Ashes to Ashes

[Theta Sigma]

Ashes to Ashes is the spin-off of Life On Mars due to be shown on BBC One in the UK next year 2008.

I have now found out that Keeley Hawes has joined the cast of Ashes to Ashes:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/07_july/03/ashes.shtml

Keeley Hawes (Spooks) has beaten hundreds of hopefuls to don her leg warmers and play ambitious, psychological profiler, DI Alex Drake who, when finding herself stuck in 1981, takes on the infamous DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) in Ashes To Ashes, the eagerly-anticipated sequel to Life On Mars, it was announced today.

Alex has rapidly risen through the ranks of the Met in the modern world of 2008.

However, she is ripped from her current world of sexual equality and respect and finds herself faced with the boorish Gene in a two-tone, New Romantic, Eighties London with a soundtrack of Adam Ant, Roxy Music and The Human League ringing in her ears.

Today, Keeley said: "I'm thrilled to be playing Alex. She's a fantastic character and will be a force to be reckoned with as far as Gene Hunt is concerned; the two of them locking horns in the Eighties will certainly be a sight to behold, never mind the shoulder pads."


Jane Featherstone, Executive Producer for Kudos, said: "Keeley will be fantastic as Alex 'posh knickers' Drake. She is sexy, ballsy and very intelligent, exactly like Alex – she's bound to turn Gene's egocentric life upside down!"

Due to transmit on BBC One in 2008, Ashes To Ashes is written and created by Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharaoh, two creators of the award-winning Life On Mars.

With additional writing credits for Mark Greig (Life On Mars), Mick Ford (William And Mary) and Julie Rutterford (Life On Mars), it is produced by Kudos, in association with Monastic Productions, the new production company of Graham and Pharaoh.

Graham also executive produces for Monastic Productions, alongside Jane Featherstone and Simon Crawford Collins for Kudos.

Ashes To Ashes is produced by Beth Willis and commissioned by BBC Wales Head of Drama, Julie Gardner."

Having seen her in Spooks, can't wait to see her again in a regular role in a TV series

 

[Aerilon]

Ahem...

Spoiler: hidden

Wasn't Life on Mars a dream, for the guy? Wasn't he in a Coma? How on earth can they make a Spin Off?

 

[Theta Sigma]

Trailer:
YouTube - Ashes to Ashes promo trailer Life on Mars 2

 

[Aerilon]

I still fail to see how...

Spoiler: hidden

Another show can be made, as a continuation from a previous show, of which was about a bloke in a Coma, who eventually died at the end.[/quote]How can you make a spin off from this? *confused*

 

[SquireJames]

Well from what I read, he apparently woke up at some point in Series 2, and according to the backstory of Ashes to Ashes he wrote down his experiences (prior to killing himself). Apparently this new police officer reads the files, then has an unfortunate accident and bingo, the Gene Genie in 1981.

 

[Jeddy]

She was Sam's Shrink.

Spoiler: U dont wanna look here...Spoiler

In the final episode he makes it back to the "real world" and gets better etc, part of the healing process requires him to see a shrink, the becomes fascinated by this and how it unfolded. When Sam finally kills himself, he jumps off of the police station. and later in the first episode of Ashes to ashes we find he lived another 7 years there.

theories to this could be the collective unconscious which i know hardly anythign about, or the "life flashing before your eyes thing" but as the case was fresh in her mind it was easy to create the world aroudn her.

I saw the first episode, sadly i think i missed the second

I actually quite liked it, i was born towards the end of teh 80s so i dont know what it was really like, but apparently thats what cop dramas were. And Gene hunt is just superb once more, "The A team is back in business!"

 

[Aerilon]

Well from what I read, he apparently woke up at some point in Series 2, and according to the backstory of Ashes to Ashes he wrote down his experiences (prior to killing himself). Apparently this new police officer reads the files, then has an unfortunate accident and bingo, the Gene Genie in 1981.

She was Sam's Shrink.

