensibility. They have also certainly brought GH to the fore, but imo he makes a great iconclastic anti-hero and Glenister does bring a powerful presence to the role. I disagree with others about Drake, i think her role will grow over time and she will be more than a short skirt and a pretty face. I see what people say about using the time travel device again, but its not exhausted, though the self referential tone jarred a bit: let the story stand on its own without constant ref to LOM. The shoot outs were a bit comedic and its not Dirty Harry, even if GH thinks he is.


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## _angel_ (Feb 8, 2008)

Belushi said:


> I thought the Yuppies were a bit early, were they around in '81?  I always associate them with a bit later in the decade.



we thought that too


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## Structaural (Feb 8, 2008)

I enjoyed it, laughed a lot.


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## belboid (Feb 8, 2008)

Artie Fufkin said:


> quite and so were the Beatles. but it's association and context and it felt wrong. but hey, a small gripe really.



still very very popular in 81 tho, close enough, imo.  A few things from LOM weren't actually 73 either, iirr*.  And Gene was always a bit behind the times, so it fits there too.  And Golden Brown really wouldn't have worked

eg Brainstorm & Silver Machine, both 72, Cross Eyed Mary, 71, top name but three.  And the word yuppy was coined in 1980, tho not that widely used till 82/83


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## poster342002 (Feb 8, 2008)

Regarding the slight historical inaccurracies; I think a little bit of artistic-license is justified in order to get all the ingredients together in one show (the brixton riots, the music of the time, yuppies, etc etc) otherwise it'd be impossible. I think the show succeeds more than it fails - both with LoM and ATA.


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## mrsfran (Feb 8, 2008)

Maurice Picarda said:


> No, not good. It's a cover version, a tribute act.
> 
> Gene Hunt was an amusing secondary character in LOM, but he has to do too much work here. It would be pretty hard to live up to the dramatic entrance scenes that he has every five minutes. Simms is a very subtle, nuanced actor who managed to sell the ambiguity of his 1973 role. The bird from _Spooks_ doesn't do that, although to be fair, that's partly because the plot premise can't supply any tension about whether the setting is real.
> 
> ...


 
My feelings exactly. I was very disappointed - while I laughed several times, and was pleased to see Gene Hunt again, it had none of the subtlety of LoM.

I will give it another chance, but this first showing just wasn't very good.


----------



## poster342002 (Feb 8, 2008)

Something that struck me was the reference to "the financial district" of London - and how it brought home how this was once just one component among others of London and the UK's makeup and apparatus - as opposed to it might as well being called "the seat of government and entire national economy" as it pretty much is nowadays.


----------



## dodgepot (Feb 8, 2008)

i liked it when gene called himself the a-team and then there followed a huge shoot-out with guns-a-blaxing and _nobody got shot_  i reckon that was intentional.


----------



## Dan U (Feb 8, 2008)

paolo999 said:


> Heh... indeed. I had a double take at that point... just to be sure they hadn't switched to Chambers Wharf.



ditto. but it was the wrong side of the river


----------



## susie12 (Feb 8, 2008)

> Yeah, because the first series was so obscure and anti-populist.



The first series was turned down when it was first pitched, and wasn't expected to be the success that it was.  However, must admit I enjoyed last night's - it pisses all over most of the drama that's on at the minute


----------



## Rollem (Feb 8, 2008)

dodgepot said:


> i liked it when gene called himself the a-team and then there followed a huge shoot-out with guns-a-blaxing and _nobody got shot_  i reckon that was intentional.



 thought it comedic when chris was dancing around the machine gun bullets, and great when hunt would not answer drake until she called him the a team


----------



## marty21 (Feb 8, 2008)

dodgepot said:


> i liked it when gene called himself the a-team and then there followed a huge shoot-out with guns-a-blaxing and _nobody got shot_  i reckon that was intentional.



think so too, all that running around with bullets just missing...then comingto trhe rescue in a miami vice like boat


----------



## cybertect (Feb 8, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> Something that struck me was the reference to "the financial district" of London - and how it brought home how this was once just one component among others of London and the UK's makeup and apparatus - as opposed to it might as well being called "the seat of government and entire national economy" as it pretty much is nowadays.



I picked that up too, but for a completely different reason: surely anyone would just say "The City"? 

[wonders if they're thinking of overseas sales with that script decision]


----------



## brianx (Feb 8, 2008)

Suspension of disbelief is fine but deciding not to think what's going on except for other 80's tv references including those that came later is bollox. I loved the I thought tha Law rampage with the Quatro though.


----------



## Reno (Feb 9, 2008)

A friend of mine worked on this and there were some arguments about the fact that 1981 was still steeped in the 70's and that many things typical of the later 80's were anachronistic at that early date. The main reason of setting the series in 1981 is that the Charles/Diana wedding took place that year which apparently figures in the plot, but they still wanted it too look 80's rather than 70's.

As to the series, I have the same problems with this as I had with Life on Mars. I like the time travel mystery, the characters and the period settings, but I loose interest when they solve the murder of the week.


----------



## brianx (Feb 10, 2008)

According to the Radio Times they'll be at the Blizt next week. Jean Jeanny will fit in there I'm sure.


----------



## rollinder (Feb 10, 2008)

Steve Strange is going to playing himself


----------



## danny la rouge (Feb 13, 2008)

I taped it, and finally got round to watching it this evening.  It was shit, and I won't be watching any more.  I'd rather remember the first series of Life on Mars, not this lame crap.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Feb 13, 2008)

rollinder said:


> Steve Strange is going to playing with himself



Corrected.


----------



## STFC (Feb 14, 2008)

Surely any slight historical incaccuracies don't matter, as it's only her vision of 1981, she's not really there.

I've tried to watch the first episode twice now but fell asleep both times. Hopefully tonight's will be better.


----------



## Belushi (Feb 14, 2008)

danny la rouge said:


> I taped it, and finally got round to watching it this evening.  It was shit, and I won't be watching any more.  I'd rather remember the first series of Life on Mars, not this lame crap.



Innit, I dont think Im going to bother with the second episode.


----------



## dynamicbaddog (Feb 14, 2008)

danny la rouge said:


> I taped it, and finally got round to watching it this evening.  It was shit, and I won't be watching any more..


I watched it on the bbc player yesturday and found it disappointing, I'm going to watch it again tonight tho just in case it improves


----------



## agricola (Feb 14, 2008)

Better than last week, though the whole bit with the station stamp was a bit too gleefully done.


----------



## Rollem (Feb 14, 2008)

bloody hell its crap

for some reason, i am still intrigued by hunt's role/importance, but bloody hell, it's crap!


----------



## marty21 (Feb 14, 2008)

thought it was slightly better than the first one - liked her glee at being at blitz, and the way all the dancers thought they were cool - i remember, they did think they were cool storyline was a little weak, but i'm going to stick with it


----------



## dodgepot (Feb 14, 2008)

DI drake jars me. she jars me a lot.


----------



## DexterTCN (Feb 14, 2008)

Oh come on, that was great.


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (Feb 15, 2008)

I haven't seen a single episode of Life On Mars, but I really enjoyed this.  Will be watching episode 2 on iplayer tomorrow...


----------



## marty21 (Feb 15, 2008)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> I haven't seen a single episode of Life On Mars, but I really enjoyed this.  Will be watching episode 2 on iplayer tomorrow...



you should watch life on mars


----------



## Fullyplumped (Feb 15, 2008)

agricola said:


> Better than last week, though the whole bit with the station stamp was a bit too gleefully done.


Too much glee, then?


----------



## Fullyplumped (Feb 15, 2008)

rollinder said:


> Steve Strange is going to playing himself



Was he the very ugly bartender in makeup? Looked like a one-headed Zaphod Beeblebrox (from the telly HHGTTG).


----------



## mrsfran (Feb 15, 2008)

It was rubbbish again  I'm so disappointed, I had been looking forward to this for ages. But I just do not like Drake at all, there's absolutely no subtlety, the storylines are weak and superficial, and the cultural references are so clanging they make my ears hurt. A real shame.


----------



## marty21 (Feb 15, 2008)

i liked the anarcho kid


----------



## madzone (Feb 15, 2008)

Fullyplumped said:


> Was he the very ugly bartender in makeup? Looked like a one-headed Zaphod Beeblebrox (from the telly HHGTTG).


He was the one on stage singing Fade to Grey

Wasn't he?


