Above: Anishka Sharma, Producer of the Year
The 2023 Audio Production Awards, sponsored by Audible, were held at a gala event on Wednesday 22 November at the BFI on London’s South Bank. Nish Kumar & Coco Khan, presenters of weekly British political comedy podcast, Pod Save the UK, were this year’s hosts.
The APAs, organised by AudioUK, celebrate outstanding achievement in audio production across a huge range of audio content including; podcasts, audiobooks, sound design, radio, presenting and more.
This year’s winners include Jack Suddaby (Beautiful Strangers), who won gold for Best Arts & Culture Producer, silver for Best Lifestyle & Society Producer, and three bronze awards for his podcast Time & Again. The highly competitive Best Factual Producer award went to Joe Kent (BBC News Long Form Audio) for his work on the narrative podcast The Shamima Begum Story.
The Sustainability Award went to Talia Randall for her BBC Sounds podcast, Blossom Trees & Burnt Out Cars,...
The 2023 Audio Production Awards, sponsored by Audible, were held at a gala event on Wednesday 22 November at the BFI on London’s South Bank. Nish Kumar & Coco Khan, presenters of weekly British political comedy podcast, Pod Save the UK, were this year’s hosts.
The APAs, organised by AudioUK, celebrate outstanding achievement in audio production across a huge range of audio content including; podcasts, audiobooks, sound design, radio, presenting and more.
This year’s winners include Jack Suddaby (Beautiful Strangers), who won gold for Best Arts & Culture Producer, silver for Best Lifestyle & Society Producer, and three bronze awards for his podcast Time & Again. The highly competitive Best Factual Producer award went to Joe Kent (BBC News Long Form Audio) for his work on the narrative podcast The Shamima Begum Story.
The Sustainability Award went to Talia Randall for her BBC Sounds podcast, Blossom Trees & Burnt Out Cars,...
- 11/23/2023
- Podnews.net
There’s an elite tier of TV dramas that stay with you, vividly, for decades after they air, and seventies-set sci-fi crime drama Life on Mars was the perfect example. So fervent was the show’s fanbase, that even 15 years after it aired – introducing us to detective Sam Tyler (Grace’s John Simm), who has a car crash in 2006 and wakes up mysteriously trapped in 1973 – the news of a planned revival during a lockdown live tweet-along in 2020 was enthusiastically received.
This revival was later fittingly dubbed Lazarus – once again named after a David Bowie song, like Life on Mars and its sequel Ashes to Ashes – but we’ve now received the sad confirmation from the show’s creators that the reboot won’t be going ahead after all:
It is with a heavy heart that the creators of #LifeOnMars have confirmed that the highly anticipated revival show, #Lazarus, will no longer be moving forward.
This revival was later fittingly dubbed Lazarus – once again named after a David Bowie song, like Life on Mars and its sequel Ashes to Ashes – but we’ve now received the sad confirmation from the show’s creators that the reboot won’t be going ahead after all:
It is with a heavy heart that the creators of #LifeOnMars have confirmed that the highly anticipated revival show, #Lazarus, will no longer be moving forward.
- 6/5/2023
- by Lauravickersgreen
- Den of Geek
Life on Mars was one of the UK’s most popular dramas when it aired a decade and a half ago, and its many fans were geared up for the highly anticipated revival show Lazarus.
However, the show’s creators Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah have announced this will no longer be happening. The team took to social media on Saturday to report to fans:
It is with a heavy heart that the creators of #LifeOnMars have confirmed that the highly anticipated revival show, #Lazarus, will no longer be moving forward.
Many thanks to Matthew Graham & Ashley Pharoah for these past 3 years in your efforts to reunite Sam Tyler & Gene Hunt...
However, the show’s creators Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah have announced this will no longer be happening. The team took to social media on Saturday to report to fans:
It is with a heavy heart that the creators of #LifeOnMars have confirmed that the highly anticipated revival show, #Lazarus, will no longer be moving forward.
Many thanks to Matthew Graham & Ashley Pharoah for these past 3 years in your efforts to reunite Sam Tyler & Gene Hunt...
- 6/4/2023
- by Caroline Frost
- Deadline Film + TV
Could the BBC be headed back to Mars? Life on Mars co-creator Ashley Pharoah recently spoke to Digital Spy about a possible revival of the BBC One series.
The UK drama followed Sam Tyler (John Simm), a Manchester policeman who is hit by a car in 2006 and wakes up in 1973. The series also starred Philip Glenister and Liz White. A sequel series, Ashes to Ashes, aired from 2008 to 2010.
Read More…...
The UK drama followed Sam Tyler (John Simm), a Manchester policeman who is hit by a car in 2006 and wakes up in 1973. The series also starred Philip Glenister and Liz White. A sequel series, Ashes to Ashes, aired from 2008 to 2010.
Read More…...
- 6/21/2016
- by TVSeriesFinale.com
- TVSeriesFinale.com
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Jokers, circus masters and demonic dolls. Which TV characters terrify you? Den Of Geek asked its writers that very question…
The subconscious is a terrible place; dark, mysterious and peopled by spectres from the past. As a bit of a laugh then, we sent our writers journeying into theirs and asked them to drag out any TV terrors they found lurking in the shadows.
Some television fears had been ensconced there since childhood, others were more recent tenants. Some were morally terrifying; human beings with icy hearts capable of atrocities, others were simply… atrocities.
Join us as we count down in order of terror from the sort-of-creepy to the downright terrifying, the 50 TV characters that, for whatever reason, give our writers chills. It’s by no means an exhaustive list, so feel free to fill in gaps by adding your own peculiar television nightmares below…
50. Charn -...
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Jokers, circus masters and demonic dolls. Which TV characters terrify you? Den Of Geek asked its writers that very question…
The subconscious is a terrible place; dark, mysterious and peopled by spectres from the past. As a bit of a laugh then, we sent our writers journeying into theirs and asked them to drag out any TV terrors they found lurking in the shadows.
Some television fears had been ensconced there since childhood, others were more recent tenants. Some were morally terrifying; human beings with icy hearts capable of atrocities, others were simply… atrocities.
Join us as we count down in order of terror from the sort-of-creepy to the downright terrifying, the 50 TV characters that, for whatever reason, give our writers chills. It’s by no means an exhaustive list, so feel free to fill in gaps by adding your own peculiar television nightmares below…
50. Charn -...
- 10/29/2015
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
Cast your minds back to 2002 - a time when Pop Idols didn't need to have The X Factor, Fifty Shades of Grey were just colours on a paint sampler chart and David Beckham was a mere international superstar rather than global megastar.
Bend It Like Beckham, with a modest estimated budget of £3.7 million, opened that same year and became a critical and commercial success - breaking box office records and scoring BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations, as well as making household names of many of its stars.
As the cast continues preparing for the West End stage adaptation of Gurinder Chadha's screen hit ahead of previews on May 15, find out what the movie's ensemble cast went on to achieve - including who is coming back for the musical...
Parminder Nagra (Jess Bhamra)
Nominated for Best Newcomer at the Empire Awards on the back of the movie's success, Parminder went...
