Ashes To Ashes - BBC1
 

What do you think about the series so far?

Think the Gene Hunt and the boys side of things is great! Not so sure about the Alex Drake "I was shot and woke up in 1981" aspect - been there, seen it, done it - but overall it works.

Great music. Really brings back my 6th form days. There was a lot of really good stuff around in those days.

And the clothes!! Does anyone remember the off the shoulder look in the early 80s? I remember flying suits, leg warmers and ra-ra skirts but not that particular look.

Good, fun, slightly nostalgic series.

Unfortunately, this prequel has not been brodcast so far on BBC America.

But I really enjoyed Life on Mars.

DH watched one and gave up, after loving 'Life on Mars'.

caroline - do you know what he didn't like about it?

Hi CarrieAnn. In his own words - "It feels very forced and second-hand compared to Life on Mars. The Gene Hunt character is now just a cartoon, complete with catchphrases. And the lead character is so irritating she leaves you wishing that the bloke who shot her in the first episode had actually done his job properly."

But he did only watch one. Have you stuck with it & do you think it's got better ?

I was sort of tempted just for the music & clothes, but I tried 'Liffe on Mars' & didn't like it, so assumed I wouldn't like AtA either. I thought maybe it just appealed to blokes, but evidently not !

Not sure I remember the off the shoulder look either. But I did have a puffball skirt - have they been featured ? :-)

The problem it has is that the issue of whether she's in a coma and is dreaming or has really gone back in time is resolved this time around which takes some of the fun out of it.

If you take it on it's own merits it's fine - but it doesn't really bear too much comparison with Life on Mars (and being set in the 80s means the soundtrack is utter pony)

caroline - seen all of them but the series isn't as good as Life on Mars. I enjoy them more the less of the Alex Drake memory type stuff there is. No puffball skirts yet!

C_W - yes, it does take the edge off it knowing how she got there etc. I was expecting a straight Gene Hunt series so was a bit disappointed to find it was spun off from Life on Mars like that.

I like the iconic things from the 80s popped in. Still remember when I could do my Rubik Cube in less than 30 seconds. And do you remember when you could smoke on the trains and in cinemas?

And those same trains had doors you could open whilst still moving, and buffet cars with bacon rolls. And guards who kicked you out of 1st class even if there was nowhere else to sit or stand and you were trying to carry your PE kit, hockey stick, cookery stuff, and ginormous atlas and physics text book.