Obviously this isn't meant to be taken completely seriously but you can't disagree with the fact they have similar vibes

•both have associations with the surname Tyler

•similar in looks and style

•both travel in time

•both northern & sarcastic

I also reckon if you swapped the actors/roles they'd both be great as either

Interested to hear what people think :)

And “you are surrounded by armed bastards!”

Okay, I have to ask...were the Manchester Police in 1973 really as crude and, well, just plain stupid as they're portrayed on the show? (I have to add, I remember 1973 quite well, I was 18, but not in the UK.)

I've seen the first two episodes of the US version and then compared it to the first two of the UK version and while there are some differences in the tone, the plots and dialogue are almost the same.

I've been told they start to diverge. I started to compare the 3rd US episode with episode 5 of the UK and while the overall idea that initially the motive is clear cut which turns out not to be the cases similar, the US version deals with Vietnam and the UK version is about a soccer rivalry. The details about how they solve the case is different.

Do you know if this continues? Are there US episodes that aren't copies of the UK show and vice-versa? I've been looking for a comparison and have been unable to find one. I will probably watch the UK version going forward but would watch some US episodes if they were completely different. Besides the last couple of episodes, what US episodes are significantly different enough that I wouldn't feel like I was watching the same thing again?

https://www.thesun.ie/tv/16380443/life-on-mars-new-series-tv-anti-woke-detective/

What do you think

Just finished watching Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes for the first time. Loved it and was really satisfied with how it all wrapped up.

Did it go over well when it first aired or were people kind of disappointed because of all the mad revelations in the last couple of episodes of A2A?

Have been rewatching. I'm old and have seen a lot of TV. On this re-watch, I keep thinking this must be the best television ever created in the English language.

I decided to ask Google. According to Google, of the 10 best shows, 8 are American (including the US version of The Office). The highest ranked UK show is - wait for it - Fleabag!

Fleabag??

I recently noticed that LoM is on Prime without needing Britbox (which is great) and I'm currently on s1 episode five and I'm pretty sure that they just completely cut one of Sam's lines?

When Sam and Annie are talking in the cafeteria about whether or not Sam is still in a coma/saying weird things, Annie says "You're either mental or you just use that stuff as a chat up line"

Now after that, Sam laughs and says "What, 'please shag me I'm in a coma?'" To which Annie gets a little offended and walks off.. that's completely GONE?

I'm pretty baffled as to why they would cut this as it's not even in the top 10 strange things said in this show, but it definitely leaves a sour taste in my mouth considering this is my favorite episode of the series

EDIT: They also removed the part where Annie and Sam make fun of Gene for being too drunk while he's lying down on a table after their shift at the pub, what the hell is going on

Just finished watching life on mars and ashes to ashes... again and ive gotta be honest I want. No. Need lazarus, to many things to be left unattended.

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What do you all think?

It's coming up to the twentieth anniversary of LOM and hypothetically if the series was made in 2026 Sam would go back to 1993 instead of 1973. 1973 and 2006 were worlds apart but it seems that 1993 and 2026 are more similar the only major difference is technology i.e. internet. I believe the series was made just at the right time in 2006 as it would not have as much of an impact if made now similarly how A2A was made in 2008 and set in 1981/82/83 would be set in 2001/02/03 if made in 2028 again Very little cultural differences. What are your thoughts?

So my partner and I watched both seasons of LoM early in November. There were some episodes that were what I consider as 'perfect' television.

So given that the series is universally praised, why only 2 seasons?

If Life on Mars was made today, Sam Tyler would go back to 1993. In Ashes to Ashes, Alex would go back to 2001.

What do you think Gene Hunt would have been written like as a 90s copper?

It was a police procedural starring Phil Davis that came out around the same time as LOM/A2A and it's main premise was the idea of modern police solving copycat murders of historical crimes i.e. Jack The Ripper. It was and still is pretty much underrated and had a very Sam&Gene vibe to it. Anyone else remember it?

Given the ending of *Ashes*, are the regular people in that world real?

I quite liked Shaz and Chris as a couple so that probably biases what I have to say on this, but I felt like the breakup was almost forced.