Bend It Like Beckham, with a modest estimated budget of £3.7 million, opened that same year and became a critical and commercial success - breaking box office records and scoring BAFTA and Golden Globe nominations, as well as making household names of many of its stars.
As the cast continues preparing for the West End stage adaptation of Gurinder Chadha's screen hit ahead of previews on May 15, find out what the movie's ensemble cast went on to achieve - including who is coming back for the musical...
Parminder Nagra (Jess Bhamra)
Nominated for Best Newcomer at the Empire Awards on the back of the movie's success, Parminder went...
- 3/22/2015
- Digital Spy
From Battlestar Galactica to Farscape, Doctor Who and more, Juliette cheers on 10 TV characters who made a big first impression...
Some characters slip onto our TV screens quietly and sneak into our hearts slowly. We watch them develop and grow, and come to love them over time, sometimes despite very inauspicious beginnings (being eaten by a wheelie bin springs to mind).
Others make more of an impression from the get-go.
In this list, we’re celebrating some of the most memorable and impressive entrances of characters from TV shows. To make the list, a character had to be (or eventually become) a regular or frequently recurring character – no one-shot wonders here. And note this is a list for TV characters, so you won’t see any Captain Jack Sparrow or even the Borg Queen – all of these had to make their big impression on the small screen.
10. Madame Vastra and Jenny,...
Some characters slip onto our TV screens quietly and sneak into our hearts slowly. We watch them develop and grow, and come to love them over time, sometimes despite very inauspicious beginnings (being eaten by a wheelie bin springs to mind).
Others make more of an impression from the get-go.
In this list, we’re celebrating some of the most memorable and impressive entrances of characters from TV shows. To make the list, a character had to be (or eventually become) a regular or frequently recurring character – no one-shot wonders here. And note this is a list for TV characters, so you won’t see any Captain Jack Sparrow or even the Borg Queen – all of these had to make their big impression on the small screen.
10. Madame Vastra and Jenny,...
- 11/2/2014
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
The British public's top ten favourite TV detectives have been revealed.
Britain's Favourite Detectives - a celebration of the UK's greatest fictional crime solvers - will air on Saturday, April 19 on Channel 5.
Benedict Cumbarbatch's dashing Sherlock Holmes, David Suchet's intellectual Hercule Poirot and Life on Mars double-act Sam Tyler (John Simm) and Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) are among the top 'tecs featured.
Digital Spy can reveal who has made the top ten - though you'll have to tune in at 9.25pm on Saturday to find out which order they come in, and which detective has claimed the top spot.
The top ten list is as follows...
Jonathan Creek (Jonathan Creek)
Miss Marple (Marple)
Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock)
Inspector Morse (Morse)
Di Alec Hardy (Broadchurch)
Di Frost (A Touch of Frost)
Sam Tyler & Gene Hunt (Life on Mars)
Hercule Poirot (Poirot)
Dci Tom Barnaby (Midsomer Murders)
Detective Columbo (Columbo)
Britain's Favourite...
Britain's Favourite Detectives - a celebration of the UK's greatest fictional crime solvers - will air on Saturday, April 19 on Channel 5.
Benedict Cumbarbatch's dashing Sherlock Holmes, David Suchet's intellectual Hercule Poirot and Life on Mars double-act Sam Tyler (John Simm) and Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) are among the top 'tecs featured.
Digital Spy can reveal who has made the top ten - though you'll have to tune in at 9.25pm on Saturday to find out which order they come in, and which detective has claimed the top spot.
The top ten list is as follows...
Jonathan Creek (Jonathan Creek)
Miss Marple (Marple)
Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock)
Inspector Morse (Morse)
Di Alec Hardy (Broadchurch)
Di Frost (A Touch of Frost)
Sam Tyler & Gene Hunt (Life on Mars)
Hercule Poirot (Poirot)
Dci Tom Barnaby (Midsomer Murders)
Detective Columbo (Columbo)
Britain's Favourite...
- 4/17/2014
- Digital Spy
Life on Mars, “Episode 1”
Written by Matthew Graham
Directed by Bharat Nalluri
Originally aired January 9, 2006 on BBC One
“I had an accident and I woke up 33 years in the past. Now that either makes me a time traveler or a lunatic or I’m lying in a hospital bed in 2006 and none of this is real.”
Nothing about Life on Mars should have worked. Its premise sounded ridiculous- an English cop gets hit by a car and ends up in the 1970s trying to figure out if he’s crazy or if he really did travel through time. But with “Episode 1”, its pilot, the series hit the ground running, with immediate well-defined characters, an enthralling plot, witty dialogue, and an intriguing mix of sci-fi and character study.
“Episode 1” starts in 2006 and finds detective Sam Tyler (John Simm) hunting for a serial killer. After his girlfriend, a fellow cop, is kidnapped,...
Written by Matthew Graham
Directed by Bharat Nalluri
Originally aired January 9, 2006 on BBC One
“I had an accident and I woke up 33 years in the past. Now that either makes me a time traveler or a lunatic or I’m lying in a hospital bed in 2006 and none of this is real.”
Nothing about Life on Mars should have worked. Its premise sounded ridiculous- an English cop gets hit by a car and ends up in the 1970s trying to figure out if he’s crazy or if he really did travel through time. But with “Episode 1”, its pilot, the series hit the ground running, with immediate well-defined characters, an enthralling plot, witty dialogue, and an intriguing mix of sci-fi and character study.
“Episode 1” starts in 2006 and finds detective Sam Tyler (John Simm) hunting for a serial killer. After his girlfriend, a fellow cop, is kidnapped,...
- 3/3/2014
- by Tressa
- SoundOnSight
Actor who was both heart-throb and hardman as Bodie in The Professionals
In a 1980 episode of the hit British cop show The Professionals, an ill-advised villain tries to threaten the ex-mercenary William Bodie with his snarling doberman pinscher. After a brief altercation, Bodie, all sang-froid and minimally curled lip, inquires: "Would your little dog like to chew this electric fire? Or maybe you'll just leave."
This kind of butch badinage, along with rugged good looks, helped make Lewis Collins, who played Bodie in all 57 of the show's episodes from 1977 and 1983, and who has died aged 67 after suffering from cancer, into a household name. During that time he formed one half of Britain's answer to Starsky and Hutch, a crime-fighting duo called Bodie and Doyle who worked for a shadowy criminal intelligence agency, CI5, headed by Gordon Jackson's strait-laced George Cowley. At its height, The Professionals was watched by 12 million viewers a week,...
In a 1980 episode of the hit British cop show The Professionals, an ill-advised villain tries to threaten the ex-mercenary William Bodie with his snarling doberman pinscher. After a brief altercation, Bodie, all sang-froid and minimally curled lip, inquires: "Would your little dog like to chew this electric fire? Or maybe you'll just leave."