----------



## marty21 (Feb 15, 2008)

madzone said:


> He was the one on stage singing Fade to Grey
> 
> Wasn't he?




aye, they filmed him from a distance - had to really


----------



## QueenOfGoths (Feb 15, 2008)

marty21 said:


> aye, they filmed him from a distance - had to really



Yeah - I think he's been at the pies a bit too


----------



## Belushi (Feb 15, 2008)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> I haven't seen a single episode of Life On Mars, but I really enjoyed this.  Will be watching episode 2 on iplayer tomorrow...




Then watch Life on Mars then, because this is a very poor sequel.

Utter, utter gash.


----------



## Miss Potter (Feb 15, 2008)

I'm enjoying it. The soundtrack takes me back to the time of my life and I have a menopausal crush on Gene Hunt 

I felt quite sorry for Drake last night when she was trying to bond with her mother.


----------



## _angel_ (Feb 15, 2008)

Keeley Hawes is just terrible. I hate her all knowingness. The script isn't good either.


----------



## Rollem (Feb 15, 2008)

_angel_ said:


> Keeley Hawes is just terrible. I hate her all knowingness.


its rubbish isnt it. when its her talking to herself, in one her her "i am not here its my imagination blahdey blahdey blah" i just swtich off and wait for her to shut up. it was so much more intersting with sam not understanding and being depserte to get home. drake just coasts along in a smug knowingness, as though she is assured to return to her 'real life'

cant help thinking that something "shazza" said last week about the moment between life and death is when you see all the mistakes you have made in your life, has a central role in this series, but wtf it is i have no idea. maybe drake touched on it last night when confronting her mother? 

i just find myself listening to what other people have to say, and trying to ignore drake as much as possible basically 


also, life on mars gave me a real sense of nostalgia and a longing to be a kid again (even though i was only born in 77!) a2a does nothing like that, just an intrigue to see what old parts of london they are able to reconstruct as the 80s. though it was interesting the whole docklands development thing as i mremeber a lot of anger about it


----------



## mrsfran (Feb 15, 2008)

The one thing I did notice last night was when Drake was reading the paper there was a headline that read "Operation Drake". That was the one tiny bit of intrigue I squeezed from it.


----------



## QueenOfGoths (Feb 15, 2008)

Rollem said:


> its rubbish isnt it. when its her talking to herself, in one her her "i am not here its my imagination blahdey blahdey blah" i just swtich off and wait for her to shut up. it was so much more intersting with sam not understanding and being depserte to get home. drake just coasts along in a smug knowingness, as though she is assured to return to her 'real life'
> 
> cant help thinking that something "shazza" said last week about the moment between life and death is when you see all the mistakes you have made in your life, has a central role in this series, but wtf it is i have no idea. maybe drake touched on it last night when confronting her mother?
> 
> ...



I agree with you on Keeley Hawes, she is just not right for the character somehow. 

I like the idea of her thinking it is all a construct of her imagination as this distances it from "Life on Mars", and Sam not knowing what was going, plus it gives a different dynamic to the programme, which I think they needed to do as otherwise it would just be "Life on Mars Re-visited". However they way it is done - not sure whether it is the writing the acting or both - isn't really working.

Funnily enough I get a lot more nostalgia from "Ashes to Ashes" as I was 15 in 1981 so was into a lot of the music, fashion etc.. And I was interested to see that in both episodes they have driven along the underpass near the Barbican (the one with the coloured walls).


----------



## upsidedownwalrus (Feb 15, 2008)

I'm downloading it now.


----------



## electric.avenue (Feb 15, 2008)

It's just brilliant. I was worried it might be a disappointment after Life On Mars, but after two episodes, I can say I love it.

The character of Gene Hunt is developing more, and he is actually becoming more likeable. And the sexual tension between Alex and Gene - worrrrr!

I think Ashes to Ashes is going to be a great vehicle for developing both characters, and some of the others. Plus some great eighties references, eg: Blitz, cloakroom attendant called George, etc. Bring it on.


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (Feb 15, 2008)

I've enjoyed both episodes so far, it's hillarious


----------



## editor (Feb 21, 2008)

I think it's rubbish - and I *loved* Life On Mars. The woman's just not convincing. Big disappointment.


----------



## colacubes (Feb 21, 2008)

Never watched Life on Mars but we just watched 10 mins of this and gave up cos it was shite


----------



## marty21 (Feb 21, 2008)

thought tonight was better actually


----------



## belboid (Feb 21, 2008)

didn't really work tonight, kinda brave points tho it was trying to make about the possibilities of getting a rape conviction. good to know the cops only ever fitted people up cos they really were bastards, eh?


anyway, as a whole, it is shit - i mean, three episodes & no teardrops??!!


----------



## belboid (Feb 21, 2008)

<double post>


----------



## DexterTCN (Feb 21, 2008)

That one wasn't as good.


----------



## treelover (Feb 22, 2008)

Its not LOm. but the charisma of PG and yes, the beauty of KH pushes it above the ordinary and I do think the ensemble cast are great, there are some interesting resonances as well, such as the campaign against the Yuppies on the Isle Of Dogs.


----------



## belboid (Feb 22, 2008)

the fact of the prostitute/rape episode coming out today is kinda spooky n all


----------



## belboid (Feb 22, 2008)

a minor point - wtf does KH wear that off the shoulder thing all the time?  why on earth would a 80's female copper be dressed like that?  she just wouldn't be


----------



## spanglechick (Feb 22, 2008)

belboid said:


> a minor point - wtf does KH wear that off the shoulder thing all the time?  why on earth would a 80's female copper be dressed like that?  she just wouldn't be



indeed - her costuming is generally really wrong.  Far too slutty - unless that's a conscious point of her not appreciating the culture - like the one night stand thing...


----------



## poster342002 (Feb 22, 2008)

marty21 said:


> thought tonight was better actually



Yes, this episode felt much more like _Life on Mars _in terms of pacing and atmospheare after last week's slightly wobbly episode.


----------



## Miss Potter (Feb 22, 2008)

spanglechick said:


> indeed - her costuming is generally really wrong.  Far too slutty - unless that's a conscious point of her not appreciating the culture - like the one night stand thing...



isn't it that she didn't have any clothes so has to use what they've got in the lost property or whatever? In the first ep they gave her clothes "from that dead woman" so maybe she hasn't got much choice?

Also I'm confused about the flat where she's sleeping, is it above the Italian restaurant. And is the restaurant some sort of police social club


----------



## poster342002 (Feb 22, 2008)

alice band said:


> isn't it that she didn't have any clothes so has to use what they've got in the lost property or whatever? In the first ep they gave her clothes "from that dead woman" so maybe she hasn't got much choice?



You'd have thought she'd have had a chance to pop to the shops for another outfit by now, though!


----------



## belboid (Feb 22, 2008)

police pay was just _awful_ still in 81' tho, obviously.

I do suspect that they are using all the 'it's all n her mind, and she knows it' as a way of getting around any completely implausible happenings (any wrong clothes, wrong music, slightly askew dates) - after all, its not like Sam who didn't know what was going on, so it _had_ to be 'right', seemingly contrarily. Similarly, whenever there is a bit of  a plothole, she'll come out with one of her 'oh you are all just constructs' lines to skirt over/around it


----------



## poster342002 (Feb 22, 2008)

belboid said:


> police pay was just _awful_ still in 81' tho, obviously.
> 
> *I do suspect that they are using all the 'it's all n her mind, and she knows it' as a way of getting around any completely implausible happenings *(any wrong clothes, wrong music, slightly askew dates) - after all, its not like Sam who didn't know what was going on, so it _had_ to be 'right', seemingly contrarily. Similarly, whenever there is a bit of  a plothole, she'll come out with one of her 'oh you are all just constructs' lines to skirt over/around it



Yes, I think they may be over-using that plot device a little.


----------



## poster342002 (Feb 22, 2008)

belboid said:


> police pay was just _awful_ still in 81' tho, obviously.



Especially awful pay (not!) for a middle-ranking one as she appears to be!


----------



## elevendayempire (Feb 22, 2008)

belboid said:


> police pay was just _awful_ still in 81' tho, obviously.
> 
> I do suspect that they are using all the 'it's all n her mind, and she knows it' as a way of getting around any completely implausible happenings (any wrong clothes, wrong music, slightly askew dates) - after all, its not like Sam who didn't know what was going on, so it _had_ to be 'right', seemingly contrarily. Similarly, whenever there is a bit of  a plothole, she'll come out with one of her 'oh you are all just constructs' lines to skirt over/around it


But we've had quite a few scenes where the "constructs" are interacting _without Alex being there_ - contrast with Life on Mars, where they took great care to ensure that Sam was present in every scene. Something going on there, I think...


