"Ashes to Ashes" (2008) TV series 2008-????

User Rating:

8.1/10   

Creators:

Mathew Graham
Ashley Pharoah

Seasons:

1 | 2 | 3

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

DCI Gene Hunt is back, but he's no longer the self-styled "Sheriff of Manchester." Flanked by his faithful sidekicks...

Plot Keywords:

New Romantic | 1980s | Urban Decay | British TV | East End

Awards:

3 wins & 1 nomination

Cast

Philip Glenister	...	Gene Hunt (24 episodes, 2008-2010)
Keeley Hawes	...	Alex Drake (24 episodes, 2008-2010)
Dean Andrews	...	Ray Carling / ... (16 episodes, 2008-2009)
Marshall Lancaster	...	Chris Skelton (16 episodes, 2008-2009)
Montserrat Lombard	...	Shaz Granger (16 episodes, 2008-2009)
Joseph Long	...	Luigi (16 episodes, 2008-2009)
Geff Francis	...	Viv James (16 episodes, 2008-2009)
Grace Vance	...	Molly Drake (16 episodes, 2008-2009)

Runtime:

60 min (16 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Netherlands:12 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Kudos Film and Television

Trivia:

The series is full of David Bowie references:- "Ashes to Ashes" is one of his songs, and features a Pierrot clown in its video, and one episode also features a "Laughing Gnome" (which is the name of another Bowie song).

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The Audi Quattro used by Gene Hunt was not available for sale in the UK in 1981. He would have had to order it from continental Europe, thus it would be left-hand drive. This is acknowledged to in the extras.

Movie Connections:

Spin off from "Life on Mars" (2006)

A worth successor to Life on Mars

I agree with those who say that Ashes to Ashes (or A2A as we fans call it) is different from Life on Mars (LOM), but that has several explanations. Firstly, it is set in the 1980s, and it is written in the spirit of 1980s cop shows, with fashion, glamorous shots and set pieces, etc. Secondly, the central hero is female and her perspective on life is different from Sam Tyler's. She also knows more, having read Sam's notes about his time in Gene Hunt's world in 1973.

However, it still has the unexpectedness and the central mystery of its predecessor, so that we are always wanting to know why Alex is stuck in 1981 and how and if she will get back to 2008. And of course, it has the fabulous Gene Hunt who comes into his own in this series. He is still moody and magnificent, and Philip Glenister has created a character with such charisma that I can't stop watching him. All the continuing characters are wonderful, and so are the new ones; Shaz and Viv in particular. Sam Tyler in LOM was intense, driven and edgy, and the darkness and gritty nature of 1970s style cop shows was well represented in LOM. This is equally great, but it's a different animal. I love both shows and I am really looking forward to the next series of A2A. The things that were revealed about Alex's past create new mysteries that need to be solved, so I am hoping that we will find out more. The most original aspect of both LOM and A2A is the central premise that someone can visit another time frame, whether real or imagined, and experience life there, while their body in "real life" is in a coma or near to death. It's a fascinating idea that has a lot of scope, and since it is a fantasy, anything can happen. The identity of Gene Hunt is open to debate - who is he really? I hope that we find out a lot more about this compelling character in the future. British TV at its best. Oh, and I also love 1980s music - really!