This kind of butch badinage, along with rugged good looks, helped make Lewis Collins, who played Bodie in all 57 of the show's episodes from 1977 and 1983, and who has died aged 67 after suffering from cancer, into a household name. During that time he formed one half of Britain's answer to Starsky and Hutch, a crime-fighting duo called Bodie and Doyle who worked for a shadowy criminal intelligence agency, CI5, headed by Gordon Jackson's strait-laced George Cowley. At its height, The Professionals was watched by 12 million viewers a week,...
- 11/29/2013
- by Stuart Jeffries
- The Guardian - Film News
Feature Juliette Harrisson 16 Aug 2013 - 06:36
Juliette celebrates ten geek TV moments in which music and story are inseperable, with help from Buffy, Quantum Leap, Star Trek & more...
There are great dialogue-free scenes (most of Buffy’s Hush for one) and there are great silent or music-free moments (the credit sequences in Game of Thrones’ The Rains of Castamere and The Walking Dead’s The Killer Inside, most of Buffy’s The Body). But here, we’re celebrating musical moments where the score or soundtrack comes to the fore. The scene may or may not include dialogue, the music may be part of the scene (the technical term for this is diegetic) or part of the score, that is, music that does not exist for the characters but enhances the experience for the viewer (non-diegetic or extra-diegetic). However it’s set up, however it’s used, there are moments where...
Juliette celebrates ten geek TV moments in which music and story are inseperable, with help from Buffy, Quantum Leap, Star Trek & more...
There are great dialogue-free scenes (most of Buffy’s Hush for one) and there are great silent or music-free moments (the credit sequences in Game of Thrones’ The Rains of Castamere and The Walking Dead’s The Killer Inside, most of Buffy’s The Body). But here, we’re celebrating musical moments where the score or soundtrack comes to the fore. The scene may or may not include dialogue, the music may be part of the scene (the technical term for this is diegetic) or part of the score, that is, music that does not exist for the characters but enhances the experience for the viewer (non-diegetic or extra-diegetic). However it’s set up, however it’s used, there are moments where...
- 8/16/2013
- by louisamellor
- Den of Geek
The actor on listening to Lloyd Cole, watching Man of Steel and reading Stoner by John Williams
John Simm is a British actor best known for playing Sam Tyler in Life on Mars and the Master in Doctor Who. He began performing as a teenager, singing and playing guitar alongside his musician father in northern working men's clubs. He attended Drama Centre London where he studied the Stanislavski school of method acting. He received huge acclaim for his roles in Paul Abbott's State of Play and Jimmy McGovern's The Lakes. He was recently to be seen in the first world war drama The Village and Sky's surreal crime caper Mad Dogs. He is currently playing the priggish Gibbs in Jamie Lloyd's theatrical production of Harold Pinter's The Hothouse at Trafalgar Studios, London.
Lloyd Cole: Standards
I was about 13 when Lloyd Cole was big in the...
John Simm is a British actor best known for playing Sam Tyler in Life on Mars and the Master in Doctor Who. He began performing as a teenager, singing and playing guitar alongside his musician father in northern working men's clubs. He attended Drama Centre London where he studied the Stanislavski school of method acting. He received huge acclaim for his roles in Paul Abbott's State of Play and Jimmy McGovern's The Lakes. He was recently to be seen in the first world war drama The Village and Sky's surreal crime caper Mad Dogs. He is currently playing the priggish Gibbs in Jamie Lloyd's theatrical production of Harold Pinter's The Hothouse at Trafalgar Studios, London.
Lloyd Cole: Standards
I was about 13 when Lloyd Cole was big in the...
- 7/15/2013
- by Michael Hogan, Ben Marshall
- The Guardian - Film News
Dedicated television viewers know that there will always be shows that everyone wants you to watch, either it’s a cult show, a show that ended way before it’s time, or seems to grab everyone’s attention but yours. However many viewers find themselves stumbling upon these shows either years later or late into a shows run. I’ve compiled a list of ten shows, published once a week, that have become classics or are on their way to doing so and have recently been discovered by this writer.
****
Life on Mars
Created by Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah
Original Run 2006-2007
BBC One
“My name is Sam Tyler, I had an accident and I woke up in 1973. Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever’s happened, it’s like I’ve landed on a different planet. Maybe if I can work out the reason,...
****
Life on Mars
Created by Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah
Original Run 2006-2007
BBC One
“My name is Sam Tyler, I had an accident and I woke up in 1973. Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever’s happened, it’s like I’ve landed on a different planet. Maybe if I can work out the reason,...
- 6/5/2013
- by Tressa
- SoundOnSight
From Casablanca to The Killing – the elements of a great script are essentially the same. John Yorke – who is responsible for some of the most popular recent British TV dramas – reveals how and why the best screenwriting works
Once upon a time, in such and such a place, something happened." In basic terms that's about it – the very best definition of a story. What an archetypal story does is introduce you to a central character – the protagonist – and invite you to identify with them; effectively they become your avatar in the drama. So you have a central character, you empathise with them, and something then happens to them, and that something is the genesis of the story. Jack discovers a beanstalk; Bond learns Blofeld plans to take over the world. The "something" is almost always a problem, sometimes a problem disguised as an opportunity. It's usually something that throws your...
Once upon a time, in such and such a place, something happened." In basic terms that's about it – the very best definition of a story. What an archetypal story does is introduce you to a central character – the protagonist – and invite you to identify with them; effectively they become your avatar in the drama. So you have a central character, you empathise with them, and something then happens to them, and that something is the genesis of the story. Jack discovers a beanstalk; Bond learns Blofeld plans to take over the world. The "something" is almost always a problem, sometimes a problem disguised as an opportunity. It's usually something that throws your...
- 3/16/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Life on Mars is to be remade for Russian TV. The BBC detective series - which saw detective Sam Tyler (John Simm) transported from 2006 to 1973 - will be renamed The Dark Side of the Moon and will be set in 1979. The remake will see a tough Moscow cop wake up with Soviet leader Leonid Brezhnev in power, and government youth organisation Young Pioneers still active. Whereas the BBC series focused on the rough and ready police culture of the 1970s versus the more politically correct ways of modern Britain, the Russian producers admitted they had to reflect an entirely different atmosphere due to the influence of the Soviet regime. "In the British series, he goes from our time to that one and sees a harshness that does not work. He is a decent guy and opposes it," said producer Alexander Tsekalo. "In our story, it is all absolutely the other way round.
- 11/4/2012
- by By Alison Rowley
- Digital Spy
Based on the ground breaking UK series, the critically acclaimed Us remake of Shameless, from award-winning executive producer John Wells (ER, The West Wing) and starring Oscar-nominated actor William H. Macy (Fargo) as the notorious Frank Gallagher, is released on DVD from 25th June 2012. To celebrate Chicago’s most dysfunctional family we take a look back at the best British-made TV shows to successfully make their way across the Atlantic.
Steptoe & Son
UK (1962-1974)
This classic British sitcom about a warring father and son who run an unsuccessful rag and bone store in London gave audiences one of the most successful double acts in TV history. Despite in reality only having a 13 year age difference, Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H Corbett were convincing as a cynical father and ambitious son, respectively, who constantly bicker over the failing business and their vastly opposing views on social issues.
Us (1972-1977)
The well-loved...