----------



## ViolentPanda (Feb 22, 2008)

alice band said:


> Also I'm confused about the flat where she's sleeping, is it above the Italian restaurant. And is the restaurant some sort of police social club


It was explained in episode 1 when Hunt told her "the owner of the restaurant we go to after work let's us use the flat upstairs".


----------



## belboid (Feb 22, 2008)

elevendayempire said:


> But we've had quite a few scenes where the "constructs" are interacting _without Alex being there_ - contrast with Life on Mars, where they took great care to ensure that Sam was present in every scene. Something going on there, I think...



yup - less thought from the scriptwriters, & the 'fact' that Alex is imagining it all means she can imagine what they are doing when she isn't there.

Unlike LoM, WE know it's all in her head, so they don't need to play the 'is it/isn't it' game


----------



## poster342002 (Feb 22, 2008)

belboid said:


> Unlike LoM, WE know it's all in her head, so they don't need to play the 'is it/isn't it' game



Unless, of course, there's a _very_ cleaver twist in store at the end of the series that puts a whole different angle on the situation?


----------



## tangerinedream (Feb 22, 2008)

Dunno if this has been said, but Gene seems to be much less questioning of her behaviour in this than he was of Sams - When she goes of about them being subconcious constructs, he tends to not really seem too alarmed by it - where as with Sam Tyler he was more 'wtf are you on about?' - is this just because he has experienced Sam, therefore is more accepting of such seeming mentalism?


----------



## belboid (Feb 22, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> Unless, of course, there's a _very_ cleaver twist in store at the end of the series that puts a whole different angle on the situation?



aye, hope they do.  But the writing hasn't really been of a quality that indicates that it will


----------



## poster342002 (Feb 22, 2008)

belboid said:


> aye, hope they do.  But the writing hasn't really been of a quality that indicates that it will



I think there'll be some kind of "payoff" that differs a bit from LoM, as we can't just have "she woke up and it was all a dream" because we already _know_ that - unlike with LoM where it was all a lot less clear cut for a long time. There's most likely something else into the mix that we don't know yet. My guess is something to do with Gene. Maybe the whole thing is _his_ dream?


----------



## belboid (Feb 22, 2008)

that'd be quite good, don't think it would work tho...

Must say, I just don't believe the initial set up is real - it doesn't ring 'true' in any way. Blokey was meant to have been shot want he, so that Alex's daughter could get away?  So how did he end up be in a position to point a gun at her?  Summat wrong there


----------



## Lysistrata (Feb 22, 2008)

Dream or otherwise, real or otherwise, Alex is downright irritating and after one and a half episodes I'm not watching any more.


----------



## poster342002 (Feb 22, 2008)

belboid said:


> that'd be quite good, don't think it would work tho...
> 
> Must say, I just don't believe the initial set up is real - it doesn't ring 'true' in any way. Blokey was meant to have been shot want he, so that Alex's daughter could get away?  So how did he end up be in a position to point a gun at her?  Summat wrong there



Doesn't quite add up, does it? My gut feeling is that this whole thing _isn't_ Drake's dream - but somebody else's. Question is; who's?


----------



## ViolentPanda (Feb 22, 2008)

belboid said:


> that'd be quite good, don't think it would work tho...
> 
> Must say, I just don't believe the initial set up is real - it doesn't ring 'true' in any way. Blokey was meant to have been shot want he, so that Alex's daughter could get away?  So how did he end up be in a position to point a gun at her?  Summat wrong there



My theory?

It's all Evan's fault. A bloke with a beard like that is an obvious wrong'un.


----------



## belboid (Feb 22, 2008)

i was wondering if she'll end up shagging him


----------



## poster342002 (Feb 22, 2008)

ViolentPanda said:


> My theory?
> 
> It's all Evan's fault. A bloke with a beard like that is an obvious wrong'un.



There's definately something about the charecter that sets my teeth on edge.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Feb 22, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> There's definately something about the charecter that sets my teeth on edge.



It's like he's involved in too many threads of the plot. Not only is he Molly's g-dfather (so is theoretically looking after her back in the world), he's also a co-worker of Alex's mum and dad, and knows the young Alex. Add to that the fact that some speculation was made in the _Radio Times_ and elsewhere that Alex suffered a childhood trauma *besides* her parents being blown up, and it's hard not to jump to conclusions, isn't it?

Mind you, this could just be the scriptwriters leading me astray!


----------



## ViolentPanda (Feb 22, 2008)

belboid said:


> i was wondering if she'll end up shagging him



Probably, given the way she was drooling!


----------



## tangerinedream (Feb 22, 2008)

belboid said:


> that'd be quite good, don't think it would work tho...
> 
> Must say, I just don't believe the initial set up is real - it doesn't ring 'true' in any way. Blokey was meant to have been shot want he, so that Alex's daughter could get away?  So how did he end up be in a position to point a gun at her?  Summat wrong there



I thought 'hang on, that's crap - police held at gunpoint - man just 'runs away and then appears in her car as she just wanders off with no protection or owt....'


----------



## marty21 (Feb 23, 2008)

ViolentPanda said:


> My theory?
> 
> It's all Evan's fault. A bloke with a beard like that is an obvious wrong'un.



us beardies are always getting fitted up by the rozzers


----------



## ViolentPanda (Feb 23, 2008)

marty21 said:


> us beardies are always getting fitted up by the rozzers



True! 

It's not that Evan *has* a beard that makes him a wrong'un, though, it's the sort of self-satisfied smug pipe-smoker's beard he has that does that!


----------



## nino_savatte (Feb 23, 2008)

marty21 said:


> aye, they filmed him from a distance - had to really




Aye, isn't that the truth?


----------



## ViolentPanda (Feb 23, 2008)

tangerinedream said:


> I thought 'hang on, that's crap - police held at gunpoint - man just 'runs away and then appears in her car as she just wanders off with no protection or owt....'



Thing was, the guy was on the foreshore of the Thames. It'd have taken far more coppers than attended that shout to have covered all the possible escape routes, and the OB wouldn't have had any reason to assign protection unless she'd requested it.


----------



## bigbry (Feb 26, 2008)

paolo999 said:


> "Fire up the Quattro".
> 
> What a line. :



Listening to thr radio a few days ago and the DJ said "As Gene Hunt would say - fire up the quattro - and went straight into Bowie's Ashes To Ashes


----------



## gosub (Feb 26, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> Doesn't quite add up, does it? My gut feeling is that this whole thing _isn't_ Drake's dream - but somebody else's. Question is; who's?



Sam Tyler was in every scene (which knackered John Simm), Drake isn't in every scene (when Ray Carling got that girl to admit she had been raped) so you could be right


----------



## marty21 (Feb 28, 2008)

i think it's improving - enjoyed tonight's episode


----------



## agricola (Feb 28, 2008)

Tonights wasnt half bad, probably the best so far.


----------



## Balbi (Feb 28, 2008)

Good episode that. Although London Calling was 1979 tbh

Less construct based whining - more relating to characters. Good


----------



## belboid (Feb 29, 2008)

Balbi said:


> Although London Calling was 1979 tbh


you think that's bad??!!  

The RWF wasn't actually formed until 1982! Tho at least it did show that they were formed by a state asset (that lass, clearly MI5)

Also, Treason would shorely have been a far more apt track to play, rather than Reward - especially if the cads are gonna make it skip!


----------



## belboid (Feb 29, 2008)

gosub said:


> Sam Tyler was in every scene (which knackered John Simm), Drake isn't in every scene (when Ray Carling got that girl to admit she had been raped) so you could be right



does one always appear in ones own dreams?  in every 'scene'?  does one dream in colour?


----------



## Reno (Feb 29, 2008)

Balbi said:


> Good episode that. Although London Calling was 1979 tbh




...and then everybody stopped playing it at the end of the year ?


----------



## mwgdrwg (Feb 29, 2008)

She's got a nice pair hasn't she. Shame they weren't left to get even hotter in the vault.


----------



## Miss Potter (Feb 29, 2008)

how long was it between when the light went off and Chris rescued them? I wonder if they got jiggy...


