quote:

Originally posted by Angelus the Vampire:
The writers could just as easily write a cop show set in the 80s, they dont NEED to have a comotase cop/time travel hook to get there.

I saw a documentary after the first series about how it came to be created. Basically they wanted to do a cop show, but felt that cop shows these days are kinda dull.

They liked the old Sweeney style show, but didn't feel they could just set in the past. So they came up with the idea of sending someone from our era back there.

It's a common literary device in sci-fi and fantasy, you often get someone from our world transported to another world or whatever. It gives us a point of reference, someone to identify with, and while they're learning about the new world we learn about it too, which is very handy for the exposition.

So the time-travelling was really just an excuse to set it in the past; the writers said so. Having said that I think seeing how he copes with the 70's, and his opinion of them, emphasises the differences between then and now very nicely. So even though it was originally an excuse it's turned out very nicely and given an extra dimension to the show.

As for why he's back there, how it happened etc I'm not expecting anything particularly profound. In the last ep they obviously set it up so that he'll be torn between returning and staying in the past, so the big question is which way he'll go. If he stays in the past then it opens up the possibility of future series.

Can't say I've enjoyed this series as much as the first, but I'm still looking forward to seeing how it turns out.

quote:

Originally posted by Wobbletastic:
I just love the attitude of those cops in Life On Mars... you hear what they say and think 'what good has political correctness brought to this world?' and as far as I can see: no good at all.

Yawn! You can't have been watching the series properly then, since it alluded to several PC notions and problems with policing back then. Think of the IRA themed episode, that clearly alluded to the injustices of forced confesssions by the Police for the Guildford Four & Birmingham Six. Or the way that Sam's West Indian boss in his younger incarnation played along with the racist view of him; or those Asians thrown out by Idi Amin, one of whom father's Maya. Or the way Gene Hunt has fitted people up, or got those folk in to torture. Or the way Sam identifies tourettes in that one girl Gene & co think is potty mouthed, or the way Sam helps the deaf man in series one, when Gene makes fun of him. In addition, one long running notion is that of Annie and female equality in the workplace, so one major theme of the show is how political correctness needs to be established.

I mean, would you like to work in an office where guys make sexist comments and pinch the backsides of the females, or where racist language and attitudes are used. Do you think the framing of the Guildford Four and Birmingham Six and tortured confessions are alright? It's a tedious gripe that "It's political correctness gone mad!" gripe commonly spouted from the mouths of readers of the Express, Mail et al...

Wow, well said.
Tonite, tonite, am looking forward to it, in a bitter/sweet sort of way.
I agree, this series hasn't been as good as the first, but then I guess, as its the last ever episode, they can't bring too much new stuff into it, and are just trying to end it as best they can.

Well. what an ending (won't go into it for fear others not watched it yet).
I have kind of understood it, but er i'll have ti think about it, but at least all the threads were tidied...

(Mickey breathes a sigh of relief..)

gosh!

WELL what the %%^& happend there then? come on please tell if others did not see they won`t be looking on here to find out if they did not want to... HELP. please, was he in his "safe " place in 1973, or what. anyone? i was 11 then and i don`t remember a thing too, mmmmmm strange that. lol

quote:

Originally posted by wiseblood:

quote:

Originally posted by Wobbletastic:
I just love the attitude of those cops in Life On Mars... you hear what they say and think 'what good has political correctness brought to this world?' and as far as I can see: no good at all.

Yawn! You can't have been watching the series properly then, since it alluded to several PC notions and problems with policing back then. Think of the IRA themed episode, that clearly alluded to the injustices of forced confesssions by the Police for the Guildford Four & Birmingham Six. Or the way that Sam's West Indian boss in his younger incarnation played along with the racist view of him; or those Asians thrown out by Idi Amin, one of whom father's Maya. Or the way Gene Hunt has fitted people up, or got those folk in to torture. Or the way Sam identifies tourettes in that one girl Gene & co think is potty mouthed, or the way Sam helps the deaf man in series one, when Gene makes fun of him. In addition, one long running notion is that of Annie and female equality in the workplace, so one major theme of the show is how political correctness needs to be established.