Steptoe & Son
UK (1962-1974)
This classic British sitcom about a warring father and son who run an unsuccessful rag and bone store in London gave audiences one of the most successful double acts in TV history. Despite in reality only having a 13 year age difference, Wilfrid Brambell and Harry H Corbett were convincing as a cynical father and ambitious son, respectively, who constantly bicker over the failing business and their vastly opposing views on social issues.
Us (1972-1977)
The well-loved...
- 6/22/2012
- by Phil
- Nerdly
Eternal Law
Kieran Kinsella
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter
Click Here To Read Our Matthew Graham Interview
ITV’s Eternal Law is not your conventional legal drama but Life on Mars co-creators Matthew Graham and Ahsley Pharoah are experts at turning unorthodox ideas into smash hits. Episode one began with wide-eyed angel Tom (Ukweli Roach) crashing to Earth. He was greeted by Zak (Samuel West) who is as world weary as his new colleague is fresh faced. The duo soon found themselves representing a seemingly indefensible killer in court while the much easier task of the prosecution was being handled by Richard Pembroke (Tobias Menzies) – a fallen angel!
When you read the plot on paper it sounds weirder than it appears on TV because Graham and Pharoah are somehow able to make extraordinary things seem fairly normal onscreen. While...
Kieran Kinsella
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on Twitter
Click Here To Read Our Matthew Graham Interview
ITV’s Eternal Law is not your conventional legal drama but Life on Mars co-creators Matthew Graham and Ahsley Pharoah are experts at turning unorthodox ideas into smash hits. Episode one began with wide-eyed angel Tom (Ukweli Roach) crashing to Earth. He was greeted by Zak (Samuel West) who is as world weary as his new colleague is fresh faced. The duo soon found themselves representing a seemingly indefensible killer in court while the much easier task of the prosecution was being handled by Richard Pembroke (Tobias Menzies) – a fallen angel!
When you read the plot on paper it sounds weirder than it appears on TV because Graham and Pharoah are somehow able to make extraordinary things seem fairly normal onscreen. While...
- 1/6/2012
- by admin
It may not break new ground but Terra Nova is a distinct improvement on the recent batch of disappointing sci-fi shows
At first glance this seems like a great time for fans of TV science fiction, with healthily budgeted primetime shows such as The Event, Falling Skies, Torchwood, Outcasts and others popping up regularly on the schedules. The problem, of course, comes when you actually try and watch any of them.
So after Falling Skies – a decent hour of interesting alien stuff watered down with dull human characters and situations, spread over 10 dire weeks – news of another Steven Spielberg-produced science fiction show didn't carry the cachet of the past. I watched the pilot double episode of Terra Nova, which starts tonight on Sky One, expecting more of the same: a tired slog as they clumsily set things up, accompanied by plenty of eye rolling and shouting at the telly on my part.
At first glance this seems like a great time for fans of TV science fiction, with healthily budgeted primetime shows such as The Event, Falling Skies, Torchwood, Outcasts and others popping up regularly on the schedules. The problem, of course, comes when you actually try and watch any of them.
So after Falling Skies – a decent hour of interesting alien stuff watered down with dull human characters and situations, spread over 10 dire weeks – news of another Steven Spielberg-produced science fiction show didn't carry the cachet of the past. I watched the pilot double episode of Terra Nova, which starts tonight on Sky One, expecting more of the same: a tired slog as they clumsily set things up, accompanied by plenty of eye rolling and shouting at the telly on my part.
- 10/3/2011
- by Phelim O'Neill
- The Guardian - Film News
Thanks to Kelly from TV.com for this special Guest Article for SpoilerTV
Terra Nova: Where Do I Know Them From?
by Kelly Kelemen for TV.com
Terra Nova just roared onto Fox's Monday lineup, backed by a hefty 9 figure budget from one Steven Spielberg, as the show hopes to garner a loyal fan base of thrill seekers and dino-enthusiasts and become the next Lost. But what the show doesn't have is that big name star that you know from countless other outlets such as Zooey Deschanel, Jane Lynch, Simon Cowell, Omar Epps, etc. So if you're busy putting your finger on actor's faces during the broadcast, desperately trying to place where they're from, here's a cheat sheet that might jog your memory.
Jason O’Mara (as Jim Shannon)
The show’s main character and Irish lad is no stranger to the little screen, if we can call it that anymore.
Terra Nova: Where Do I Know Them From?
by Kelly Kelemen for TV.com
Terra Nova just roared onto Fox's Monday lineup, backed by a hefty 9 figure budget from one Steven Spielberg, as the show hopes to garner a loyal fan base of thrill seekers and dino-enthusiasts and become the next Lost. But what the show doesn't have is that big name star that you know from countless other outlets such as Zooey Deschanel, Jane Lynch, Simon Cowell, Omar Epps, etc. So if you're busy putting your finger on actor's faces during the broadcast, desperately trying to place where they're from, here's a cheat sheet that might jog your memory.
Jason O’Mara (as Jim Shannon)
The show’s main character and Irish lad is no stranger to the little screen, if we can call it that anymore.
- 9/30/2011
- by DarkUFO
- SpoilerTV
Joanne Froggatt in Downton Abbey.
By Kieran Kinsella
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on twitter.
On Sunday, Downton Abbey returns to British TV as season two gets underway. When it airs, award winning actress Joanne Froggatt and many of the other stars of the show will be thousands of miles away attending the Emmys in Los Angeles. The hit drama has been nominated for no less than 11 awards. Joanne whose past credits include Robin Hood, The Street and Life on Mars, recently took time out from her hectic schedule to talk to Best British TV about Downton Abbey, the Emmy’s and her other acting work.
In Downton Abbey, your character Anna has been involved in a romance with Mr Bates. There is a bit of an age gap between the two and he is a man with a past but...
By Kieran Kinsella
Click here to friend Best British TV on Facebook or here to follow us on twitter.
On Sunday, Downton Abbey returns to British TV as season two gets underway. When it airs, award winning actress Joanne Froggatt and many of the other stars of the show will be thousands of miles away attending the Emmys in Los Angeles. The hit drama has been nominated for no less than 11 awards. Joanne whose past credits include Robin Hood, The Street and Life on Mars, recently took time out from her hectic schedule to talk to Best British TV about Downton Abbey, the Emmy’s and her other acting work.
In Downton Abbey, your character Anna has been involved in a romance with Mr Bates. There is a bit of an age gap between the two and he is a man with a past but...
- 9/16/2011
- by admin
Life on Mars. co. BBC
Click here to friend us on Facebook or click here to follow our new Twitter page.
Kieran Kinsella recently had the chance to talk to writer Matthew Graham. Along with Ashley Pharoah, Matthew Graham co-created the hugely popular BBC dramas Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes. He is currently overseeing production of his new ITV drama Eternal Law and aside from that he somehow found the time to write two recent episodes of Doctor Who. The interview began with some questions about his best known work.
Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes both featured a lot of pop culture references that gave the shows an authentic feel. Did you spend a lot of time researching those references or were those just things that came to mind when you wrote the script?
