Comments on: TV: Life on Mars Trailer

By: vicky

vicky — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 01:59:58 +0000

I actually like this version too. Love the UK version but I think you need to give this a chance before you shoot it down. There are some great actors on US TV (Cable mainly). Cheers!

By: Richard

Richard — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 22:16:20 +0000

This looks awsome! I was 8 years old in ‘73 and loved cop shows back then. I now work with all kinds of technology and my peeps at work never learned the analog way of doing things. I will watch this on Thursday nights instead of clinging to my guns and bibles.

By: president bush

president bush — Sun, 14 Sep 2008 18:13:18 +0000

you robbing american so and so’s you take something brilliant put it through the old american “make it shite machine ” and come out with this tripe…..think of something original !

By: Neil

Neil — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:29:27 +0000

Surely that was a joke.

I heard they just dropped that version and remade it with a different cast. The full pilot must have been as bloody awful as the trailer made it look. I have nothing against remakes, but there’s a difference between different flimmakers’ interpretations of themes and just ripping all of the heart and soul out of an idea and putting ‘wakawaka’ guitar in it. In my opinion, US TV drama tends to have much higher standards than the UK, (where I’m from) but that was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen. Somebody should get an award for that trailer. And be beaten round the head with it.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:09:03 +0000

There are loads of things going through my mind to say about how awful the US version must be if the trailer is anything to go by but I think that the best way to sum it up is with a simple oh dear!

By: Thurstan

Thurstan — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 13:04:55 +0000

Well as a HUGE fan of Life on Mars and its follow up Ashes to Ashes, thought I would offer my UK based opinion. I think this could work if it keeps in with american culture of the time so that viewers get a real nostalgia kick like we did with the original. make it a bit gritty, have some real mystery in it and it COULD work. It doesnt look TOO bad as it stands.

i would think the twist and ending would have to be different to the original.

fingers crossed ABC etc do a good job of it. Just make it better than the US version of The Office and I will happy!

By: fred

fred — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:49:57 +0000

i dunno, people have gotta lay off criticizing american tv with such a broad brush. lost/desperatehousewives/dexter/pushing daisies/battlestar galactica/hbo shows..theres plenty of good stuff.

that being said, the life on mars us conversion was simply botched. the original was based on britishness, hence the bowie music and gritty 70s england…which is different from 70s america. you cannot just swap locations, it needed a significant reimagining on the scale of battlestar galactica to work. and so far..it seems what they’ve released is pretty lousy and unconvincing. the main actor just can’t pull it off. and the rest of the visuals etc just don’t help him a bit.

By: CHRIS

CHRIS — Sat, 24 May 2008 13:39:11 +0000

Okay I have calmed down now. But really its the same story with just pimped up characters and nowhere near the same quality.
I know what your thinking “You haven’t even given it a go”.
Well i say to you look at all the movies turned into video games!!!!
EXACTLY!!!!

PLEASE SOMEONE OUT THERE STOP THE MADNESS!!!!!!!!

—-oh and i dont hate americans just their tv—–

By: CHRIS

CHRIS — Sat, 24 May 2008 13:26:32 +0000

This really makes me sick. I mean really, really sick.
Life on Mars is one of the greatest shows of all time. Inventive, intriguing and well…. great!
But thanks to American imagination they are going to, i fear ruin mine and others memory of the show.
WHEN HAS THIS TYPE OF THING EVER WORKED?!!?

DAMN REMAKES!!!!

DAMN AMERICANISATION!!!!

DAMN YOU MONEY, IDEA SUCKING (beeeeeeeep)!!!!!!!!!!

PLEASE DON’T RUIN THE GENE GENIE!!!!!!

By: Chris

Chris — Mon, 19 May 2008 15:18:52 +0000

As an American, I am very worried about this show. I discovered it 2 years ago on BBC America and it was one of the best shows I’ve ever seen on TV. I wish that the States would be brave enough, even in a remake, to keep the show in England. I can’t picture Sam Tyler as an American Detective. I have to admit, though, Colm Meany as Gov….that’s great casting.

But i really hope it’s not watered-down and mainstream, and that it takes risks, and the subtleties of the BBC version come through in the US version. The use of music, the excellent writing and character development, the use of language and analogies. All these things were responsible for making the BBC version reach out and pull you into the world of Sam Tyler.

I also hope it’s not all quirky. David E Kelly is a great writer, but I hope he is smart enough to know when to have the goofy humor and when to keep the show moving along.

