LIFE ON MARS US TV Remake Trailer

Life On Mars (the original series) is possibly one of my favourite TV shows of recent years. Telling the story of DCI Sam Tyler (played by the ever brilliant John Simm) who gets knocked down by a car in 2006 and awakens in 1973, where he is a police detective newly transferred to Manchester CID under the baleful gaze of Gene Hunt (the excellent Phillip Glenister) was just the right mix of sci-fi and 1970’s style police shows (like The Sweeny). In it’s entire 16 episode run it was just fabulous TV - which I suppose explains why it got picked up to be adapted by US TV station ABC. The remake is going to star Jason O’Mara in the role of Sam Tyler and Colm Meany in the Gene Hunt role - and I have just watched the trailer for the show (which has now been picked up for an entire season even before the pilot airs) and I have to say………..I’m not convinced. Maybe it’s because I already know the story. Maybe it’s because I am so attached to the original characters. Maybe it’s just because I don’t think the original can be improved upon. I don’t know, but if you have seen the original series I would be very interested in your thoughts on this trailer as it just seems slightly off to me. I’m possibly selling it short. Maybe it’s going to good in it’s own right. But honestly, comparing the trailer to the original show (which I know isn’t a very fair thing to do) I just don’t think it’s going to be as good.

Anyway, enough of that. Check out the trailer below. And once you’ve seen the trailer go check out the original series if you haven’t already (it aired on US TV in 2006/2007 so it might be in re-runs somewhere).

And for completion here’s one of the original trailers from BBC1:

Yep, I just prefer the original! The USA remake is scheduled to air in “the fall” of 2008. Gives you plenty of time to watch the original series, then, doesn’t it?

Posted on Friday, May 16th, 2008 at 1:23 pm under TV News by Gareth.
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2 Responses to “LIFE ON MARS US TV Remake Trailer”

Grundy Said on May 17th, 2008 at 12:49 am 1

I love Life on Mars, though I still haven’t seen the second series. I’m gonna check out the remake.

I was wondering, how is Ashes to Ashes Gareth?

Gareth Said on May 17th, 2008 at 2:27 am 2

Confession time….due to work & my dvd recorder deciding to screw me over I missed the last 2 episodes so I’m having to wait for the DVD release to see how it ends, but what I’d seen of it was good. Maybe not in quite the same league as Life On Mars but still good. And they’ve changed it enough that you can’t just assume its exactly the same as what happened to Sam. And there are some great dialogue & scenes in it - like Gene & the boys having a Miami Vice moment on the Thames! And the Ashes clown is even more creepy than the TV test card girl! But make sure you watch the 2nd series of Life On Mars first!