I remember when the US version of Life on Mars first was aired in Australia

le-kaylah:

And it was the happiest day of my life. And I fell in love with Jason O’Mara and I was convinced I was going to marry him.

And then the season ended and I was sad and Channel 10 was sorta just like “oh now you have to watch the UK Ashes to Ashes” and I was like WHAAAAAT.

Matthew Graham on the Life on Mars US remake

I was one of the slightly grumpy ones with The Curse Of The Black Spot, but what I think has happened with television audiences is that Lost has taken the piss out of us. When it was throwing something in, and then wouldn’t come back to it until six weeks down the line. So, I suppose that was the frustration.
No, I can understand that. I think that is a natural reaction, because American television is structured in such a way that there are so many episodes, they throw endless red herrings in.

They’re not even red herrings. I think they want to tie them up, they just don’t know how to.

I’ve been on the inside of that, working with Life On Mars on the American remake. Those guys were all about, “Oh, we loved your show, but we were very disappointed by the last episode, because it turned out that he really was in a coma.” And I said, “Well, yeah. We know he was in a coma, because in episode one we saw him get knocked down by a car.” But they said, “We’ve got something even cooler.”

And I said, “Guys, it’s not about throwing something at you that you cannot possibly imagine.” That’s not good drama. I can do that. Everyone can do that. I can get to the end of a Doctor Who episode and say, “Guess what? Amy’s a cyberman.” And it’s a surprise, because you wouldn’t have guessed it. But the reason you wouldn’t have guessed it was that it was irrational and stupid.

And, of course, that’s what they did with Life On Mars, where they said they’re all on a spaceship, going to Mars. It was farcical. They thought that they were being cleverer than their own show.

Did they get in touch after the episode aired?
I did e-mail them and say, “Sorry your show got cancelled. What did you make of the ending?” And they came back and said, “Yeah, okay. Maybe that was wrong.”

Spoilers for his two-parter for Doctor Who in the full interview.

(Source: denofgeek.com)

Anonymous asked:

Why be so hateful toward LoM US? I’ve watched both (started with the US version since I’m in the US) and I found them both to be equally satisfying. I hated the ending to the US version and I think Ashes to Ashes is what ultimately boosts the British version up to equal or slightly better status.

Isn’t it possible that you should not, in fact, be comparing Harvey Keitel’s Gene Hunt to Philip Glenister’s in the way that you are? In other words, I don’t think the US writers were trying to make him the same character. They did him their own way. It’s not that anyone “got it wrong” or “messed it up”. It was its own show.

I admit that in my description I generalised that the US remake is inferior. I agree that the remake became its own show when they had different plots and ultimately the [joke] ending that came about after hearing that the show would be cancelled.

Most of us watched the original first and hated what the remake did to our beloved show. TBF Harvey Keitel (and Colm Meaney) are too old for the role of Gene Hunt who is a very hands-on copper — coppers that age — in the US version would already be retired or desk-bound. I’m glad that the US version works for you as watched with no preconceptions unlike the most of us.

Anonymous #2 asked:

Why be so hateful of the US remake? I think the question is: why remake a show that is totally fucking perfect to begin with? It didn’t need messing with- it was 16 episodes of PURE GOLD, and if the US didn’t like it the way it was, they should have just left it alone, or remade it and called it something else.

I miss Life on Mars

jeayese:

Once again I get attached to a show with the word Mars in the title. Once again I’m mourning its premature demise.Multiple sources are confirming that ABC has canceled my beloved Life on Mars. Per an insider, the network recently advised the show’s producers that it would not be ordering a second season. The heads-up will allow them to make this year’s season finale a series finale, thus leaving no questions unanswered. And unlike Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money, Eli Stone, etc., all indications are that ABC will actually air this series finale. We’re making progress, people!Mourning Mars‘ passing? Relieved we’ll at least get closure? Hoping Sam and Annie will get it on before he hops on his time machine back to 2009? Sound off below!

I think I am going to go buy a plane ticket, fly to the US, Find ABC studios and go postal on everyone… with that being said;I herby am going to stop watching anything ABC comes up with After Life on Mars is over… these son’s of bitches have killed off way too many shows:Now and Again
Becker
Kyle XY
(insert good show here, that was terminated because ABC fail at everything)I will not do research into how much shows they killed off but for me this station can GTFO.  I am not happy at all.. ABC go fuck yourselves.