----------



## Balbi (Feb 29, 2008)

Reno said:


> ...and then everybody stopped playing it at the end of the year ?



It's fucking Rolling Stone naming it as their album of the eighties 

And yeah, but 1981 everyone was listening to Spandau Ballet and Dead or Alive


----------



## Rollem (Feb 29, 2008)

i really enjoyed last nights episode. though i hate the way both ashes to ashes, and life on mars, gets me all upset about wanting to be a kid again. its a really weird feeling 

am intrigued as to whats in the artemis document too... is it relevant?


----------



## dodgepot (Feb 29, 2008)

i couldn't be arsed to watch it last ngiht. drake annoys me too much. i watched johnathon meads on some other channel eating beaver on some other channel .


----------



## Rollem (Feb 29, 2008)

was that on some other channel, dodgepot?


----------



## El Sueno (Feb 29, 2008)

Every week I 'tape' this show on my digibox and every week I watch the first five minutes, then delete it.


----------



## belboid (Feb 29, 2008)

Rollem said:


> am intrigued as to whats in the artemis document too... is it relevant?



quite how anyone could manage to work out the word 'artemis' from a code, but not then get the rest, depiste having the five most common letters of the alphabet already.....


----------



## django (Feb 29, 2008)

I'm enjoying it so far.  Like someone else said the plots are never great but I just like watching Gene Hunt and the gang.  Drake annoyed me at first but I'm warming to her.  i think it'll be better if something happened so she weren't so sure of it as a construct.  Oh and not remembering the 80s I aint fussed about the inaccuracies.  Way I see it is its like westerns or science fiction films.  They don't need to be historically accurate or scientifically sound to be good films.


----------



## barney_pig (Feb 29, 2008)

what doesn't work for me is how bloody annoyingly drake is, How does she know all about hunt? apparently because she read sam tylers report about his experience in 1973- but how could she, sam tyler never returned to 2006 and stayed in 1973, and therfore he must have died in his coma, and so did not get the chance to write anything.
 Can't she wear any clothes made of more than 3" of fabric?


----------



## Iguana (Feb 29, 2008)

barney_pig said:
			
		

> sam tyler never returned to 2006 and stayed in 1973, and therfore he must have died in his coma, and so did not get the chance to write anything.



Did you miss the last episode of LOM? 

Was watching it last night with a friend but couldn't concentrate on it after she pointed out that Keeley Hawes is only just 31.  I thought she was in her mid-40's, late 30's at the least.


----------



## tangerinedream (Feb 29, 2008)

Rollem said:


> i really enjoyed last nights episode. though i hate the way both ashes to ashes, and life on mars, gets me all upset about wanting to be a kid again. its a really weird feeling
> 
> am intrigued as to whats in the artemis document too... is it relevant?



It was a million times better than the earlier shows - I really enjoyed it and Drake didn't annoy me this week and thought Gene was quality. It was, I dunno, actually funny this week and intriguing. Much better imo.


----------



## agricola (Feb 29, 2008)

barney_pig said:


> what doesn't work for me is how bloody annoyingly drake is, How does she know all about hunt? apparently because she read sam tylers report about his experience in 1973- but how could she, sam tyler never returned to 2006 and stayed in 1973, and therfore he must have died in his coma, and so did not get the chance to write anything.
> Can't she wear any clothes made of more than 3" of fabric?



except that Tyler did return home, filed his reports, then topped himself to go back to 1973...


----------



## zygote (Mar 1, 2008)

alice band said:


> how long was it between when the light went off and Chris rescued them? I wonder if they got jiggy...


How _did_ Chris & co manage to get to the vault undetected? They didn't paste any photos on security passes.


----------



## poster342002 (Mar 3, 2008)

Slight hsitorical inaccuracy of the week: did anyone notice the fire-exit signs in the military base? The green ones with the stylised figure "running" out through a door? I'm sure those weren't around until the late 90s at the earliest!


----------



## Miss Potter (Mar 3, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> Slight hsitorical inaccuracy of the week: did anyone notice the fire-exit signs in the military base? The green ones with the stylised figure "running" out through a door? I'm sure those weren't around until the late 90s at the earliest!



I didn't notice that, however I do find myself looking for these sort of mistakes which is kind of detracting from my enjoyment of the series


----------



## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Mar 3, 2008)

Balbi said:


> Good episode that. Although London Calling was 1979 tbh
> 
> Less construct based whining - more relating to characters. Good



So you can't play music from a couple of years before? Why not? I'm sure I have heard songs on the radio many many years after their release.


----------



## Reno (Mar 3, 2008)

alice band said:


> I didn't notice that, however I do find myself looking for these sort of mistakes which is kind of detracting from my enjoyment of the series



That's a bit like not seeing the wood for the trees.


----------



## Balbi (Mar 3, 2008)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> So you can't play music from a couple of years before? Why not? I'm sure I have heard songs on the radio many many years after their release.



You don't listen to Radio One then


----------



## Roxy641 (Mar 3, 2008)

Hi Zygote,

just because we didn't SEE them paste their photos on security passes, it doesn't mean that it didn't happen.  Perhaps it was filmed, but cut when there wasn't enough time?

Roxy641



zygote said:


> How _did_ Chris & co manage to get to the vault undetected? They didn't paste any photos on security passes.


----------



## poster342002 (Mar 3, 2008)

Roxy641 said:


> Hi Zygote,
> 
> just because we didn't SEE them paste their photos on security passes, it doesn't mean that it didn't happen.



Indeed. I expect Gene had them make passes for themselves "just in case" (he tells them to raise the alarm if he and Drake aren't back by 8 o'clock). There'd have been little point in another scene showing them make theirs once we'd seen Hunt do it.


----------



## belboid (Mar 4, 2008)

or, there is the simple fact that Hiunt & Drake were trying to go in _undercover_ whereas Chris & co were going in _as cops_ and so didnt need a fake id


----------



## poster342002 (Mar 4, 2008)

belboid said:


> or, there is the simple fact that Hiunt & Drake were trying to go in _undercover_ whereas Chris & co were going in _as cops_ and so didnt need a fake id



Would they have let them in, though, without reams of authorisation from senior officials (which I doubt they'd have as they were doing this unofficially)? The military would have more clout and more of a "final say" than the police, I would have thought, so would most likely tell them to go away and obtain authorisation.


----------



## pk (Mar 4, 2008)

I don't watch it because I have to limit my quota of Keeley to less than 3 seconds a week lest I die of lust.


----------



## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Mar 4, 2008)

pk said:


> I don't watch it because I have to limit my quota of Keeley to less than 3 seconds a week lest I die of lust.



She was reading a bedtime story on Cbeebies on Friday.


----------



## belboid (Mar 4, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> Would they have let them in, though, without reams of authorisation from senior officials (which I doubt they'd have as they were doing this unofficially)? The military would have more clout and more of a "final say" than the police, I would have thought, so would most likely tell them to go away and obtain authorisation.



I don't think realism was high on the agenda.  The possibility of them getting away with the 'artemis' papers would gave been absolute zero. Just one of those plat holes best skipped over.  it's all a dream anyway, innit?


----------



## pk (Mar 4, 2008)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> She was reading a bedtime story on Cbeebies on Friday.



I know I saw her. I don't usually pay attention to what the kids watch.



Damn she fine.


----------



## zygote (Mar 5, 2008)

Sorry, I've only just seen these responses



Roxy641 said:


> Hi Zygote,just because we didn't SEE them paste their photos on security passes, it doesn't mean that it didn't happen.  Perhaps it was filmed, but cut when there wasn't enough time?
> Roxy641





poster342002 said:


> Indeed. I expect Gene had them make passes for themselves "just in case" (he tells them to raise the alarm if he and Drake aren't back by 8 o'clock). There'd have been little point in another scene showing them make theirs once we'd seen Hunt do it.


Gene took Kennedy's (the dead guy) security pass out of the evidence bag which he got from his drawer and pasted his own photo over Kennedy's. There is a finite number of security passes available to them. One.


belboid said:


> or, there is the simple fact that Hiunt & Drake were trying to go in _undercover_ whereas Chris & co were going in _as cops_ and so didnt need a fake id


In that case there would be no reason for them to melt away into the night with Hunt and Drake. They would need to be accounted for in the event of a fire.


poster342002 said:


> Would they have let them in, though, without reams of authorisation from senior officials (which I doubt they'd have as they were doing this unofficially)? The military would have more clout and more of a "final say" than the police, I would have thought, so would most likely tell them to go away and obtain authorisation.


