Life on Mars (US) season 1 (1 Viewer)

[Greg_S_H]

Is that in reference to the UK version? If not, I must have gotten an Intersect upgrade in the middle of this show and passed out, because none of that spoiler sounds familiar.

 

[mattCR]

Yes, the creepy girl was in the UK version. I don't know if she'll appear in the US version.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

It wouldn't make sense to, since the test card she came out of was actual one used by the BBC during that time period. It'd be really stretching chronology, but the closest American equivilant that I know of is the Indian Head test pattern. And having a Native American stereotype come out of the TV and terrorize the protagonist probably wouldn't fly anyway.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

double post

 

[NeilO]

There is more in the article and it looks like we'll see some tonight.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Is this show worth watching? I have a chance to download the
first episode and then catch up tonight or download it soon after.

Good show?

 

[NeilO]

Go for it! This US version has high possibilities. If you've already seen the BBC version, don't expect many differences in the first episode, but I believe there are some in tonight's.

 

[LCD22]

Ron, in one word: fantastic.

 

[Greg_S_H]

Ron, might as well give it a chance. The fact that I am lukewarm about it might mean it's great to you, since our tastes don't seem to be that similar. I don't particularly like cop shows to begin with.

 

[Henry Gale]

We all know everyone in Jersey loves crime shows.

 

[Steve Y]

It seems that most of you are very familiar with the BBC series, but here's an opinion on the American version from someone who has never seen the original.

Great premise, but scattered execution. The show veers wildly between jokey humor (the fight in the hospital room) and watered-down cop drama. I say "watered down" because the show tries to do too much at once. The procedural sections are predictable and not too engrossing - they are sepia-toned and feature early seventies fashions and technology, but so far the grittiest thing about the seventies is that people punch each other a lot more. Overall, it doesn't seem real.

And if it's not real, it's that's the point -- if it's just a fantasy -- why should we care about these figments of his coma / imagination?

Also, Tyler's "great love" from 2008 is supposed to be the emotional center of the show, but their relationship was never developed in the pilot beyond some expressions of devotion and a fight or two. They're trying to show more of their time together via memories / flashbacks / voiceovers, but it's just not enough to make me care.

This show needs to develop more mystery by not giving us so many anachronistic clues. It needs to make the seventies gritter beyond just a yellow tint and an expensive soundtrack. It needs to be funny, but not jokey.

The section with him in front of the mirror, or chasing the little robot thingy, were pretty odd and enjoyable, but I think I might be finished with this one.

 

[Robert Crawford]

After two episodes you might be finish???? Okay, but so far so good with me regarding this show.

 

[IHeartMyFlatScreen]

last night was good. i really enjoyed the interactions between gene and sam. I still got hopes for this show. so far, it's the best show i've seen this season.

 

[NeilO]

For those who want to keep track of the various possibilities that Sam wrote on the blackboard & mirror, they were

Coma
Drug Trip
Time Travel
Different Planet
Extraterrestrials
Mind Experiment
Heaven/Hell/Purgatory
Insanity
Brain Tumor
Virtual Reality
Multidimensional Travel

Presumably, he might ponder each of these in subsequent episodes.

 

[IHeartMyFlatScreen]

sweet. thanks for posting. as long as it's not the british ending, i'll keep watching. love the british one, but don't want ABC remaking it

 

[LCD22]

I also thought last night's episode was good.


I don't see myself going anywhere either. It takes elements of "Lost" and "October Road" and mixes it in with a '70s cop show and “homage” to the original "Life on Mars". Here's hoping ABC sticks with this.

 

[NeilO]

How many "weird non-1973" things were there in the second episode? I recall the Mars Rover and the reflection into 2008.

 

[NeilO]

I just went to the ABC website for the show and see that there are short podcasts there with the executive producers. I haven't listened to them yet. There is also a page where they show what music was selected for each episode.

 

[Steve Y]

It's not that the show isn't fairly good, but there are so many hours in the day, and I have to pick and choose carefully (with shows like "Mad Men" and "The Wire" and "Lost", it's a cluttered field of excellence). However, if I hear good things about this show later in the season, I may re-visit this one.

 

[Greg_S_H]

I was finished with Knight Rider after one episode. Sometimes you can know pretty quickly.