“It was a bit of both really. I was becoming more musically...
Click here to friend us on Facebook or click here to follow our new Twitter page.
Kieran Kinsella recently had the chance to talk to writer Matthew Graham. Along with Ashley Pharoah, Matthew Graham co-created the hugely popular BBC dramas Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes. He is currently overseeing production of his new ITV drama Eternal Law and aside from that he somehow found the time to write two recent episodes of Doctor Who. The interview began with some questions about his best known work.
Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes both featured a lot of pop culture references that gave the shows an authentic feel. Did you spend a lot of time researching those references or were those just things that came to mind when you wrote the script?
“It was a bit of both really. I was becoming more musically...
- 6/24/2011
- by admin
BBC Case Histories Part Five Review
Every Friday, get 2 for 1 movie tickets when you use your Visa Signature card.
The third two-part story of this six part season got underway tonight with a Wallander style shot of a windswept, drab looking field. The similarities to the dreary Swedish show ended there as Jackson Brodie got to work with his latest investigation into an alleged adultery case.
After taking some snaps of the adulteress in action, his car broke down and he attempted to hitch hike a ride from an elderly Scottish woman who promptly fainted at the wheel and ended up crashing her car onto a rail track. The car landed on its side but rather than break the front windscreen, Brodie (Jason Isaacs) decided to break the side window and climb down to save the woman. Sadly for him, a train came round the bend at that moment and...
Every Friday, get 2 for 1 movie tickets when you use your Visa Signature card.
The third two-part story of this six part season got underway tonight with a Wallander style shot of a windswept, drab looking field. The similarities to the dreary Swedish show ended there as Jackson Brodie got to work with his latest investigation into an alleged adultery case.
After taking some snaps of the adulteress in action, his car broke down and he attempted to hitch hike a ride from an elderly Scottish woman who promptly fainted at the wheel and ended up crashing her car onto a rail track. The car landed on its side but rather than break the front windscreen, Brodie (Jason Isaacs) decided to break the side window and climb down to save the woman. Sadly for him, a train came round the bend at that moment and...
- 6/19/2011
- by admin
David Brent in The Office. co. BBC
Don’t get sold out! Buy advance tickets to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Kieran Kinsella
David Brent (Ricky Gervais) The Office UK. The dancing, joking all round entertainer of a boss, who does not know any boundaries and has a sensitivity level that makes Mr Spock look like an agony Aunt. He has to be British TV’s best boss because most of us have worked for him at one time in our careers and yet he still lives!
Captain Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe) Dad’s Army. Mainwaring wore two bosses hats in Dad’s Army: the bank boss hat and the home guard hat. Neither fitted very well but it is hilarious to see him struggling to stay sane when confronted with complete imbeciles.
Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) Eastenders. They have had some rough and tough bosses at the...
Don’t get sold out! Buy advance tickets to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2.
Kieran Kinsella
David Brent (Ricky Gervais) The Office UK. The dancing, joking all round entertainer of a boss, who does not know any boundaries and has a sensitivity level that makes Mr Spock look like an agony Aunt. He has to be British TV’s best boss because most of us have worked for him at one time in our careers and yet he still lives!
Captain Mainwaring (Arthur Lowe) Dad’s Army. Mainwaring wore two bosses hats in Dad’s Army: the bank boss hat and the home guard hat. Neither fitted very well but it is hilarious to see him struggling to stay sane when confronted with complete imbeciles.
Peggy Mitchell (Barbara Windsor) Eastenders. They have had some rough and tough bosses at the...
- 6/13/2011
- by admin
John Simm has admitted that he regrets quitting Life on Mars. The 40-year-old actor, who played Sam Tyler in the time-travel police drama for two series, decided not to return for what was intended to be the show's final series. Speaking to Digital Spy, Simm conceded: "Maybe I was a bit hasty with Life on Mars. I should've done another [series] I think. Maybe one more." After Simm's departure, creators Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharaoh developed spinoff Ashes to Ashes, which ran for three series and concluded last year. However, Simm defended his reasons for leaving, saying: "I (more)...
- 4/30/2011
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
Rare is the television show that manages to be fresh in its genre, let alone two at the same time.Life on Mars doesn’t just offer an interesting take on time travel stories; it also kicks the modern police procedural in the pants by juxtaposing two different eras of cop shows.
The always engaging John Simm plays Sam Tyler, a cop who’s very much in the Law & Order mold: idealistic, compassionate, clean cut, and intelligent beyond the average. This is a hero that, initially, exists in most of the procedurals we see nowadays. Watching them is often boring because the world they operate in exists for them to solve and conquer. What this show does is yank this character out of that world to drop him in a more challenging one. While in the middle of a case, Tyler is struck by a car in 2006 and wakes up...
The always engaging John Simm plays Sam Tyler, a cop who’s very much in the Law & Order mold: idealistic, compassionate, clean cut, and intelligent beyond the average. This is a hero that, initially, exists in most of the procedurals we see nowadays. Watching them is often boring because the world they operate in exists for them to solve and conquer. What this show does is yank this character out of that world to drop him in a more challenging one. While in the middle of a case, Tyler is struck by a car in 2006 and wakes up...
- 3/12/2011
- by Arya Ponto
- JustPressPlay.net
Michael Imperioli has defended the final episode of ABC drama Life On Mars. The series, a remake of the British original, concluded with Sam Tyler (Jason O'Mara) discovering that he was really an astronaut on man's first mission to Mars in 2035. "I really liked the ending to Life On Mars," Imperioli told The TV Addict. "While it's never good when you get cancelled prematurely, it was nice that the writers knew we were done so they were able to write an ending." The former Sopranos (more)...
- 1/5/2011
- by By Morgan Jeffery
- Digital Spy
Normal 0 false false false En-us X-none X-none MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Style-->
Ask any American what they know about British pop culture and chances are they will tell that they love The Office and Extras with that guy who does the embarrassing comedy stuff. Beyond that they probably know of nothing since Monty Python. British television, especially comedy, extends so much further than some fat bloke from Reading that we feel it is our duty to introduce you to some of the finest imports the 51st state has to offer. So if you need a last item here or there for a lover of comedy, all are top quality stocking stuffers, most are available easily, and none of them have anything to do with Ricky Gervais.
The League of Gentlemen: The Collection
DVD - $55.99
{amazon}B0007Y0982{/amazon}
A horror themed sitcom that is as funny as it is strange. Set in...
Ask any American what they know about British pop culture and chances are they will tell that they love The Office and Extras with that guy who does the embarrassing comedy stuff. Beyond that they probably know of nothing since Monty Python. British television, especially comedy, extends so much further than some fat bloke from Reading that we feel it is our duty to introduce you to some of the finest imports the 51st state has to offer. So if you need a last item here or there for a lover of comedy, all are top quality stocking stuffers, most are available easily, and none of them have anything to do with Ricky Gervais.
The League of Gentlemen: The Collection
DVD - $55.99
{amazon}B0007Y0982{/amazon}
A horror themed sitcom that is as funny as it is strange. Set in...