Quite!

There's a big 'ole in the story.


----------



## CNT36 (Mar 6, 2008)

Maybe they left a fire exit open.


----------



## Roxy641 (Mar 6, 2008)

*Dream*

Hi Zygote,

except if is just a dream (as another poster suggested) then dreams aren't always logical are they.

Roxy641



zygote said:


> Sorry, I've only just seen these responses
> There's a big 'ole in the story.


----------



## upsidedownwalrus (Mar 6, 2008)

pk said:


> I know I saw her. I don't usually pay attention to what the kids watch.
> 
> 
> 
> Damn she fine.



Yep.  She's like keira knightley, only with a figure.  I'm quite frankly astonished that people on here actually find it in themselves to be 'irritated' by her.  I just lust.


----------



## zygote (Mar 6, 2008)

Hi Roxy641,

Yeah, and it's only the telly innit. 



Roxy641 said:


> Hi Zygote,
> 
> except if is just a dream (as another poster suggested) then dreams aren't always logical are they.
> 
> Roxy641


----------



## Rollem (Mar 6, 2008)

geez, some people can pick stuff apart a little too much


----------



## poster342002 (Mar 6, 2008)

Rollem said:


> geez, some people can pick stuff apart a little too much



You clearly ain't never seen a sci-fi forum!


----------



## Rollem (Mar 6, 2008)

no, thank god!


----------



## belboid (Mar 13, 2008)

was last weeks _soooo_ bad that no one could bring themselves to comment then?


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (Mar 13, 2008)

I'm still enjoying it


----------



## mrsfran (Mar 13, 2008)

I gave up after two episodes, and I LOVED Life on Mars. I bet the ratings have dropped like a stone.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 13, 2008)

belboid said:


> was last weeks _soooo_ bad that no one could bring themselves to comment then?



I'm still too traumatised by the "Ray as Bear" scenario.


----------



## marty21 (Mar 13, 2008)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> I'm still enjoying it



me too, started off a little rubbish, but has improved a lot


----------



## Stobart Stopper (Mar 13, 2008)

missfran said:


> I gave up after two episodes, and I LOVED Life on Mars. I bet the ratings have dropped like a stone.


Same here, I prefer Hotel Babylon, it's brilliant.


----------



## marty21 (Mar 13, 2008)

Stobart Stopper said:


> Same here, I prefer Hotel Babylon, it's brilliant.


i watched that a couple of times and didn't think it was very good tbh


----------



## Stobart Stopper (Mar 13, 2008)

You've got to get really into it, get to know the chracters.


----------



## Miss Potter (Mar 13, 2008)

I'm sticking with it as I want to see if Drake & Hunt do the deed.

Have just finished watching both series of Life on Mars though - didn't see it when it was on the telly - and have to admit A2A doesn't come close to being as good. Although the music's more my stuff.


----------



## marty21 (Mar 13, 2008)

liked tonight's episode, gene hunt to the rescue


----------



## cybertect (Mar 13, 2008)

Im liking it more as it's settling in.


----------



## belboid (Mar 14, 2008)

alice band said:


> I'm sticking with it as I want to see if Drake & Hunt do the deed.


it's not Hunt she's gonna do it with. And it won't be the first time she's been in bed with the bloke I suspect either.


----------



## coccinelle (Mar 14, 2008)

I don't like it.  I think it's formulaic.


----------



## marty21 (Mar 14, 2008)

coccinelle said:


> I don't like it.  I think it's formulaic.



tbh, i can't think of too many time travel cop show dramas


----------



## zoooo (Mar 14, 2008)

I FINALLY fancy Gene.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 14, 2008)

belboid said:


> it's not Hunt she's gonna do it with. And it won't be the first time she's been in bed with the bloke I suspect either.



I said it was Evan, like, weeks ago, man!!


----------



## belboid (Mar 14, 2008)

only after I had!


----------



## madzone (Mar 14, 2008)

zoooo said:


> I FINALLY fancy Gene.


That bit where he was striding round the outside of the restaurant looking for a way to get in and rescue her made me do a little internal 'Phwoar'


----------



## zoooo (Mar 14, 2008)

Yup. That was the 'rawr' moment.

And then when she woke up on the sofa and stroked his little face.
Eeeep.


----------



## Iguana (Mar 14, 2008)

marty21 said:


> tbh, i can't think of too many time travel cop show dramas



Yeah but it's formulaic in a Dempsey and Makepeace type way.  With added time travel.  It's just not great.


----------



## Rollem (Mar 14, 2008)

madzone said:


> That bit where he was striding round the outside of the restaurant looking for a way to get in and rescue her made me do a little internal 'Phwoar'


----------



## Miss Potter (Mar 14, 2008)

ViolentPanda said:


> I said it was Evan, like, weeks ago, man!!



nooooooooo it can't be that slimy creep, I thought he would turn out to be her father being as her mother's been boffing him


----------



## belboid (Mar 14, 2008)

he's a dirty old paedo!


----------



## zoooo (Mar 14, 2008)

You can tell from his hair.


----------



## django (Mar 14, 2008)

and beard.


----------



## zoooo (Mar 14, 2008)

And nonces always hand out rubix cubes.


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 14, 2008)

zoooo said:


> And nonces always hand out rubix cubes.



They do?


----------



## zoooo (Mar 14, 2008)

Yeah!
Don't tell me your dad gave you one...


----------



## ViolentPanda (Mar 14, 2008)

zoooo said:


> Yeah!
> Don't tell me your dad gave you one...



Nah, twas *your* mum.


----------



## zoooo (Mar 14, 2008)

Ooh. Bullseye!


----------



## Fledgling (Mar 14, 2008)

madzone said:


> That bit where he was striding round the outside of the restaurant looking for a way to get in and rescue her made me do a little internal 'Phwoar'



I just thought he looked really cool, man's man, but whilst you have Gene, I have Keeley. 

I am a bit annoyed how each week the case goes on for 50 mins then just gets, well, sorted out. 

But getting into it now, although I'm too young to understand the clown on its own (I saw this album cover recently by this bloke called David something and it clicked then).


----------



## cybertect (Mar 14, 2008)

Fledgling said:


> But getting into it now, although I'm too young to understand the clown on its own (I saw this album cover recently by this bloke called David something and it clicked then).



I'm trying to work out whether this is faux naiveté or genuine


----------



## Fledgling (Mar 14, 2008)

cybertect said:


> I'm trying to work out whether this is faux naiveté or genuine



Bit of both. 

Why's there a clown? 
Ashes to ashes...hmmm....Bowie song lyrics
Later on;
Newspaper, CD cover...David Bowie...Clown
Ohhhhhhhhhh righhhhhhhhht 

Hasn't spoilt the show for me, it's all about Gene and Drake.


----------



## tangerinedream (Mar 14, 2008)

Enjoyed this weeks again. Had an air of mystery about it.


----------



## Rollem (Mar 14, 2008)

i wish there was more conflict between policing styles, like there was in life on mars.

but its defeinately grown on me.


----------



## madzone (Mar 15, 2008)

Fledgling said:


> I just thought he looked really cool, man's man, but whilst you have Gene, I have Keeley.


I have Keeley too


----------



## cybertect (Mar 15, 2008)

Fledgling said:


> Bit of both.
> 
> Why's there a clown?
> Ashes to ashes...hmmm....Bowie song lyrics
> ...



It's rather about the  for Ashes to Ashes, which featured Bowie dressed as a Pierrot clown along with a bunch of people associated with the Blitz club, including Steve Strange of Visage. It made a huge impact at the time.

There's a nice conceit with the TV series being an 80s follow up to _Life on Mars_ set in the 70s, as Bowie's _Ashes to Ashes_ song is a kind of sequel to his earlier hit _Space Oddity_, which reached No. 1 in 1975.

e2a: Looking at the video again, the other scenes with Bowie/Major Tom in a padded cell and hooked up to what is presumably some kind of life-support machine work well with the themes of the TV series too.


----------



## upsidedownwalrus (Mar 19, 2008)

Rollem said:


> i wish there was more conflict between policing styles, like there was in life on mars.
> 
> but its defeinately grown on me.



I'm actually enjoying it more than LOM, possibly because of the London setting...