Spoiler: U dont wanna look here...Spoiler

In the final episode he makes it back to the "real world" and gets better etc, part of the healing process requires him to see a shrink, the becomes fascinated by this and how it unfolded. When Sam finally kills himself, he jumps off of the police station. and later in the first episode of Ashes to ashes we find he lived another 7 years there.

theories to this could be the collective unconscious which i know hardly anythign about, or the "life flashing before your eyes thing" but as the case was fresh in her mind it was easy to create the world aroudn her.

I think this is one of those things, that I am going to have to watch if I wish to understand it.

 

[Jeddy]

and i do recomend u watch it! Life on mars was awesome, one of the few TV shows i find worthy of watching (i dont watch much tv!) but once i saw one, i just had to keep watching.

however i feel ashes to ashes has taken on a slightly different angle, as most of the mystery of the first one was "is he in a coma? has he gone back in time? or is he just a nutter?"

 

[Paulhanselluk]

Spoiler: The answers to Life on Mars

Basically what happens is (in Sam Tylers case) he can exist in two locations at the same time (note I didn't same "times"), but can only be "awake"/"alive" in either one, so when he returns to the "present", he realises that his "love" is back in 1973 (and where he truely felt alive) , so he opts to return there by throwing himself of the building, and in effect never being alive here, and only in 1973.

This is in the comentary of the Season 2 dvd

So to build on this, DI Drake, assumes that it is in effect a construct of Sams mind and hence she is constructing this as she is familiar with Sams case (she is the one Sam is recording his notes to at the end of season 2), and that a key to this construct is a major trauma (ie being run over or shot).

Heres the facts we know:-
# Sam was able to influence the future (while in the past, see the episode when he is attacked by the mental patient in the future while investigating him in the past).
# Medical intervention from the "waking world" impacted on Sams constructs (ie when he is given the overdose or has the surgery).
# Sam admits, that there is too much detail in the past for him to be makin it up (he even says there are places he hasnt been), a point DI Drake also makes.
# We know Sam was in a coma, but when in the coma was he back in 1973, or was he dreaming (think, that was never answered!)
# The writers have admitted that the Gene Hunt character plays a bigger part then we ever believed (even after the red herring of him being a tuma).
# The writers have said that Ashes to Ashes will probably run for 3 seasons and we finally get answers to all the questions in the end.

So based on that I think its just a case of wait and see.............


and iam sure were all going to go nuts while waiting....

NB :- The DVD release of the first season of Ashes to Ashes (region 2) is going to be the 12th of May 2008, and in looks like it will be the standard 4 disc format used by Life on Mars, with a 12 certificate.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Deja Vu:
Finally got to see the first episode.
I have always liked Keeley Hawes she does not disappoint as Alex Drake. She makes a pretty good replacement for John Simm's Sam Tyler.
A pretty solid start to the series.

 

[Theta Sigma]

To Australian viewers:
There is finally an update of Ashes to Ashes on ABC1.

Posted by The Aussie Doctor at the Doctor Who Forum:
"Got an e-mail from the ABC today, saying they have the rights to Ashes To Ashes (the Life On Mars sequel/continuation, depending how you look at it) and "the rights to screen this program commence from 1 November 2008" So, that's when they're allowed to show it, so they'll be airing it not-too-much-longer, I'd have thought"

I already seen the first episode and it looks pretty good.

 

[Theta Sigma]

To Australian viewers:
There is finally an update of Ashes to Ashes on ABC1.

Posted by The Aussie Doctor at the Doctor Who Forum:
"Got an e-mail from the ABC today, saying they have the rights to Ashes To Ashes (the Life On Mars sequel/continuation, depending how you look at it) and "the rights to screen this program commence from 1 November 2008" So, that's when they're allowed to show it, so they'll be airing it not-too-much-longer, I'd have thought"

I already seen the first episode and it looks pretty good.

DoctorWhoNews.com has reported on the upcoming Children In Need special to be shown in the UK on November 14:
"Children In Need-themed scenes from Doctor Who and Ashes To Ashes"

This means that if Ashes To Ashes starts on ABC1 very soon it is unlikely all of season 1 will be shown before Children In Need is broadcast in the UK.

