"ashes to ashes" on bbc america

[dfwtheatreguy]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 12:59pm

i caught the premiere episode of this show yesterday and i am hooked! great production values, interesting concept, really good...

but a couple of questions.

am i going to be totally lost if i haven't seen the series it spun off from "life on mars"? i mean i know the basic premise of "life on mars" but never caught it on bbc america, and tried to watch the abc version but not into it.

what is up with the clown??? seriously, it reminds me of stephen king's "it" - which totally freaks me out.

[Plum]

Posted: 3/9/09 at 5:47pm

I don't think you need to know about Life on Mars to get Ashes to Ashes - the latter explains its premise in the opening credits every time, and there are no direct references to Sam, so far as I remember, after the first episode.

And the clown's look is taken from a David Bowie video. You'll find out what's up with that eventually. :)

BTW, I highly recommend watching the original Life on Mars - the real thing, not the U.S. version or the cut-down BBC America version - whenever you can. It's coming out on R1 DVD in July so you can Netflix it then. It's not necessary to get Ashes to Ashes, but I think it's the better show, and John Simm is just fantastic in it. Updated On: 3/9/09 at 05:47 PM

[dfwtheatreguy]

Posted: 3/10/09 at 4:32pm

bumpo

[merriwether]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 1:55pm

this show is phenomenally great!

but i must admit, i dont understand the clown.....

and why does Alex dress like an extra from a Madonna video? before she was shot she dressed normally for a police detective, why all of a sudden is hoochie her only choice?

was punk played out in the UK by 1981? i was hoping to see some of that style.

but i must say i love the music choices throughout the whole series so far - is there a cd of the music used or a list on the bbc website that says what songs were in which episodes (i havent found it if there is).
Updated On: 4/5/09 at 01:55 PM

[kec]

Posted: 4/5/09 at 4:11pm

Maybe this will help:


Ashes to Ashes Playlist

[Plum]

Posted: 4/6/09 at 9:47am

The clown is from the music video for "Ashes to Ashes".

Alex is dressed like that...well, there are a few different ways to interpret why she would do it, as a character, but what it comes down to in the end is that the makers of the show want a) for her to be ogled, and b) for the show to be as obnoxiously 80s as possible.