----------



## agricola (Mar 20, 2008)

Todays was oddly unsettling, and what was that about everyone being unable to run after Shaz?


----------



## Miss Potter (Mar 20, 2008)

crap episode tonight I thought. Not much of a story to it was there?


----------



## beesonthewhatnow (Mar 20, 2008)

I wasn't too sure about tonights episode either, just seemed a bit, well, odd.


----------



## marty21 (Mar 20, 2008)

forgot it was on but luckily it is recorded


----------



## Sigmund Fraud (Mar 20, 2008)

First episode of the series to feature an even half way interesting and hard to solve crime.  A2A has really suffered from hanging too much of the show on 1981 props and not enough worrying about the story.  Last two episodes have addressed that I think, as a series I think it started quite poorly and has got loads better.


----------



## DexterTCN (Mar 20, 2008)

They must think she's nuts.


----------



## marty21 (Mar 20, 2008)

i enjoyed that - almost blubbed at one part


----------



## chupucabras (Mar 21, 2008)

The series started bad but has improved, that last episode was pretty good, and I'm intruiged to know how they'll tie it all together...

But it's not even in the same league as Life on Mars.


----------



## Vintage Paw (Mar 21, 2008)

Am I allowed to speculate?



Spoiler: who kills her parents



I reckon Evan blows the parents up. I don't trust him.


----------



## upsidedownwalrus (Mar 22, 2008)

chupucabras said:


> The series started bad but has improved, that last episode was pretty good, and I'm intruiged to know how they'll tie it all together...
> 
> But it's not even in the same league as Life on Mars.



I disagree.  I think it's more watchable.


----------



## zygote (Mar 24, 2008)

I liked that bit of business where they got New kids on the block, Backstreet boys, E17 and Busted into a few lines of dialogue.


----------



## Rollem (Mar 27, 2008)

last one tonight


----------



## ethel (Mar 27, 2008)

is it? already? bah


----------



## Socket (Mar 27, 2008)

That was odd. Good, but odd. Really quite funny in places though.


----------



## agricola (Mar 27, 2008)

Compared to the endings of both LOM series, that was rubbish.  Good twist as to who the killer was, though.


----------



## Fledgling (Mar 27, 2008)

Yeah good twist, thought it was Evan for a while, bit annoying that you have to wait for a new series to conclude it. Genie was good all the way through of course. I enjoyed this despite not watching LOM which I might have to buy now.


----------



## tangerinedream (Mar 28, 2008)

Fledgling said:


> Yeah good twist, thought it was Evan for a while, bit annoying that you have to wait for a new series to conclude it. Genie was good all the way through of course. I enjoyed this despite not watching LOM which I might have to buy now.



You must - LOM was brilliant, this was patchy and only intermitently very good. 

I warmed to it though and all in all, it weren't all that bad.


----------



## poster342002 (Mar 28, 2008)

RenegadeDog said:


> Yep.  She's like keira knightley, only with a figure.  I'm quite frankly astonished that people on here actually find it in themselves to be 'irritated' by her.  I just lust.



I prefer Shazza (played by Montserrat Lombard), myself. She's hot!


----------



## Rollem (Mar 28, 2008)

<does a smug smile look>

i geussed it was her daddy, when he called evan a 'charming man'

and i realised he was the clown too



i had a tear in my eye when he mummy was saying she loved alex and didnt think she knew  

slow burner Ashes to Ashes, will watch the next series if there is one.


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (Mar 28, 2008)

chupucabras said:


> But it's not even in the same league as Life on Mars.



what a load of toss.

it's like saying the rolling stones aren't in the same legague as manchester united....


----------



## zygote (Mar 28, 2008)

Rollem said:


> i had a tear in my eye when he mummy was saying she loved alex and didnt think she knew


Yeah, we were choking up a bit too. 



> slow burner Ashes to Ashes, will watch the next series if there is one.


Well they've left it open for one.


----------



## STFC (Mar 28, 2008)

I didn't get into this like I did Life On Mars, but I watched the final episode and quite enjoyed it.

Tom Robinson - stop singing about motorways!


----------



## El Sueno (Mar 28, 2008)

STFC said:


> I didn't get into this like I did Life On Mars, but I watched the final episode and quite enjoyed it.



Same here, last night's was the first episode I watched all the way through since the first one. Seemed like I hadn't missed a great deal, but quite watchable nonetheless.


----------



## GarfieldLeChat (Mar 28, 2008)

I think it's quite good the attention to detail in terms of the 1980's little things make me chuckle.

But I pretyy much sure if people stopped expectign ti to be life on mars and accepted it's not bloody life on mars but it's a seperate spin off series with similar charchters and ceased attempting to draw comparsion then actually you might thoroughly enjoy it...


----------



## poster342002 (Mar 28, 2008)

The historical innacuracies are fun to watch. One episode, for example, featured someone using a phone with the "oooooo" dialing-tone - when in 1983 I think we still had the "drrrrrrr" one. 

In another episode, we see a "networker" train pass over a bridge - a design that was not introduced until the early 90s.

This is one of the rare occasions I agree with Garfield: stop hoping for another _Life On Mars _and enjoy this series for what it is!


----------



## upsidedownwalrus (Mar 28, 2008)

I like it more than LOM, it might be hte 80s setting, or it might be that I find John Sim a little annoying...


----------



## Rollem (Mar 28, 2008)

RenegadeDog said:


> I find John Sim a little annoying...


wash your mouth out!!


----------



## Socket (Mar 28, 2008)

RenegadeDog said:


> I like it more than LOM, it might be hte 80s setting, or it might be that I find John Sim a little annoying...



That's very, very wrong thinking there. John Simm is splendid in all the relevant ways.


----------



## _angel_ (Mar 28, 2008)

Socket said:


> That's very, very wrong thinking there. John Simm is splendid in all the relevant ways.




As an actor. As a character Sam Tyler was not meant to be fantastically sympathetic.

I'm sort of wishing I taped last nights although I did watch it it didn't make a lot of sense. (Wine)


----------



## KeyboardJockey (Mar 28, 2008)

poster342002 said:


> The historical innacuracies are fun to watch. One episode, for example, featured someone using a phoen with the "oooooo" dialing-tone -w hen in 1983 I think we still had the "drrrrrrr" one.
> 
> In another episode, we see a "networker" train pass over a bridge - a design that was not introduced until the early 90s.
> 
> This is one of the rare occasions I agree with Garfield: stop hoping for another _Life On Mars _and enjoy this series for what it is!



Also some of the prog is filmed in Silvertown / Custom House and it shows the New Connaught Bridge that wasn't built until the mid ninetys.


----------



## Iguana (Mar 29, 2008)

GarfieldLeChat said:


> what a load of toss.
> 
> it's like saying the rolling stones aren't in the same legague as manchester united....



No it's not.  It's like saying Rhoda wasn't in the same league as Mary Tyler Moore or Joey wasn't in the same league as Friends.


----------



## SK. (Apr 6, 2009)

Returns on April 20th on BBC1 for those that are interested.  Hopefully it will be ok


----------



## Miss Potter (Apr 6, 2009)

thanks for the heads up, I'll definitely be watching


----------



## upsidedownwalrus (Apr 6, 2009)

Definitely will.  I enjoyed it more than LOM.  I know I"m in the minority, but this is a. because keeley hawes is a serious fox and b. i liked the 80s, docklands, thatcher-era setting


----------



## upsidedownwalrus (Apr 6, 2009)

And re. the post I made above.  I just can't find john sim a convincing copper.


----------



## Balbi (Apr 20, 2009)

Supermac is the tory politician from The Thick Of It.


----------



## Balbi (Apr 20, 2009)

Liked that, good start.


----------



## Strumpet (Apr 20, 2009)

Never seen this prog. before.

That was fun! 

Can I get older series (how many have there been??) online then? Prob eh... ?


----------



## Fedayn (Apr 20, 2009)

Balbi said:


> Supermac is the tory politician from The Thick Of It.



And the mate of a lass I know in real life I just found out.


----------



## Miss Potter (Apr 21, 2009)

Strumpet said:


> Can I get older series (how many have there been??) online then? Prob eh... ?