 

[Theta Sigma]

The Happy Day:
Season 1, Episode 2.
Very good episode. Just as good if not better than the first episode.

Spoiler

What an experience Alex has of meeting her mum.

I found the Bonds father and son to be very unsympathetic.

Spoiler

Like Doctor Who: The Idiot's Lantern, a real-life royal event serves as a background for this Ashes to Ashes episode. Whereas the Doctor Who episode took place during the Queen's coronation, The Happy Day takes place during the wedding of Charles and Diana.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Nothing Changes:
Season 1, Episode 3.
Although this was not a bad episode I did however felt very uncomfortable watching this given the case that was presented here. This is an effective reminder of what terrible things that human beings can do.

The title Nothing Changes is like the opposite of the title for the first Torchwood episode Everything Changes.

 

[Theta Sigma]

The Missing Link:
Season 1, Episode 4.
Pretty good episode.

Spoiler

Alex speculated that MI5 might be spying on her mum. Obviously an in-joke since in a past life Keeley Hawes (Alex) in a past life had worked for MI5 in fellow Kudos production Spooks.
Alex says that she is hot. She sure is. That was quite an awkward scene between her and Gene.

 

[Theta Sigma]

The Smoking Gun:
Season 1, Episode 5.

Spoiler

Very funny when Alex mention about the genie and the bottle and Ray saying that Ray would not fit in it.
Amusing that Ray had to pretend to be gay.
I found Simon Neary to be very despicable.
Felt sympathy for Marcus for what he is going through with a very good performance from Russell Tovey.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Over The Hill:
Season 1, Episode 6.

Spoiler

Here Alex thinks the end for her is immiment. Very good performance from Keeley about what Alex thought could have be her last moments. Thankfully it wasn't.
Nice to see Anna Wilson-Jones even though she was a baddie in this.
Felt sympathy for Donny on the way he had to spent his birthday.
Very good execution when the images is played in Alex's head when she was locked up in the freezer as well as when Gene shot the restaurant window just as that song was playing.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Charity Begins At Home:
Penultimate episode of season 1.

Spoiler

Guest stars Matthew Macfadyen as Gil Hollis who was Keeley Hawes' co-star in fellow Kudos production Spooks.
Gil Hollis makes for an unsual villain.
Some nice songs here including when Hollis remebered something at the police station, Alex and Ewan at her place for the first time this episode and at the end credits.
Cute references to future boy bands New Kids on the Block & Backstreet Boys.
Gene is terrible on TV.
Funny when Gene mentioned Scooby Doo and followed moments later with Luigi referring to the cops as pesky kids.
What a shock that Shaz got stabbed but thankfully she is now alright.

A very good and tense penultimate episode for the first season.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Alex's Big Day:
Season 1 finale.
It sure is Alex's big day.

Spoiler

I have to pity Chris for having to pretend to be a criminal which is not made easier with cellmates coming in.
Very very remarkable when Gene stood up to Lord Scarman about them bein unbreakable.
Very emotional adult Alex's last moments with her mother at the police station.
Well executed and emotional of the adult Alex seeing her parents blown up.
What a shock that the clown is Alex's father and the mastermind behind the killing.

A fantastic end to the first season.

 

[Theta Sigma]

In addition in seeing the pre-title sequence of the upcoming Doctor Who Christmas special on Children In Need, I also saw on Children In Need, the Ashes To Ashes skit. It was quite fun but a little spoilery for those who have not yet seen the start of the series.

YouTube - Children In Need. Top Gear Meets Ashes To Ashes

 

[Theta Sigma]

Found out that season 2 will begin (in the UK) on April 20.

 

[Theta Sigma]

It has been confirmed that Ashes to Ashes has been renewed for a third season.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Just found out that Ashes to Ashes will finally makes its Australian debut on ABC1 on Monday August 10 9:35pm in the slot to be vacated by Spooks.

 

[Theta Sigma]

Ashes to Ashes co-creator Ashley Pharoah has confirmed to TV Tonight that the third season will be its last:
Ashes to Ashes to end with third series :TV Tonight