Ashes to Ashes "more than simply a copy"

Tim

Creative Writer
Glenister thrilled with 'Ashes To Ashes'

Wednesday, February 6 2008, 16:18 GMT
By Beth Hilton, Entertainment Reporter
160x120_Ashes_Gene_Hunt.jpg

Ashes To Ashes star Philip Glenister has said he was "blown over" when he watched the new show.

The Life On Mars spinoff sees DCI Gene Hunt transported to 1980s London, where he is joined by new partner Alex Drake (Keeley Hawes).

However, he insisted that the new series is not simply a copy of the original, saying: "Ashes To Ashes is very much of its own making, it has a completely different feel to Life On Mars.

"We didn't want to remake Life On Mars, there'd be no point, so the writers were adamant about making it its own show, and having seen the DVDs of the final show, they were totally right. I was blown over."

Glenister added that he loved filming a scene in the opening episode where Hunt and colleagues Chris and Ray race under Tower Bridge in a speedboat carrying machine guns.

He said: "That's a bit over-the-top, but it was our Miami Vice moment. The guy driving the boat was a loon. You just can't let stuntmen loose in speedboats. The director said, 'Come round at a bit of a lick' so he took that to mean going as fast as he could and throwing us about."

Ashes To Ashes begins tomorrow at 9pm on BBC One.
 
So Life on Mars has ended but spawned a new show with the same lead character set in the 80's this time? :confused:
 
Basically, the psychologist that Sam saw in the present time after he got back and before he "decided to return" has read up on all his notes and untimely has an accident herself, waking up in the 1980's and coming into contact with most of the old crew.

The worry has been that this show will be a lesser format, but it might just well be great in its own right. Watching some of the trailers available for it look intriguing. The 1980's were still very sexist and unequal towards women in the police force and whilst she wouldn't have fitted in at all thrown into the 1970's, this traveller from the present to the 1980's might just be able to scrape by on her own wits.
 
I saw it last night, and wasn't so impressed with this one as I was with LOM. Keeley Hawes looks nice, but doesn't engage me in her situation the way that John Simms did. Still worth watching, though, and the 1980s music is very nostalgic!
 
Episode One is now available to UK viewers via the BBC's iPlayer (remember, downloading gives higher quality result in bitrate than streaming!) I missed it due to attending a uni social event last night!
 
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