This is the second series of Ashes to Ashes so you haven't got much to catch up on. Unless of course you wanted to also see Life on Mars in which case you've got 3 series to watch


----------



## Rollem (Apr 21, 2009)

i liked it. have stopped trying to compare it to LOM, though relahni started to do just that last night....which is a bit rich considering he only watches it for keeley


----------



## madzone (Apr 21, 2009)

I'm going to watch it this afternoon to see if it's ok for the kids to watch


----------



## Miss Potter (Apr 21, 2009)

I've just watched it, a good start which gets the thumbs up from me. Some great lines from the Gene Genie


----------



## upsidedownwalrus (Apr 21, 2009)

Strumpet said:


> Never seen this prog. before.
> 
> That was fun!
> 
> Can I get older series (how many have there been??) online then? Prob eh... ?



Did you see Life on Mars?  

It should all be on torrents though


----------



## Miss Potter (Apr 21, 2009)

madzone said:


> I'm going to watch it this afternoon to see if it's ok for the kids to watch



it depends how old they are, there's some swearing and bare bosoms


----------



## upsidedownwalrus (Apr 21, 2009)

Miss Potter said:


> it depends how old they are, there's some swearing and bare bosoms



I was gonna say that, would be fine for teens, dunno about younger though.

TBH my son is too young to find whatever I watch anything other than boring (he'll soon whizz off to the other room to watch cbeebies on iplayer) so I haven't started thinking about what to expose him to or not.


----------



## madzone (Apr 21, 2009)

!0 and 13 - both boys.

They hear loads of swearing from me and the 10 yr old will laught at the bosoms


----------



## upsidedownwalrus (Apr 21, 2009)

Miss Potter said:


> it depends how old they are, there's some swearing and bare bosoms



Ooh I don't remember bare bosoms in the first series.

*Goes to download*

Keeley Hawes is such a babe though, she's like Keira Knightley with some meat on her bones.


----------



## The Octagon (Apr 21, 2009)

Pretty meh, I thought.

Storyline and acting were both fine, but it was a bit jarring that they didn't even refer to the previous episode's events.

How much time is meant to have passed? Did Alex attend her own parents funeral?

Maybe they'll come back to these bits, in which case fair enough.

NB - Did the stripper that died remind anyone else of Danni Minogue?


----------



## belboid (Apr 22, 2009)

The Octagon said:


> Storyline and acting were both fine,



sorry, but were we watching the same programme?  The back of piss that played the 'evil copper' was absolutely the worst actor I've ever seen in a 'big' production. He made Keanu look like Laurence Olivier, unutterably pish.

Still, him aside, it was an enjoyable episiode, if more than a bit daft.


----------



## Balbi (Apr 27, 2009)

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE......"....you will give up your power to a tiler"



"Cod psychology..."
"It's psychiatry actually...."
"Really?"
"Yes"
"Shit"


----------



## FabricLiveBaby! (Apr 27, 2009)

Does anyone else reckon the freaky-deaky smoking guy, that kidnapped Alex, and on this epoisode stood at the bottom of the freemasons stairs, proclaiming that he knew where she was from and they could both get home is actually Sam Tyler??


----------



## Balbi (Apr 27, 2009)

I thought that last week


----------



## zoooo (Apr 27, 2009)

I did think that this week.
Gawd, that would be awesome on a stick.


----------



## FabricLiveBaby! (Apr 27, 2009)

It would be awsomes! I :heart: Simms

Also, does anyone else reckon they are making up for the meh-ness of last year in leaps and bounds.

Srsly.  This year is much more enjoyable than that boring "Oh MUMMY!" bullshit last year.


----------



## moose (Apr 28, 2009)

I think it's going downhill. That whole Come On Eileen nonsense last night... shite! But then I only watch it for the Quattro.


----------



## belboid (Apr 28, 2009)

last nights was much better than anything in the first series.


I just don't see Sam Tyler as a smoker, which is why I decided that smoking man couldn't be him.


----------



## Rollem (Apr 28, 2009)

FabricLiveBaby! said:


> Does anyone else reckon the freaky-deaky smoking guy, that kidnapped Alex, and on this epoisode stood at the bottom of the freemasons stairs, proclaiming that he knew where she was from and they could both get home is actually Sam Tyler??



why would it be?


----------



## The Octagon (Apr 28, 2009)

FabricLiveBaby! said:


> Does anyone else reckon the freaky-deaky smoking guy, that kidnapped Alex, and on this epoisode stood at the bottom of the freemasons stairs, proclaiming that he knew where she was from and they could both get home is actually Sam Tyler??



I thought the guy in the Mason lodge smoking definitely sounded like Sam (even though they wouldn't have used John Simm for such a small scene if he were to return later), and the little hints are building. I didn't think it was the same bloke that kidnapped Alex though.

Remind me, Gene says that Sam drove a car into a river, right? Was he alone, or with Annie? Did they find the body?


----------



## upsidedownwalrus (Apr 28, 2009)

Let's face it, it has to be building up to a twist like that... Otherwise it would all be a bit pointless.


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## belboid (Apr 28, 2009)

Wiki says "Sam "died" in 1980 during a high-speed pursuit. His car ends up in the river, but his body is never found."

No mention of Annie.

It also confirms the writers' view that Sam topped himself in 2006, which should make it rather difficult for him to 'return' again.  

Unless he is also jesus.


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## ViolentPanda (Apr 28, 2009)

FabricLiveBaby! said:


> Does anyone else reckon the freaky-deaky smoking guy, that kidnapped Alex, and on this epoisode stood at the bottom of the freemasons stairs, proclaiming that he knew where she was from and they could both get home is actually Sam Tyler??



Except that Sam was supposedly shot dead in 1977 or so, according to Ray in the 1st series of "Ashes to Ashes".


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## belboid (Apr 28, 2009)

no he wasn't - read the post above yours!


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## ViolentPanda (Apr 28, 2009)

belboid said:


> last nights was much better than anything in the first series.
> 
> 
> I just don't see Sam Tyler as a smoker, which is why I decided that smoking man couldn't be him.



Isn't the implication (going by what happened and was said in episode 1) that "smoking man" is the nutty doctor (who we actually got to see up close, and who didn't look like anyone I'd seen in either "Life on Mars" or "Ashes to Ashes")?


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## ViolentPanda (Apr 28, 2009)

belboid said:


> no he wasn't - read the post above yours!



Hmm, I'm having an existential crisis as to whether I should take anything on wiki seriously.


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## belboid (Apr 28, 2009)

fair point.  Usually. They are right this time tho.


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## ViolentPanda (Apr 28, 2009)

belboid said:


> fair point.  Usually. They are right this time tho.



Fair enough. It's doubtless 100% correct, as I've got a crappy memory. 

I'm trying to puzzle out whether there were any particularly memorable characters from "Life on Mars" besides Sam who might have reason to get involved with Hunt's team to cause them bother, and who'd have any knowledge about time-travel, and the only one I can come up with is Marc Warren's villain, Tony Crane (who was also about the same build and age as Sam)


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## bouncer_the_dog (Apr 28, 2009)

"everythings a priority"

I Lolled


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## Balbi (May 4, 2009)

Gene's a bastard innee


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## Balbi (May 4, 2009)

Minor character from Life on Mars coming back, would Tyler have mentioned it to Drake in the psych evaluations?



And 'the coat' is coming back. Eeeeeeeeee.


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## Sabu (May 4, 2009)

Argh fuck i forgot this was one again!


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## Balbi (May 11, 2009)

I fuckin' love that coat.


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## Balbi (May 11, 2009)

"...go back to liverpool to enjoy a life of stealing hubcaps and being overly sentimental..."


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## Balbi (May 11, 2009)

Operation Rose eh?


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## zoooo (May 11, 2009)

Clearly a Doctor Who/Ashes to Ashes crossover.


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## Balbi (May 11, 2009)

Innit. I'm waiting for DCI Frank Morgan to turn up


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## badlands (May 11, 2009)

he shot the fucking dog


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## zoooo (May 11, 2009)

Baaaaaastard!


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## Balbi (May 11, 2009)

at the loss of the coat. I was expected some proper bastard door kicking


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## Balbi (May 11, 2009)

OOOH, THERE'S THE CUNT.

Martin Summers. This series' Frank Morgan


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## Ozric (May 12, 2009)

Anyone else thinks the voice sounds a little James Nesbitt?
Not so much the accent as the voice itself.


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## Balbi (May 18, 2009)

Woo, back on in a minute.



Anyone watching Panorama? Scary stem cell stuff.


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## Balbi (May 18, 2009)

Tres amusant.

I've just twigged.


