# Ashes to Ashes, Season 1 Episode 1 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 8, 2008, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashes-to-ashes-season-1-episode-1/436780 "2008-02-08T09:57:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Galwegian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/galwegian/32/3426_2.png) [@Galwegian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galwegian)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 9:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashes-to-ashes-season-1-episode-1/436780/1 "2008-02-08T09:57:32Z")
Open spoilers: scroll down to avoid mouseover. Anyone else see this? Great to see DCI Hunt back. I enjoyed the surreal touches, like Gene’s office door opening without his touching it. God, that David Bowie clown is seriously scary! It seems to be more definitely rooted in Alex’s unconscious mind than Life on Mars was, with some definite fantasy elements: like Gene designating himself as the A-team, emptying a machine gun clip into the baddie, and the bad guy ending up with a minor scratch to the shoulder. Definitely not as gritty as Life on Mars, but potentially a lot funnier. I have high hopes for this. ---
**Author:** ![Galanthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Galanthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Galanthus)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashes-to-ashes-season-1-episode-1/436780/2 "2008-02-08T12:10:08Z")
I enjoyed it a lot. That period was when I was a young teenager and seeing the cars, clothes, hair styles _etc_ was just great. They did a really good job of bringing back 1981. The story was fun and well written too… ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 12:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashes-to-ashes-season-1-episode-1/436780/3 "2008-02-08T12:14:42Z")
I agree in that they’re playing it out differently. The mystery of what’s going on isn’t there, so they have to have some other hook, and it seems like they’re playing it for laughs and scares. Not sure if it can live up to _Life on Mars_ if they go that route, but it should be fun anyway. I loved the digital watches all beeping 12 noon. That was something I haven’t thought about in 20 years. ---
**Author:** ![tagos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@tagos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tagos)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2008, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashes-to-ashes-season-1-episode-1/436780/4 "2008-02-08T15:28:51Z")
[QUOTE=Galwegian] It seems to be more definitely rooted in Alex’s unconscious mind than Life on Mars was, with some definite fantasy elements: like Gene designating himself as the A-team, emptying a machine gun clip into the baddie, and the bad guy ending up with a minor scratch to the shoulder. Definitely not as gritty as Life on Mars, but potentially a lot funnier. I have high hopes for this. [/QUOTE] Enjoyed it. And I liked the way they still muddy the waters in that already she’s being told stuff that we know happened such as the original guy (Tyler) turning up in time to save the others (after committing suicide in Century 21) so she couldn’t have known that from Tyler’s reports. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2008, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ashes-to-ashes-season-1-episode-1/436780/5 "2008-02-10T00:29:59Z")
Just watched it, expecting it to be a total train wreck, but it’s actually pretty good. It helps that Alex, the Sam Tyler replacement, turns in an excellent performance. As in _Life on Mars_, the historical references are a bit off (sleazy yuppies hadn’t been invented in 1981), and I wonder what American viewers will make of very British references such as George and Zippy from _Rainbow_ (sort of British equivalents to Big Bird from _Sesame Street_).