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[Jonny]

From the BBC press release...

After a gripping finale to the critically-acclaimed and multi award-winning Life On Mars on BBC One, Kudos, Monastic Productions and the BBC are delighted to announce the next chapter – Ashes To Ashes.

DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) is back but he's no longer the self-styled "Sheriff of Manchester".

Flanked by his faithful sidekicks, Ray Carling (Dean Andrews) and Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster), and drawn to the action and intrigue of the London Met, Gene turns his attentions to taking on the "southern nancy" criminal scum.

However, Gene does not expect to be thrown together with sexy, intelligent, DCI Alex Drake.

Single mother to daughter Molly, Alex has rapidly risen through the ranks of the Met and, in the modern world of 2008, skilfully uses psychological profiling to capture suspects. When Alex and her daughter are kidnapped she makes a daring attempt at escape, resulting in a horrific accident.

Alex suddenly finds herself in 1981 interacting with familiar characters, not just from her own life-time, but also from the detailed reports logged by none other than Sam Tyler, which Alex has previously spent months pouring over.

Alex is ripped from her current world of sexual equality and respect in 2008 and finds herself opposite an arrogant fellow DCI in a Two Tone, New Romantic Eighties London with a soundtrack of Adam Ant, Roxy Music and The Human League ringing in her ears.

Alex finds some of Gene's team has dispersed yet others, loyal as ever, are still in tow.

Now a technological whizz-kid in the squad's surveillance team, DC Chris Skelton has clearly moved with the times, along with a tight-permed DS Ray Carling who's keen to experience London's nightlife.

Frustrated by each other's stubbornness, the friction between Alex and Gene heats up. However, as the two titans collide, it becomes apparent there is more than just a professional tension emerging

Full press release here

I noticed trailers for this have started to show up on the BBC and it looks fucking wicked! I can't wait to see this.

 

[Kevin Coed]

Let's hope it lives up to expectations. It would be a shame if it's just a shoddy knock-off.

[Mart85]

Yep, looking forward to this. 

[Jonny]

Yeah, I must admit I'm pretty excited by the prospect of Gene and the gang down in London in the early 80's. It was around this time that I first started buying music and thinking about fashion (if you can call the 80's fashionable  ) so it'll be a nostalgia trip for me regardless.

There's a clip doing the rounds on TV at the moment that shows the three of them (Hunt, Carling and Skelton) speeding down the Thames in a motor boat all wearing shades and cocking uzi's. Looks spot on.

I really hope they don't mess it up.

[Vito Cipriani]

I loved LIFE ON MARS, and I hope this is as good. However, I'm not getting my hopes up too high, as I really don't want to be disappointed by ASHES TO ASHES.

The character of Alex Drake seems a bit of a sop to PC conventions, as if the producers are tying to counter some of the criticisms that were made against LIFE ON MARS, deciding to make the protagonist of the new series a woman so that she'll be able to counterbalance the attitudes of the male characters.

Still, I don't want t pre-judge the show, because it could still prove to be as good as LIFE ON MARS. Fingers crossed, eh 

[Paul]

WEhat Kev said. I loved LIFE ON MARS it was the business; the best UK drama in eons, so I really hope ASHES TO ASHES isn't a rushed, bodge-job.

[Jonny]

Not sure it's a 'rush job'... 'Life On Mars' finished in April last year. A year between shows doesn't seem rushed to me, more like exploiting a good thing! 

[Paul]

TV does move a lot faster than film productions and I do hear what you say, but as much as I'm looking forward to seeing the new show, I'm a little apprehensive too.

[Jonny]

BBC1 at 9pm on Thursday Feb 7 2008



Let's see what the shandy drinking southern poofs make of this then!

[Paul]

Really can't wait for this...

[Paul]

This is up to pre-order on Amazon with a 12th May release date.

Swapping the Ford Cortina for an Audi Quattro, DCI Gene Hunt rolls up his sleeves and embraces the Eighties in the sequel to Life On Mars. 

[tigerheart76]

I'm booking my seat on the sofa for this one...seriously looking forward to it! 

[Vito Cipriani]

Less than two days to go...

... and I can't bloody wait! 

[Jonny]

First thoughts on episode 1?

I was hesitant at first and though it wasn't spot on I did enjoy it a lot, laughed out loud a couple of times...

"You in leather, holding that... gives me the horn"

Thinking about it this morning I'm liking it more and more the Alex Drake character is good, she's warming up to be quite a funny character, I loved the bit where she was rattling on about that drug baron being her 'Destiny' and suddenly realised what an arse she was sounding. Great stuff, hopefully it'll all find it's feet and keep on getting better and better.

Any other thoughts people?

[MarcMorris]

I enjoyed it, but I sincerely hope it's not just going to be a re-run of LIFE ON MARS. There just has to be some sort of different angle to this one. Is she too in a coma? It's all rather predictable if that's the case. I hope the show goes off on a new tangent and confounds us.

Also, with LIFE ON MARS, that was set way back in the early 70s so memory of then is rather vague (to me anyhow), but I remember the early 80s very well - I was a regular clubber and gig goer then - so it's not so much of a mystery to me. Will it hold up I wonder? Perhaps it's intended for a younger audience?

But saying that, yes I did enjoy the first episode, and as we get more acquainted with DI Alex Drake I'm sure we'll become more engrossed in the series.

I just wish it was all my idea  The writers are clearly Bowie fans, and have struck gold, hence the London location and way bigger budget. Let's hope it doesn't get too glossy looking.

By the way, that Luigi's restaurant has me foxed. I used to go to a place just like that with the same mural. But where and when I can't remember.

Was also quite surreal seeing the irritating George and Zippy.