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## belboid (May 27, 2009)

no talk at all about the last two??  Could it be because it's all gone rather 'meh'?  I'd guessed whodunnit within five minutes of it beginning


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## FabricLiveBaby! (May 27, 2009)

Not so much "meh",  there's a quiet lull.  But tbh it's not American Telly and British series do tend to have a bit of a lull every so often to settlethe storyline.

I quite enjoyed last nights episode,  but recckon next week will be all kinds of awsome.

It's can't Be GO GO GO!! all the time can it?


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## SpookyFrank (May 27, 2009)

"You could plug the Watford Gap with that!"



DS Ray Carling is the only reason to watch this show.


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## belboid (May 27, 2009)

FabricLiveBaby! said:


> Not so much "meh",  there's a quiet lull.  But tbh it's not American Telly and British series do tend to have a bit of a lull every so often to settlethe storyline.
> 
> I quite enjoyed last nights episode,  but recckon next week will be all kinds of awsome.
> 
> It's can't Be GO GO GO!! all the time can it?



good good good would do me. There's just been next to nothing about the last two, both decent enough, but nothing at all special.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Jun 8, 2009)

Last one tonight. I might actually watch it.

Apparently there is going to be a third series. 
What are they going to call it??
"Real Cool World"	
"Hallo Spaceboy"


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## Miss Potter (Jun 8, 2009)

I thought the last episode was a bit meh...overall though I've enjoyed this series more than the first one (of A2A). Curious as to how it'll end tonight.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Jun 8, 2009)

Miss Potter said:


> Curious as to how it'll end tonight.



Me too. I have only really watched one ep from each series including the US one and then jumped to the last episodes. 

The US ending is bonkers.


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## ViolentPanda (Jun 8, 2009)

ATOMIC SUPLEX said:


> Last one tonight. I might actually watch it.
> 
> Apparently there is going to be a third series.
> What are they going to call it??
> ...



Think about it.

They mean a third series of "Ashes to Ashes", you doughnut!! 

Suck this.


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## ATOMIC SUPLEX (Jun 8, 2009)

ViolentPanda said:


> Think about it.
> 
> They mean a third series of "Ashes to Ashes", you doughnut!!
> 
> Suck this.



Thats no way near as much fun. Well at least I won't have to watch tonight's episode then.

I think 'Hallo Spaceboy" would make a great series.


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## spanglechick (Jun 8, 2009)

Chris to die tonight, shurely?


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## Miss Potter (Jun 8, 2009)

I read an interview with whatshername (Alex Drake) who said there's a wedding in the series so maybe he gets shot but doesn't die? Or maybe he gets shot and marries Shazzer from his hospital bed but then complications set in and he dies but not before he's given a sperm sample so she can have his babies in the future.

There you go, series 3 is Chris's child meets Gene Hunt...


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## Balbi (Jun 8, 2009)

Jackanory


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## agricola (Jun 8, 2009)

Best Ashes to Ashes ever.


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## Balbi (Jun 8, 2009)

Can I just say, Monserrat Lombard in that wedding dress 

Great ending  Roll on series 3


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## beesonthewhatnow (Jun 8, 2009)

That was fantastic


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## zoooo (Jun 8, 2009)

Is there definitely a series 3?
I hope sooooo!
That was ace x lots.


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## beesonthewhatnow (Jun 8, 2009)

zoooo said:


> Is there definitely a series 3?



http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hk_CAlFTOgZev8hd97UxnxWgZWMQ


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## agricola (Jun 8, 2009)

zoooo said:


> Is there definitely a series 3?
> I hope sooooo!
> That was ace x lots.



I hope they leave it as it is, it was much better than OMG THEY ARE ON A MISSION TO MARS LOL!!!! as an ending.


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## Miss Potter (Jun 8, 2009)

hate cliffhangers but am relieved that it doesn't mean the end of Gene Hunt


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## Balbi (Jun 8, 2009)

BOLLY! BOLLY! 

If they hadn't run the Mac thing up so early, the series wouldn't have been so disjointed iyswim.

That said - BOLLY! BOLLY!


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## agricola (Jun 8, 2009)

big cop out with the fried penis though


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## zoooo (Jun 8, 2009)

beesonthewhatnow said:


> http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5hk_CAlFTOgZev8hd97UxnxWgZWMQ


OooooooooooOOOOoooooOOOoh!


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## spanglechick (Jun 8, 2009)

ah man - i know it's been said, but how cool was shazza?  she kicks bridal arse!

ahhh - gwan Alex, go back to 82 and the Gene Genie, you know you want to.  You know it makes sense.


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## zoooo (Jun 8, 2009)

agricola said:


> big cop out with the fried penis though



I think Drake was lying to make him feel better. He did eat a cock.


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## Balbi (Jun 8, 2009)

Shazza would absolutely murder Uma Thurman in the vengeful bride stakes 

Another series would work. I mean, Life on Mars was only wound up after John Simm said he'd taken it as far as it could go - and that totally worked . Hopefully they'll roll it in on the next one, otherwise it gets a bit drawn.

Fuck me, what an episode though - could have done with another one to fit in the scale of it all


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## ViolentPanda (Jun 8, 2009)

agricola said:


> big cop out with the fried penis though



I swaer that sausage in batter had a bell-end!


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## zoooo (Jun 8, 2009)

It diiiid!


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## treelover (Jun 8, 2009)

Epic, action, pathos, and the acting was top notch, some of A2A has been lukewarm, but this one was hot, hot, hot, 

Gene Hunt must be one of the seminal TV characters...


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## belboid (Jun 8, 2009)

great ending, didn't think they really had a chance of setting up a final series properly, but they sure did!


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## SpookyFrank (Jun 8, 2009)

That ending was well dark, with the eerily cheerful synth music and all, fucking good though 


I'm glad I didn't know about the third series before I saw tonight's episode, right up to the last thirty seconds I thought they were just gonna go for a cop-out (no pun intended) happy ending and have done with it.


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## zoooo (Jun 8, 2009)

I wanted to know how long she'd been in the coma.
Like was it weeks (as it felt in her '80s world), or was it a couple of days.
It would have been ace if they'd said she'd only been out for an hour.


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## belboid (Jun 8, 2009)

it's been over a year in 80's world

in the hospital, who knows?  but long enough to need an operation, have an operation, become obviously infected and recover. that's gotta be a couple of hours at least.  and they say molly's been waiting a 'long time' to see her, so that's gota be...well a few hours in child time anyway


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## zoooo (Jun 8, 2009)

belboid said:


> it's been over a year in 80's world


Oh yes of course. I always forget she's been there for two series nonstop.


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## SpookyFrank (Jun 9, 2009)

belboid said:


> and they say molly's been waiting a 'long time' to see her, so that's gota be...well a few hours in child time anyway



...that was because she wasn't really awake and had gone off to imaginary land in her shiny new coma instead. And in her head she's been away from Molly for ages and ages so that's what the doctor said.


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## Rollem (Jun 9, 2009)

i really enjoyed last nights episode. had no idea there was a third series in the planning is there?  endign was a bit freaky but made me laugh at the same time


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## poster342002 (Jun 9, 2009)

treelover said:


> Gene Hunt must be one of the seminal TV characters...



Probably the best "anti-hero" since the very early Dr Who episodes with William Hartnell.


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## Badgers (Jan 5, 2012)

How did I not know this existed?
I really enjoyed Life on Mars and want to watch this now


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## Ax^ (Jan 5, 2012)

Badgers said:


> How did I not know this existed?
> I really enjoyed Life on Mars and want to watch this now



don't expect it to be as good but....


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## Badgers (Jan 5, 2012)

Ax^ said:


> don't expect it to be as good but....



Been reading the thread and seems a bit mixed. Life of Mars was ace and I really did not want it to end but it was perfect length/content really.


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## Ax^ (Jan 5, 2012)

Badgers said:


> Been reading the thread and seems a bit mixed. Life of Mars was ace and I really did not want it to end but it was perfect length/content really.



ashes to ashes improves as the show goes on

just the protagonist is no Sam Tyler , so the chemistry of the cast on life on mars is not repeated 

still worth a gander anyways


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## Kaka Tim (Jan 5, 2012)

Not as good as Life on Mars. But is still got gene hunt so therefore definitely worth watching.
And the final episode tieing everything up was pretty class.


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## Badgers (Jan 5, 2012)

I like John Simm in LOM but Gene Hunt is the best role.


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