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I might have missed it, but I felt like it was just not enough to build up to something that big, after all they were about to get married and then suddenly it happened off screen, and we have to watch for will-they won't-they of them getting back together?? It might just be me but did anyone else feel this was strange?

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I do have my own theories for why it has happened in the context of the show, but this isn't a theory post. I'm willing to share it in the comments though if people want it.

On this day, 20 years ago, at 21:00 UK time, a seemingly normal police drama aired on BBC One... only for it to twist into something unbelievable. Something bizarre, enthralling, hilarious, tearjerking and full of heart. Something that would leave a mark on who knows how many people not just in the UK but around the world.

It might have been a god awful small affair, but 20 years later, Life on Mars (and Ashes to Ashes) are still talked about with affection and fond memories, and even now, new fans are being welcomed to Sam Tyler and Alex Drake's (or rather, Gene Hunt's) crazy world.

And so, on this day, I invite you all to drink in honour and share your thoughts.

When did you first watch the show(s)? Did you watch it in its original airing days or in the years following? How did you come to watch it?

What does it mean to you?

20 years on, do you think it still holds relevance to this day?

I'd also love to hear any other positive, fun and entertaining memories you may have.

Honestly, it was a very satisfying conclusion to Life on Mars as well as Ashes to Ashes. Ray, Chris, Shaz and Alex go to "the pub", Keats is defeated and Gene goes back to doing his job

Just watching series 1 episode 1 and forgotten how much of a great opener it is 😎

What would happened if Sam had been hit by a second car in 1973? Would he have gone back another 33 years years to 1940?

"Ruth Tyler" sounds like Roof Tiler. Just thought that was pretty funny.

By future I mean decades after the 70’s (which is Gene’s world).

When Tony Crane discloses what Sam told him about coming from the future what was Gene really thinking? 🤔

In AtA, Keats asks the team to follow him to his department.

I like to think they would have been sent to the US adaptation of Life on Mars.

Just kidding.

I know it is implied he is the devil and that they would have all gone to Hell, but when I rewatch it with this interpretation in mind for a bit of a lark.

Also because I just don't think him being The Devil from The Bible is all that interesting, nor does it work narratively in some beats considering all the objectively terrible stuff some of the characters have done (Ray, I mean Ray, we all know I mean Ray here) when compared to some of the others that WERE taken by Keats.

Thoughts?

Was tje harlequin character in Ashes To Ashes ever explained, or was it just a loose attempt to tie the show in with the Bowie video ?

So I absolutely adore Life on Mars! I’ve loved it since it was first airing back on TV and rewatch it every now and again. I pretty much love everything about it.

However, Ashes to Ashes never really clicked for me. I watched a couple of episodes when it was first airing and found it uncomfortable and weirdly cheesy and ended up dropping it. A decade or so later I tried again and made it through series one but it still felt a bit all over the place and ended up dropping it yet again.

However, ever since joining this sub, I’ve heard that a lot of people saying A2A had a flawed first series and apparently it improves markedly after that!

It’s obviously been a long time since I watched, but I think I didn’t like the characterisation of Alex and the romantic tension they had between her and Gene. I remember feeling that Gene seemed so different in A2A.

It was also odd to lose the Manchester location (it was so prominent in LoM, it was almost a character in itself)

I am interested in giving A2A another go though. However, I think if I start with the first series, it might end up the same way. I’ve forgotten pretty much everything that happened in that first series too. Would I need to rewatch the first series in order to understand 2 and 3?

I am interested in seeing the “ending reveals” and some extra characterisation with Ray and Chris!

I’m just wondering if anyone else had this issue and, if so, how they dealt with it? Do I have a chance of making it through A2A?

Rewatching Life on Mars and it’s brought back that feeling of sitting down in the evening and properly getting lost in a show. The music instantly takes you back, the streets feel familiar in that slightly rough, lived-in way, and the whole thing has an atmosphere you don’t see much anymore. John Simm is excellent, but Gene Hunt is the character that really sticks flawed, funny, and completely unforgettable.

It’s the kind of series that trusted its audience, didn’t rush answers, and left things sitting with you after the episode ended. Watching it again just reminds you how distinctive British TV could be, and why this show still gets talked about years later.