- 12/17/2010
- by JPP Staff
- JustPressPlay.net
His Hollywood dream turned to dust, he's not won a Bafta, and Russell Crowe nabbed his role. So is John Simm bitter? Well, maybe a bit…
Why is John Simm so often cast as a chippy bugger? "Am I?" he asks. "Define chippy." Well, there's the brooding journalist Cal McCaffrey in TV drama State Of Play who feels he's up against the world, and the displaced detective inspector Sam Tyler in Life On Mars, thrown back into the 1970s and misunderstood by all. Then there's the vengeful Master in Doctor Who – you don't get much more chippy than him. And now he's playing the ultimate chippy bugger – Hamlet.
"Angst," he says. "They are the best parts… Maybe it's my face." He's right about the face – it's strong, handsome even, but not smooth or comforting. He's too wiry to be eye candy.
We meet in a pub in Highgate, north London.
Why is John Simm so often cast as a chippy bugger? "Am I?" he asks. "Define chippy." Well, there's the brooding journalist Cal McCaffrey in TV drama State Of Play who feels he's up against the world, and the displaced detective inspector Sam Tyler in Life On Mars, thrown back into the 1970s and misunderstood by all. Then there's the vengeful Master in Doctor Who – you don't get much more chippy than him. And now he's playing the ultimate chippy bugger – Hamlet.
"Angst," he says. "They are the best parts… Maybe it's my face." He's right about the face – it's strong, handsome even, but not smooth or comforting. He's too wiry to be eye candy.
We meet in a pub in Highgate, north London.
- 9/10/2010
- by Simon Hattenstone
- The Guardian - Film News
This post will be chock-full of spoilers, and is meant as a discussion post, rather than a review. Suffice to say, if you like sci-fi, the metaphysical, and procedurals grounded in humanity, as well as brilliant characters and unbelievably strong actors, then give "Ashes to Ashes" a shot, but not before watching the original British series, "Life on Mars." It'll be infinitely frustrating at times, but it's worth the payoff.
****
I've mentioned a few times on the site how disappointed I was in the British series, "Life on Mars." It was a good procedural built with wonderful characters, with a particular nod to John Simm and, especially, Phillip Glenister, and I did like most of the episodes individually. But I thought the end was a complete cop-out. Essentially, the people behind the series created a complex mystery about why Sam Tyler was stuck in 1972 only, in the end, to give...
****
I've mentioned a few times on the site how disappointed I was in the British series, "Life on Mars." It was a good procedural built with wonderful characters, with a particular nod to John Simm and, especially, Phillip Glenister, and I did like most of the episodes individually. But I thought the end was a complete cop-out. Essentially, the people behind the series created a complex mystery about why Sam Tyler was stuck in 1972 only, in the end, to give...
- 7/22/2010
- by Dustin Rowles
This week's TV on DVD segment is a little different than usual; this time around, I'll be reviewing a DVD set. This is a trend that will carry on until at least the immediate future (I hope to have day-of reviews of sets like Fringe and Lost posted on here as well). This week's set, however, features a show that ended a few years ago (though the set was only released on July 6). I'm talking about BBC's Life on Mars.
American audiences are probably most familiar with Life on Mars from the Harvey Keitel-starring ABC series that lasted for seventeen episodes before being cancelled. The UK series lasted for one episode shorter than that (finishing at sixteen episodes), due to the UK's shorter television seasons. That it lasted for two years and told a complete story (with an ending that makes sense) makes it infinitely more appealing than its Us incarnation.
American audiences are probably most familiar with Life on Mars from the Harvey Keitel-starring ABC series that lasted for seventeen episodes before being cancelled. The UK series lasted for one episode shorter than that (finishing at sixteen episodes), due to the UK's shorter television seasons. That it lasted for two years and told a complete story (with an ending that makes sense) makes it infinitely more appealing than its Us incarnation.
- 7/20/2010
- by Sam McPherson
- TVovermind.com
The Brits have made a stand in recent years in televised stories about the modern police that, while the plots may be gritty and the characters may be deeply flawed, are, in style, slick, smart, and sophisticated. Prime Suspect. Trial and Retribution. Mi-5. And Life on Mars looks, at first, to be another show like that. Police work is not just a job, it’s a profession: a skilled vocation demanding education and dedication. (Whether that’s true or not isn’t at issue: it’s how the work has been presented of late.) The police are meticulous interrogations are calm and orderly with the suspect accompanied by his lawyer, his shrink, and his social worker. There are many i’s to be dotted and t’s to be crossed, and not a one of them is missed. It doesn’t seem odd or strange until we wake up, with Dci Sam Tyler,...
- 7/19/2010
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Part science fiction, part police drama, BBC.s Life on Mars from Acorn Media is completely entertaining. In a situation that seems far from possible, viewers follow the adventures of Police detective Sam Tyler (John Simms) as he tries to adjust to his new life. What is the reality of his world and will the truths stop him from seeking out criminals and bringing them to justice. In present day Manchester England, detective Sam Tyler is hit by a car while in pursuit of a killer. When he awakens he has been mysteriously transported back to the year 1973, where his style of police procedure is a thing of the future. Bewildered, Sam tries to piece together what has happened,...
- 7/14/2010
- by June L.
- Monsters and Critics
Day 6: Welcome once again, to the latest set of polls for the Best Show Competition 2010. Yesterday once again saw some shockers and surprises in a quieter day for votes. I can safely say I am not winning the competition. I have less than half the scores right so far :P We say goodbye to Band of Brothers (Scandelous), House (Bonkers, although Deadwood is quality TV), One Tree Hill and Prison Break. Through is Grey's, Desperate Housewives, Deadwood & Scrubs. The competition is throwing in some right shockers. I have noticed a few negative comments on the way the competition is going, and I will say I have been surprised with some of the votes, but this is a hunt for the best TV show as voted for by the readers of SpoilerTV and other related sites, and so what they say is what is the case. I'm enjoying the shock,...
- 6/26/2010
- by Adam.D.Harris
- SpoilerTV
Jason O'Mara, who wowed audiences in his short stint as Detective Sam Tyler on ABC's "Life on Mars," could be returning to network television via Steven Spielberg. O'Mara is reportedly in talks to star in Fox's new sci-fi show "Terra Nova," which was one of the highlights of the network's advertiser upfront presentation last month. While other actors have been considered for various roles, O'Mara is the first in talks and could be the first to be signed to the project. The premise behind "Terra Nova" includes the Shannon family, headed by Jim Shannon, being sent from an apocalyptic Earth in 2149 back in time 85 million years to join a second chance civilization called Terra Nova. O'Mara would play Jim, who helps his family through the challenges of the different time period on Earth, ...
- 6/9/2010
- GeekNation.com
Filed under: TV News
Deadline.com is reporting that Jason O'Mara, best known for his role on the American adaptation of the time-traveling drama 'Life On Mars,' is in talks to star in 'Terra Nova,' another time-traveling drama from producer Steven Spielberg. Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider blog is also reporting they have confirmed the story with a "key insider."
