Life on Mars

[Demetrius]

Last week my father said to me, "Son, I think you'll get hooked on this show" and then he turned on Life on Mars... Several hours later I asked why there were no more episodes, only to find out that it is yet another new show!
I loved the show that was on after Heroes that suffered death by writer's strike, whose name escapes me at the moment, and I'm really hoping this can keep it's glitz through a full season and maybe wrap up if it's going to end.


:shifty: Yeah... So what do you guys think of the show/what are your theories as to what is really going on?

[The Artist Formerly Known as Hawk]

Is this the American version you're talking about here, or the original British version? Cos the original only lasted 2 seasons and I could probably spoiler the entire conclusion right now.

But yeah, great show (the british version anyway, I've heard bad things about the remake), I have both seasons on dvd. You may want to skip its spin off series, Ashes to Ashes, though, it's nowhere near as awesome.

[Kurosen]

Ashes to Ashes was a pile. Philip Glenister's Gene Hunt is the king of all bad asses.

[Mondt]

Obviously the American version, as its a "new show".

I like the show, I think its pretty damn cool. I never watched the British version, having only learned about at after watching an ep or 2 of the american version. I understand some characters are changed (Guy a couple rooms down that gives advice is now a hippy chick).

I thoroughly enjoy it and am somewhat disappointed in the short season.

Also: Coma.

[Lumenskir]

I had the misfortune of picking up (British) Life On Mars during my attempt to fill a Wire-gap, so every episode I kept expecting them to begin some series long case only to have my serialized hopes dashed when they proceeded to tie up the loose ends all neat like by episodes end. However, even with that said, it did keep me coming back for the same reason Psych is able to, all the enjoyable characters and writing.

Also, I keep missing the American version, but how hard are they pushing the time travel/coma schism? My other big complaint about the British version was that there was never really any doubt. I mean, the "I could never have imagined sand on your hand" excuse from the first episode was just pathetic for the 'time travel' argument, especially when the only way to explain Test Card Girl and the voices every episode was coma. The second series attempt at an arc with the 'ominous' phonecalls all leading up to a two-part finale was just weak too.

All the meta-arc stuff aside, a fun British cop show, and I'll give the American version a chance when I can sit down and devour all the available episodes in condensed sittings.

[Corel]

*Froths at the mouth*

That's what I did when I saw the preview for the American Life On Mars: They're also doing a Spanish one I do recall.

Originally Posted by Kurosen

Ashes to Ashes was a pile. Philip Glenister's Gene Hunt is the king of all bad asses.

Those were my exact thoughts too: The 80's seemed to mellow his character big time. In the 70's he was "An overweight, over-the-hill, nicotine-stained, borderline-alcoholic homophobe with a superiority complex and an unhealthy obsession with male bonding.": I was just waiting for him to bash someone's hand in with a phone again, but alas. The man has cracking one liners though.

I don't think a female lead worked quite as well either, I always got the vibe of Life on Mars being a very masculine show as it was so gritty and ego driven in the way things worked in most places. That or John Simm and Phillip Gleinster had fantastic chemistry together in Life On Mars. That and the Gene Genie just shouldn't do romance: He always had his missus (Whom you never saw) and it's ever strange seeing him do anything which remotely mean him acting like life a fairy.

The ending to Ashes to Ashes I found quite nice, the rest of it only Chris and Rays' antics really interested me.

But the line "I've got 3 minutes until I reach my sexual peak - wanna celebrate?" is a line that everyone should use at one point or another.

Edit: Best. Scene. Ever.

[Demetrius]

They do a fairly decent job with the time travel bit for the most part. The voices and hallucinations are kind of a give away, but they balance those fairly well with him trying to test out stuff to prove that it is all in his head, so really it is well played.