Ashes to Ashes: Complete BBC Series 1 [2008]

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
A triumphant return for DCI Gene Hunt, Ashes To Ashes takes some of the characters from the superb time-shifting police drama Life On Mars, and moves the action to the early 1980s. So it's out with the Cortina, in with the Audi Quattro, and straight down to some terrific television.

Joining DCI Hunt -- again played with terrific force and stature by Philip Glenister -- is Keeley Hawes, as DCI Alex Drake. Like John Simm's character in Life On Mars, DCI Drake suddenly finds herself in 1981, with no clear reason why.

This provides the platform for another terrific show, the first series of which is fully present and correct here. Ashes To Ashes is tonally a little different from Life On Mars, but maintains the wonderful attention to period detail (and a healthy 80s soundtrack to match), and the willingness to mix in some fun alongside the serious business of police work.

Ashes To Ashes is some achievement. It grounds out an identify for itself, stepping out of the shadow of Mars. And the rapport between Hawes and Glenister is a real highlight. But there's so much to enjoy here, backed up by the promise of another series in the offing. For now, though, there's plenty to get your teeth into here, thanks to a quality, very British drama that's simply compelling television. --Jon Foster

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Customer reviews

review by: date: 2008-06-23 rating:
Disappointing sequel to the sequel
WARNING: THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS A SPOILER TO THE PLOT OF THE STORY

Life on Mars stands out as one of the best examples of television drama for many years. This spin-off series almost comes across as a parody of it.

It's a mistake to transplant Gene, Ray and Chris out of their native Manchester. They look totally out of place in ( a poorly reconstructed) 1980's London.

In Life on Mars, the contrast between Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt is essentially about how they approach police work and their backgrounds appear generally similiar (working class Manchester). For reasons best known to the writers themselves, the contrast between Gene Hunt and this story's protagonist - Alex Drake - is clumsily exaggerated; He, the uncompromising working class Northerner, she, the plummy voiced daughter of a Barrister.

Contrary to other reviews, I found the ending fairly predictable. Having seen the scene of Alex's father's face in the rear view mirror of the car for the upteenth time (real excessive repetition here), it was obvious who the clown was, and that coupled with the discovery of Alex's mother's affair earlier in the series, left very little doubt as to the probable cause of the car explosion.

It's hard to believe that these were the same writers who had written such a tight storyline as in Life on Mars. Ashes to Ashes is lazy writing.

I would have hoped that this would mark the end of the story, but I'm afraid it's all too apparent that there will be a follow up. Ordinarily I would have looked forward to a new series. Now I'm just curious how bad it will be...

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review by: date: 2008-06-22 rating:
A dissapointment.
A disappointment on nearly every level.
It is such a shame that the legacy of Life On Mars has been reduced to the caricature that is Ashes to Ashes.

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review by: date: 2008-06-17 rating:
SAME AGAIN!!..
..THE SEQUEL TO LIFE ON MARS, THEY ARE BACK MINUS SAM TYLER - IN PLACE A YOUNG FEMALE WHO PLAYSTHE PART AS EQUALLY AS GOOD. MY FAVOURITE CHARACTERS ARE STILL IN IT AND GENE HUNT IS GOD! HONESTLY, THIS IS A MUST FOR FANS OF 80S POLICE SHOWS! BUY IT!!

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review by: date: 2008-06-09 rating:
The Manc Lion Returns with a Roar
After much anticipation the Manc Lion returned. The Gene Genie returned more mature and more laid back. Philip Glenister's on screen chemistry with Keeley Hawes works well, and the storylines have been excellent - and Gene's one-liners have been up to scratch from "Life on Mars". The music has been brilliant and the DVD is now well watched. I look forward to the next and final series with bated breath. Just keep up the good work, writers, actors and BBC.

Thanks for a very good spin off series.


review by: bikkysan date: 2008-05-16 rating:
Well Let's be honest here...
One can say almost without a doubt that yes, Life on Mars was a better show.
But Ashes to Ashes is entertainment at quite a high. The premise isn't exactly fresh anymore, but they don't treat it like it should be in the show either. You have a main character who knows the premise themselves, which gives it a different air entirely.
Keeley Hawes takes a few episodes to get used to this, but she does even out after the first couple. And her chemistry on screen with Philip Glenister's Gene Hunt is fantastic, every bit as good as John Simm, although for entirely different reasons.
We all know how Life on Mars ended, so there seemed to be no surprise waiting for us at the end of this show. We still watched though because it was a welcome break from other shows that seemed to take themselves too seriously. It was also a welcome return of characters we grew to love. And a great soundtrack didn't hurt either (whether or not some of the songs were earlier than 1981... oh dear..). But the suprise was that after 8 episodes what we thought were foregone conclusions, weren't.

So sure it isn't as great as Life on Mars. But then that was the first and those tend to always win out don't they? But this is a bright, flashy, entertaining show, with great acting, a fine on screen chemistry between the leads, one of the best soundtracks ever for a TV show, and some of the greatest dialogue you'll hear since well... Life on Mars. If you liked Life on Mars for the gritty, hard nosed approach, you might not like this latest incarnation... but otherwise most should be pleased enough. And it likely will attract a larger audience.

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