In ABC's 'Life On Mars,' O'Mara played Detective Sam Tyler, a New York City police officer sent back to the 1970s after a car crash. Despite a heavyweight cast that included Harvey Keitel, Michael Imperioli and Gretchen Mol, the show was canceled after 17 episodes and a major overhaul.
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Deadline.com is reporting that Jason O'Mara, best known for his role on the American adaptation of the time-traveling drama 'Life On Mars,' is in talks to star in 'Terra Nova,' another time-traveling drama from producer Steven Spielberg. Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider blog is also reporting they have confirmed the story with a "key insider."
In ABC's 'Life On Mars,' O'Mara played Detective Sam Tyler, a New York City police officer sent back to the 1970s after a car crash. Despite a heavyweight cast that included Harvey Keitel, Michael Imperioli and Gretchen Mol, the show was canceled after 17 episodes and a major overhaul.
Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments...
- 6/7/2010
- by Nick Zaino
- Aol TV.
I’m sticking with this theory for the moment: The Doctor is suffering a regeneration crisis (“Everybody knows except me”), and this is all in his head, à la Sam Tyler (he’s either mad, in a coma, or back in time, except it’s one of the first two), and the crack in the universe is actually his own sane self trying to break through. And so at this moment may prove to be the moment when he first started to acknowledge, however subconsciously, that he does need to reach through and back to the other side of sanity.
- 5/31/2010
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
Matthew Graham has revealed that he initially wanted John Simm to return for last night's Ashes To Ashes finale. Graham, who co-created the sci-fi drama with Ashley Pharoah, admitted that Simm's Life On Mars alter ego Di Sam Tyler was originally meant to come out of the Railway Arms instead of Nelson to greet the Ashes faithful. He told The Guardian: "There was originally a version where John came back. It was never scripted but it was storylined. Everyone seemed to really like it. We were all quite happy and excited about it." However, (more)...
- 5/22/2010
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
Matthew Graham has revealed that Gene Hunt and Alex Drake will kiss in this week's Ashes To Ashes finale. According to the show's co-creator, the two characters - portrayed by Philip Glenister and Keeley Hawes - are to finally share the truth of Sam Tyler's (John Simm) death. Graham told Metro: "The last ever episode of Ashes To Ashes was never going to be about blags and villains, it was always going to be about Gene Hunt. Who is he? "What is the meaning behind (more)...
- 5/17/2010
- by By Paul Millar
- Digital Spy
Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand. Just what is Yeats' rough beast that slouches towards Bethlehem to be born, within the context of Ashes to Ashes? Is it the mysterious Dci Gene Hunt, whose presence within the world of Ashes and Life on Mars seems to be one of the few constants? Or is it his nemesis, Discipline and Complaints Officer Jim Keats, Gene's dark reflection and a man of enigma himself? Once again, Alex Drake finds herself caught between wanting to trust Gene and her own suspicions about what happened to Sam Tyler.
- 5/17/2010
- by Jace
- Televisionary
With several series finishing up in the next two weeks, and others about to kick off new seasons next month, it's time to look at some promos for various finales and premieres.
Ashes to Ashes
Only one episode left until the three-year mysteries of 'Ashes' and the five-year mystery of Gene Hunt are solved. This past Friday's superb penultimate episode of the third and final season setup events for the coming finale with three supporting characters seeing stars and hearing noises relating back to "Life on Mars".
The mystery of Sam Tyler's death was partly explained, Keats turned ruthless and nasty, and there was even a sweet Alex/Gene romantic moment. Now, The BBC has released two quite different promos for the final episode - the first is the straight up commercial that's running this week. The second a more story-focused and low-key 'Next Time' promo:
Burn Notice
There...
Ashes to Ashes
Only one episode left until the three-year mysteries of 'Ashes' and the five-year mystery of Gene Hunt are solved. This past Friday's superb penultimate episode of the third and final season setup events for the coming finale with three supporting characters seeing stars and hearing noises relating back to "Life on Mars".
The mystery of Sam Tyler's death was partly explained, Keats turned ruthless and nasty, and there was even a sweet Alex/Gene romantic moment. Now, The BBC has released two quite different promos for the final episode - the first is the straight up commercial that's running this week. The second a more story-focused and low-key 'Next Time' promo:
Burn Notice
There...
- 5/16/2010
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
"My name is Sam Tyler. I had an accident and I woke up in 1973. Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever's happened, it's like I've landed on a different planet. Now, maybe if I can work out the reason, I can get home." Those were the words spoken by John Simm's Sam Tyler at the start of every episode of Life on Mars, summing up the series' central conceit: the investigation of what had happened to Sam Tyler. His anachronistic presence in 1973 might have been the result of madness, coma, or time-travel... or something altogether different. While Life on Mars wrapped up after two seasons, the mystery surrounding Sam Tyler--and Philip Glenister's Dci Gent Hunt--has continued to swirl tantalizingly around Mars' sequel, Ashes to Ashes, which delivered another knock out installment as it continues to head towards its own conclusion as Di Alex...
- 5/10/2010
- by Jace
- Televisionary
I received quite a few emails and Twitter replies asking me where my weekly write-ups of BBC One's Ashes to Ashes had gone. After a one-week break, I'm happy to say that they're back and I'll be covering the last two installments of Ashes--the series' fourth and fifth episodes--in this write-up. The fourth episode continued the pattern established earlier this season, with each of Ashes to Ashes's supporting cast getting a character-centric episode. With both Shaz and Ray getting their individual episodes (representing courage and heart, respectively), Chris Skelton finally got his installment with Episode Four, as he fell for a female undercover police officer who wasn't quite exactly what she appeared to be. While the team attempted to protect Officer Louise Gardner (Zoe Telford) from the villainous Stafford gang, the true war that was being waged was the invisible one between Dci Gene Hunt and Discipline and Complaints...
- 5/3/2010
- by Jace
- Televisionary
A whole lot of plates get spinning really quickly in ABC's new mystery "Happy Town." There's murder, political intrigue, betrayal, forbidden love, family drama and enough oddball characters to populate four or five small-town TV shows.
Three episodes in, though, viewers are left with almost no clue as to what all the effort is for. It's not because "Happy Town" is so complex that it requires repeat viewing to catch every nuance. It's because the show is so overstuffed and dancing so fast in its effort to achieve cultdom that it forgets some basic things, like making us care about the characters in the middle of this whole mess or drawing some clear stakes for what happens.
That's the biggest flaw in the series: Heaps and heaps of plot exposition come at us, but the story is happening to characters -- and it is happening to them, rather than them...
Three episodes in, though, viewers are left with almost no clue as to what all the effort is for. It's not because "Happy Town" is so complex that it requires repeat viewing to catch every nuance. It's because the show is so overstuffed and dancing so fast in its effort to achieve cultdom that it forgets some basic things, like making us care about the characters in the middle of this whole mess or drawing some clear stakes for what happens.
That's the biggest flaw in the series: Heaps and heaps of plot exposition come at us, but the story is happening to characters -- and it is happening to them, rather than them...
