DB7

It appears 3 of the original LoM cast return for the London-based sequel and the trusty Cortina is traded in for a Quattro.

DB7

Life on Mars cop Gene Hunt rises from the ashes

Adam Sherwin, Media Correspondent of The Times

It is an epic clash. Gene Hunt, television’s favourite maverick cop, goes toe-to-toe with Lord Scarman, whose public inquiry changed policing for ever, in the sequel to Life On Mars.

Sales of second-hand Audi Quattros are set to soar as Hunt ditches his battered Ford Cortina and returns to the streets in a red Audi for a drama set in the Eighties. The politically-incorrect detective is resurrected in Ashes To Ashes, which follows the award-winning time travel drama Life on Mars and begins on

The self-styled “sheriff of Manchester” has been transfered to the Met, where, in 1981, he faces riots in Brixton and a nation in thrall to legwarmers.

Most challenging of all, the hard-drinking sexist, played by Philip Glenister, is paired with a high-flying, intelligent, female, DCI Alex Drake (Keeley Hawes). Like Sam Tyler in Life On Mars, Drake has been catapulted back in time after a horrific accident and the success of the sequel will depend largely on whether
viewers accept the conceit can be repeated.

The Times has learnt that the series comes to a climax when Hunt meets his policing nemesis, Lord Scarman, played by Geoffrey Palmer.

Lord Scarman, asked by Margaret Thatcher to investigate the causes of the riots which hit inner-city Britain in 1981, delivered a landmark report that identified a loss of confidence and mistrust in the police and their methods of policing, as a key cause of the riots. It is an opinion which Hunt finds little merit in and the peer is given a dressing down when the pair meet.

Ashley Pharaoh, the series writer, said: “All the research we did indicated that the police knew the Scarman Report was on its way and they knew it wasn’t going to be good news, so the threat of that hangs over the whole series.
“A very specific era of policing is coming to an end. I think there’s a slight sense of melancholy to Gene at times - he misses the North and the old days. But he’s a fighter, he refuses to give up.”

Attention will focus on the period style of the series as much as the plots. Hunt is reluctantly wedged into a Bryan Ferry-style shiny suit while his co-stars adopt the primary colours of the era. The design is “more Miami Vice than The Sweeney”, producers said. The cast are awarded moustaches, mullets (men) and lots of blue eye shadow (women).

Ashes To Ashes will show how Hunt’s neanderthal style of policing is challenged by modern practices. Drake employs Cracker-style psychological profiling to capture suspects. Computers make an appearance at Scotland Yard. Beth Willis of producers Kudos Television, said: “We thought we’d bring Gene to London where his northern views would come into sharp conflict with the ‘southern ponces’ he finds there.”

YouTube - Gene Hunt Arrives - Ashes To Ashes - BBC One

DB7

Was never going to be easy following up Life on Mars and that seemed to be the case tonight. Keeley Hawes being sent back in time had a hint of repetition about it and lacked any plot invention, and once there the series failed to create any enigma over her situation - instead she spends most of the time shouting 'Take me back!' into thin air. It's also dipped into self-parody, the scenes with Gene powering up the Thames armed with an Uzi are just ridiculous. Hopefully the opener was just setting the scene and introducing the characters.

Love that Audi and Zippy & Bungle popping up was funny, in fact Zippy should replace the Bowie marionette as the conduit to the future.

Chris OD

I've just watched the first episode of Ashes to Ashes, the spin-off/sequel to Life on Mars and it's just as bafflingly good. I know that Keeley Hawes is going to receive a lot of attention, and not just for her acting ability but I was impressed by the choice of soundtrack. I remember the early eighties music well. It was not all synths and pouting lips - boys and girls - but some great songs from the likes of Roxy Music, Ultravox and, dare I say it, Duran Duran. Whoever put the songs together knows their stuff. To open with "Vienna" then to have the drunken cops singing "Shudup a your face" understood the irony of Joe Dolce holding Ultravox off the number one spot. Oh, and Philip Glenister was his usual superb self.

willothewisp

I didn't like the lead actress and found all the gun fire without casualties a bit silly!

smudge

All rather lacklustre and disappointing.

It will have to work VERY hard to maintain its figures or get anything close to the cult of LoM. KH is too obviously acting; the character and her child have nothing to draw you to them and DI Drake is too knowing - the mystery of the original is all gone and the whole thing seemed rather forced.

I'll give it another go next week, but it will have to be darned good.

Smudge

Welcome to my house. Enter freely, and of your own will...

David Brent

We're still waiting to see Life On Mars series two in Australia.

The carrier pigeon must be late.

Dave.

Moor Larkin

I never bothered watching the second series but tuned in to the Eighties version out of curiosity and mild boredom, plus I missed Gene Hunt a bit (Glenister is a genius). This series has at least done away with the boringly repetitive "is she there or nearly dead?" shenanigans that put me off bothering with the second show. I like the clarity of the woman grappling with her desire to live against the hopelessness of knowing she must be dead.

The Gene Hunt character has been set up as having some kind of 'answer' so it will be interesting (if I stick with it) to see where the writers take that challenging concept. I was relieved that at least they've dropped the Sweeney stuff, but was that Miami Vice in the speedboat?

The soundtrack seemed very sparse to me. I can only asume they can't afford the Eighties songs; they were reduced to vaguely humming Bowies' eponymous anthem....

I'm not sure the Eighties are quite long enough ago to be as evocative as the Seventies so I think they'll have to rely on a better story for the principal character than they did the first time around, especially as there seems no doubt as to why she is where she is....... although I'm already wondering if the woman never got shot, her daughter did, and she'll be fantasising everything since that moment, to block the fact out.

[code]http://www.flickr.com/photos/29487363@N02/sets/72157606700675506/code]

batman

I found it to be unsatisfying due to the writers and the director trying too hard for first episode 'impact', which I thought also happened with the first episode of series 2 of LOM. That series got better so perhaps this will too. I'd agree with smudge that KH is 'acting' her little heart out. I found the boat scene very Miami Vice and quite amusing. Glenister is superb as usual but at the moment Ashes to Ashes is a long way from recapturing the glory of series 1 of LOM.

Bats.

There are 31 excellent quizzes to bamboozle you on the Quiz Page. Just click on the 'Quick Links' icon and scroll down!

Freddy

I haven't seen LOM so was looking forward to this, but like Smudge and Bats was left with a sense of disappointment.

Interesting to see Stephen Campbell Moore in a very bad beard and a short scene as the chap who Drake gives her daughter to. I wonder if he pops up again?

Freddy

silverwhistle

I thought it was good fun, and the music – yes!!!!! Great music. I still cannot forgive Ultravox not reaching no. 1 because of that stupid bloody Joe Dolce number.

"Trust me, I'm a doctor...!"

silverwhistle

No, it was on the record-player, wasn't it? I thought there was quite a lot of music.

For some of us, they are!

"Trust me, I'm a doctor...!"

dremble wedge

I'd forgotten how much I liked 'I'm in Love wih a German Film Star' by The Passions.

Wasn't there a TV film some years ago with Jane Horrocks as a fan who had an obsession about this?

Chris OD

Thanks Silverwhistle and dremble wedge for endorsing my feelings about Ashes... It is supposed to be entertainment after all, and with LOM being such a hard act to follow it's only fair to give it time and see how it evolves. If after a couple more episodes I'm proved wrong I'll hold my hands up - but I still thought the music was great!

Moor Larkin

Erm..... it was the Eighties maan........ so that's impossible........