Ashes to Ashes

Whilst I was an avid fan of Life on Mars, I'm feeling a bit mixed about the new series, Ashes to Ashes.

Life on Mars was awesome. The show had a new concept and there was an air of mystery. It wasn't until the end of the second series that we found out that the 1970s world was all in Sam's head. He was in a coma in hospital and had imagined it all. In Ashes to Ashes, we know that Alex Drake has been shot and is imagining everything. She knows this and keeps reminding us of her situation (perhaps more than Sam questioned whether his situation was real or if he was imagining it). You can't empathise with the character because you know that it's all in her head and that at some point she will either wake up or die.

On the other hand, Philip Glennister is just as good as Gene Hunt as he was in Life on Mars. As arguably the most popular character of Life on Mars, Ashes gives him an even bigger spotlight. Sam Tyler's problem was adapting to the 1970s (of which Gene Hunt was merely a part) - in Ashes, Drake's trouble is working with Hunt - not the 80s. In Ashes, Gene Hunt is perhaps more arrogant and just as politically incorrect as he was in Life on Mars.

The show also tries far too hard to make portray the 80s. In Life on Mars, 70s music was only played occasionally and often to enhance the scene - in Ashes, 80s music is played often and usually without much reason. It tries too hard and looses the subtly of Life on Mars. Having said that, the show is still good. It hasn't met it's potential but I have enjoyed it so far and I will continue to watch it, just not as avidly as its predecessor.