- 4/28/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
Looks like Ray finally got his heart. In the shared stories of Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, Di Ray Carling (Dean Andrews) has been a stalwart member of Gene Hunt's team but never the focus of any particular storyline. That decision has granted Ray the illusion of being what he appears on the surface: a misogynistic lackey who is all too willing to follow Gene's instructions and make trouble for Sam Tyler or Alex Drake. But this week's fantastic episode of BBC One's Ashes to Ashes, written by Julie Rutterford and directed by Alrick Riley, shaded in Ray's backstory, rendering a tragic air to his character that was both emotionally wrenching and wholly unexpected. Thoughout the five seasons that comprise Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, Ray hasn't been the type of character who openly discusses his feelings or his past, yet this week's installment featured a...
- 4/19/2010
- by Jace
- Televisionary
"It's a god-awful small affair/To the girl with the mousy hair." David Bowie's seminal song "Life on Mars" may have provided the musical hook to 1970s set metaphysical cop drama Life on Mars but its presence had until this point been limited to that series and not crossing over into sequel spinoff Ashes to Ashes. Until now, that is. The song--along with Billy Joel's "Uptown Girl"--offered two of many memorable moments in the latest fantastic installment of Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah's Ashes to Ashes, a mind-bending installment that offered some additional clues to the identity of Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) and his war with Jim Keats (Daniel Mays) as well as the circumstances surrounding the death of Life on Mars' Sam Tyler (John Simm) and the presence of Alex (Keeley Hawes) in this strange world. While retaining its aura of dread, this week's...
- 4/12/2010
- by Jace
- Televisionary
Phil Glenister has claimed that it is the right time for Ashes To Ashes to conclude. Glenister, who plays Gene Hunt in the show, revealed that more of his character's private life will emerge in the final series. "I think Gene has to remain an enigma," he told the Daily Record. "It was important we didn't know too much about his home life. "We've had to do some of that in this series, though. In the past I was vehemently against the idea of seeing him at home, but we'll learn more about him, what he stands for, who he is, really." Glenister also said that fans of Life On Mars and Ashes To Ashes will receive answers in the show's finale. "It's come full circle and we learn things about Sam Tyler and his relationship with (more)...
- 4/2/2010
- by By Catriona Wightman
- Digital Spy
The upcoming third and final season of "Ashes To Ashes" will also explain the ending to its predecessor, the original two-season long UK "Life On Mars" reports Digital Spy.
Co-creator Matthew Graham says "Series three unifies 'Life On Mars' and 'Ashes To Ashes' and makes them one show. By the time you get halfway through series three of 'Ashes To Ashes', you will actually feel like you're watching series five of 'Life On Mars'."
Which begs the question, will any of the other characters from 'Mars' pop-up in 'Ashes' such as Sam Tyler (John Simm) or Annie Cartwright (Liz White). Graham says yes but won't go into specifics - "You can expect Life On Mars to be bleeding in to Ashes To Ashes. I think that's a better way to explain it."
Spoilers Ahead
Both series have had their contemporary lead characters put into...
Co-creator Matthew Graham says "Series three unifies 'Life On Mars' and 'Ashes To Ashes' and makes them one show. By the time you get halfway through series three of 'Ashes To Ashes', you will actually feel like you're watching series five of 'Life On Mars'."
Which begs the question, will any of the other characters from 'Mars' pop-up in 'Ashes' such as Sam Tyler (John Simm) or Annie Cartwright (Liz White). Graham says yes but won't go into specifics - "You can expect Life On Mars to be bleeding in to Ashes To Ashes. I think that's a better way to explain it."
Spoilers Ahead
Both series have had their contemporary lead characters put into...
- 12/9/2009
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
The upcoming third and final season of "Ashes To Ashes" will also explain the ending to its predecessor, the original two-season long UK "Life On Mars" reports Digital Spy.
Co-creator Matthew Graham says "Series three unifies 'Life On Mars' and 'Ashes To Ashes' and makes them one show. By the time you get halfway through series three of 'Ashes To Ashes', you will actually feel like you're watching series five of 'Life On Mars'."
Which begs the question, will any of the other characters from 'Mars' pop-up in 'Ashes' such as Sam Tyler (John Simm) or Annie Cartwright (Liz White). Graham says yes but won't go into specifics - "You can expect Life On Mars to be bleeding in to Ashes To Ashes. I think that's a better way to explain it."
Spoilers Ahead
Both series have had their contemporary lead characters put into...
Co-creator Matthew Graham says "Series three unifies 'Life On Mars' and 'Ashes To Ashes' and makes them one show. By the time you get halfway through series three of 'Ashes To Ashes', you will actually feel like you're watching series five of 'Life On Mars'."
Which begs the question, will any of the other characters from 'Mars' pop-up in 'Ashes' such as Sam Tyler (John Simm) or Annie Cartwright (Liz White). Graham says yes but won't go into specifics - "You can expect Life On Mars to be bleeding in to Ashes To Ashes. I think that's a better way to explain it."
Spoilers Ahead
Both series have had their contemporary lead characters put into...
- 12/9/2009
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
Chicago – The concluding eight episodes of the great “Life on Mars” have now been collected by Acorn Media, making a two-box set (“Series 1” was released earlier this year) that is a must-own for fans of British television. Perhaps the biggest failing of the recent ABC remake of the show is that it may have sullied the reputation of the original. Even though I believe it was better than given credit, forget the remake and don’t let its rating failure dissuade you from seeing where it all began.
DVD Rating: 5.0/5.0
“Life on Mars” aired on BBC in 2006 and 2007, winning two International Emmys for best drama series and a BAFTA. The show already produced a spin-off (the great “Ashes to Ashes”) and a remake. Innovative, action-packed, continuously clever, and incredibly well-acted, “Life on Mars” plays like a feature film stretched out over sixteen episodes.
Life on Mars: Series 2 was released on DVD on November 24th,...
DVD Rating: 5.0/5.0
“Life on Mars” aired on BBC in 2006 and 2007, winning two International Emmys for best drama series and a BAFTA. The show already produced a spin-off (the great “Ashes to Ashes”) and a remake. Innovative, action-packed, continuously clever, and incredibly well-acted, “Life on Mars” plays like a feature film stretched out over sixteen episodes.
Life on Mars: Series 2 was released on DVD on November 24th,...
- 12/1/2009
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Time to go down the yellow brick road again. Yes, Stateside Life on Mars fans, that day has finally arrived as Acorn Media today releases the complete second season of the original UK drama series Life on Mars on DVD. Forget about the lackluster (and mercifully short-lived) American version and travel back to the 1970s with the original UK Life on Mars, which has only deepened and grown more mysterious and provocative after its abrupt conclusion in 2007. Not up to speed on the franchise? Created by Matthew Graham, Tony Jordan, and Ashley Pharoah, Life on Mars is an alternately trippy and gritty crime drama series that follows the adventures of Detective Inspector Sam Tyler (John Simm), a grimly determined investigator in present-day Manchester who is seemingly thrown backwards in time. While in pursuit of the serial killer that abducted his girlfriend, Sam is struck by a car and finds himself mysteriously in 1973 Manchester,...
- 11/24/2009
- by Jace
- Televisionary
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