ashes to ashes

I've just watched the first seven episodes of BBC's follow up to Life On Mars - Ashes To Ashes. It's no longer 1973 and DCI Sam Tyler is dead. Now it's 1981 and DCI Gene Hunt and his homies Ray and Chris have been transfered from Manchester to London. In stead of Sam Tyler we meet DI Alex Drake who's been studying Sam Tylers suicide and the records of his experiences during his coma. In the first episode Alex get shot and wakes up in 1981. She gets really surprised when she meets Gene Hunt and his boys whom she remembers from Sam Tylers description of 1973. Contrary to Sam Alex actually has some kind of grasp of what has happened to her. She understands that she's in a coma or close to death and that her experiences, just as Sams, probably are constructs of her subconscious. She frequently and ironically refers to her new colleagues as "constructs". But in this "construct" someone haunts her and delivers disturbing messages - a spooky clown who resembles David Bowie's pierrot character in the Ashes To Ashes video.

Music is a very important part of Ashes To Ashes, just as it was in Life On Mars. Every episode has an excellent collection of songs from the late 70's and early 80's. Steve Strange even appears as himself in the second episode where Alex visits the Blitz. I really liked Life On Mars. Especially the first season. The second season made me kind of disappointed.So far I think Ashes To Ashes is better than Life On Mars. Keeley Hawes is excellent as Alex Tyler and Philip Glenister continues to be brilliant as Gene Hunt. Don't miss this series.