Life on Mars

[silvib]

Has anyone watched this new program, started a couple of weeks' ago. BBC America showed the English version, which DH and I really enjoyed as everything pertinent to the 70's was still fresh in our minds, even though it was a long time ago. The American version was created and the producers have done an excellent job. It's a Law & Order type of thing with a twist, but recreating the 70's as best as they can, with hairstyles, clothes, cars and ... attitude in the police force as it was then.

 

[Bruce W]

I have enjoyed the first few episodes, for the reasons you mentioned. Living in the NYC area, a lot of stuff is familiar, including the sight of the World Trade Center in scenes.

Sadly, I think it will probably go the way of a lot of "quirky" shows, Journeyman, Invasion, Jericho, because of "niche" type audiences.

Bruce W

 

[Art4th]

My wife and I watch it too. We like the 70's theme. Another recent show with a 70's theme was "Swingtown". We're hoping it will come back with a second season. It was our favorite new show.

 

[silvib]

Agreed, we really liked Swingtown, it was good so hope it comes back. Another one from last season that we liked was Cane with Jimmy Smits. That didn't last long though.

 

[andypoole]

oh joy... being the other side of the pond, I've only seen the BBC original but it was a great series. The central character was the policeman who went back in time to the 70's but the real star turned out to be the totally unreconstructed and non-politically correct DCI Hunt, to whom foriegners were to be stereotyped and patronised and women Police Officers were there just to make the tea. He was an old-fashioned copper who 'nicked villains' and 'felt their collars' and the end always justified the means. It's not that the nation was hankering to go back to those days but it brought smiles to many faces and a sense that perhaps the pendulum has swung too far the other way.

I've been looking through some of the classic dialogue and most of it can't be shown here but this one gives you the spirit:

Gene Hunt: I think you've forgotten who you're talking to.
Sam Tyler: An overweight, over-the-hill, nicotine-stained, borderline-alcoholic homophobe with a superiority complex and an unhealthy obsession with male bonding?
Gene Hunt: You make that sound like a bad thing.

Here's a link to more but go there at your own peril: (Mod: this has all been on the BBC so it should be ok to link to)

(self-edited to remove link in a crisis of confidence!)

There has been a sequel - Ashes to Ashes - set in the 80's and the iconic Ford Cortina gives way to an Audi Quattro but the interesting change is that the present day Police Officer who gets transported back in time is a woman, giving DCI Hunt a female Superior, with predictable results.

...sigh...