I will watch it, and give it a try, but I have high expectations. Cuz the original was so damn good.

By: duca

duca — Sat, 17 May 2008 19:44:34 +0000

I just remembered something. Up here in Canada land, we actually DO air British tv. You can watch Dr. Who and Coronation Street and all kinds of the other shows on the CBC. Why can’t the Americans do that?

By: Steelo

Steelo — Sat, 17 May 2008 16:37:22 +0000

wow, America just doesn’t feel like writing anymore. Shame.

By: ihartsf

ihartsf — Sat, 17 May 2008 15:06:40 +0000

Wow, way more haters on this comment than I would have expected. I’ve never seen the UK version, and compared to the spate of supernatural cop shows that debuted this year (2 vampire cops, 1 journeyman … did I miss any?) I think this looks pretty interesting. That said, I’m in 100% agreement that the Bowie absence was jarring — perhaps they’re still working on getting the rights …

By: Nick

Nick — Sat, 17 May 2008 13:51:53 +0000

I don’t get what the deal is. Why can’t yanks palate English programming? There’s already an entire two series of a fantastically made english show with a wonderful cast and turn it into bloody Starsky and Hutch. They didn’t even play Life on Mars!

By: Christopher Marc

Christopher Marc — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:40:49 +0000

@lee

16 episodes which it ran for in the UK doesn’t equal a regular US season which is usually 20-25 episodes. Funny thing about British TV most of these shows don’t go further than 16 episodes and they just shown in re-runs on the BBC. Smart considering they don’t let them get drawn out and boring.

By: Christopher Marc

Christopher Marc — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:33:13 +0000

I’ve pretty much given up on American television shows besides Dexter…these shows ripping off great British series has to stop…Spaced, Men Behaving Badly, Coupling and Red Dwarf have all failed when it comes to Americanization…leave them as they are great “UK” shows…next up is Father Ted (US) and Black Adder (US) ..lol..If you look at reality TV which has basically destroyed the American sitcom, these shows are all taken from European TV in which itself is nothing much but vapid game shows and horrible cheaply made reality shows. Money is always the drive with US network executives not developing great and interesting shows. Most people have to turn to cable to get well made shows. I think since they are pay stations they really don’t have to worry as much about ratings and advertising. The reason these shows are so popular overseas is because America was the main source of other genre shows. UK is one of the only places where they still actively produce great sitcoms. The US networks have no creativity behind their discussions . If networks were smart enough they would go the PBS route and actually air the original programs, as they were meant to be shown. How many times a day can you play Seinfeld re-runs on the same network? I grew up on both American & British television and they are different in many ways. Most of the time the shows don’t translate well to American audiences. I’ve watched a few episodes of the British version of Life on Mars, I’m actually surprised it’s being remade. It wasn’t all that great of a show, the concept yes maybe for a mini-series. There isn’t enough going for it that will last longer than two seasons. It’s no “The Office” that’s for sure.

By: kPong

kPong — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:11:46 +0000

This doesnt actually look that bad. Compared to the UK original, i might actually like this one more. And i really liked the original. Some shows like Spaced or Top Gear really couldn’t be done out here successfully but like The Office, an americanized twist on something like this doesnt seem grating at all.

By: lee

lee — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:20:37 +0000

the original cannot be duplicated, but ill still watch. The original was a limited 2 season series, will this remake only be 2 seasons, or just 1 season?

By: OwlBoy

OwlBoy — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:24:13 +0000

This looks like shit.

And on the question of why they did it, they feel they can extend and milk the show past the 2 short seasons of the original version if it does good. And it has to do good since the original was so great! What morons.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Fri, 16 May 2008 19:19:14 +0000

Why does everything have to be dumbed down!!! The acting looks horrendous! Where is David Bowie’s track “Life on Mars”!?!? Couldn’t they have included that???? But no, we get the funk music, just to bang into people’s heads: “Hey, just incase the voice over or the clothes or the looks of the buildings didn’t give it away that he has traveled back to the 70’s, maybe the music will! Honestly the ABC trailer was laughable, it felt like a comedy in parts, and the lead was horrible!!! I know, I know, all i’ve seen is a 2 minute clip, but when my geekrage is released sometimes I go batty! Does anyone else feel that America tends to dumb down shows/movies a lot more lately? Don’t get me wrong,we make great shows like BSG and Lost, but I don’t know I really felt irked when I saw this clip, that it makes me feel that way