Life On Mars US Version-molfluon's review of pilot #2

(Assumes a knowledge of the original shows. If you don't understand what I'm talking about lack of such may be the cause of not knowing what I'm on about.)

Vis A Vis The Original UK Version

Compared with the original it ain't as good but it isn't bad ether. The central character-Sam Tyler hasn't a good actor playing him but that's to be expected. This is Hollywood don't forget. Who nearly always choose good looking strong, silent types with little or no range of expression for their lead actors in shows like these. Surely the main thing about Life On Mars is that Sam Tyler runs the whole gamut of human emotion in the process of his adventures. If you don't have an actor who can do this in the first place then you have a problem with one who I would guess (this is a guess) has to be maced when a shot needs him to have tears in his eyes.

The exterior shots have a wealth of detail, better done than the original UK shows and are set in 1973 New York. Including of course an intact World Trade Center. How delicately or for that matter how well subsequent episodes deal with Sam Tyler's relationship with this portentous piece of architecture is something I find of interest. This alone will make me download subsequent shows.

Everything else though is a paler imitation but nonetheless it's a fairly watchable show. Which in the pilot episode plunders the original's material shamelessly and actually on occasion duplicates some of it's excitement but leaves the ironies and humour. The irony didn't surprise me but no humour? Isn't that the point of Gene Hunt. He's a thug granted but he's intelligent, fundamentally humane, ends up doing the right thing in the end and indeed is occasionally absolutely hilarious.

The scene, early on in the episode where Sam first sees the WTC was woefully beyond the actors capabilities. I was really looking forward to seeing this inevitable moment when I first heard that the second US pilot show was to be re-set in New York instead of Los Angeles. Michael J. Fox first seeing 50's Hill Valley for the first time it very sadly and very dissapointingly wasn't. This scene was the low point for me.

Annie Cartwright's character is largely unchanged and so still swims against the sexist tide. Now though she's blonde (of course) a bit better looking (of course) and has had a surname change to some indistinct variety with a single syllable beginning with "N" for some reason. Not that I wouldn't for a moment consider even the slightest possibility of not pushing the American version aside and leaping on the original if I wanted a night of passion and each were a willing volunteer that is. Cute the new shiny Annie isn't. Old Annie has that highly prized quality in abundance.

They got Gene Hunt's actor more or less right though. They got the big chequebook out and hired Harvey Keitel. Got one thing right at least. Although even he does seem to struggle at times with a much poorer script than even cynnical old I would have expected. I'm sure HK was expecting more from this too.