I mean, would you like to work in an office where guys make sexist comments and pinch the backsides of the females, or where racist language and attitudes are used. Do you think the framing of the Guildford Four and Birmingham Six and tortured confessions are alright? It's a tedious gripe that "It's political correctness gone mad!" gripe commonly spouted from the mouths of readers of the Express, Mail et al...

WELL IT`S GONE THE other way now. The police CAN NOT run after the crims just incase the baddie falls over and sues them, but on the plus side they can arrest us ALL AND WE HAVE NOW LOST ALL OUR RIGHTS SINCE 9/11 oh and demand OUR papers soon,and zapp anyone they wish. 1973, tame really. very tame.

quote:

Originally posted by wiseblood:
I mean, would you like to work in an office where guys make sexist comments and pinch the backsides of the females, or where racist language and attitudes are used.

Quite frankly yes, I would.

A spin-off has been announced; set in London in 1981 and featuring Gene Hunt and his two sidekicks. A female officer from the present day will go back and join them.

More details here , and one of the writers details what it all really meant, including the ending. Beware, you may not like it.

thank you Bug for that, it looks promising so far..

Wow thanks so much for that Bug....excellent reading, made me want to watch the whole serieses all over again. Luckily we have the 1st on dvd already!!
I thought the ending was absolutely PERFECT, even more so, as it just wasn't what was expected. Brilliant, brilliant writing. Certainly the ending gave me tears, scaredness, tummy twinges, relief, and then pure happiness!! Ultimate Perfection of Endings!!

The "final" episode of Season 2 of Life On Mars left me really sad. The idea of Sam having no choice but to throw himself off the building roof in a desperate attempt to get back to 1973 was mind blowing. Okay, he got back there, saved the day and the girl , but where does that leave him?

The "voices" saying we are losing him suggest critical injuries, which you would get after landing on concrete from such a height , and then you just get deeper into life, death, dead scenarios

These 2 brilliant seasons created a "real world" for me, and as a viewer, yes, I want Sam to be happy and he deserves to be with Annie. But I just hate the thought that if Sam does die in the "real world", then he dies in his imaginary world

Too deep I know, but when fictional characters take on a real persona, then fiction itself turns to reality. God, I sound like one of those nutty soap opera stalkers

For me, Life On Mars has left me with another gaping hole because I want Sam and all his new family to have a happy life, and not some sad reminder of our fragile reality



Must be having a mid-life crisis

This series for me has been great, and the ending was perfect. The scene towards the end where Sam was on the top of the building was mesmerising.

I've always thought highly of Philip Glenister, but John Simm deserves all the plaudits he gets.

Very enjoyable

quote:

Originally posted by TWS:
The "final" episode of Season 2 of Life On Mars left me really sad. The idea of Sam having no choice but to throw himself off the building roof in a desperate attempt to get back to 1973 was mind blowing. Okay, he got back there, saved the day and the girl , but where does that leave him?

The "voices" saying we are losing him suggest critical injuries, which you would get after landing on concrete from such a height , and then you just get deeper into life, death, dead scenarios

These 2 brilliant seasons created a "real world" for me, and as a viewer, yes, I want Sam to be happy and he deserves to be with Annie. But I just hate the thought that if Sam does die in the "real world", then he dies in his imaginary world

Too deep I know, but when fictional characters take on a real persona, then fiction itself turns to reality. God, I sound like one of those nutty soap opera stalkers

For me, Life On Mars has left me with another gaping hole because I want Sam and all his new family to have a happy life, and not some sad reminder of our fragile reality



Must be having a mid-life crisis

But that is the ? had he already died....anyways...??!!

Thanks Bug for that helpful link.

( Hi to Ruby )

This joke is on another forum:

After Sam Tyler jumped off the building, he crashed throught the ceiling of a nearby curry house.
Now he's in a korma.

I've just bought both series on DVD & having watched both of them on TV, I have now officially become sad & sat through the DVD of the 1st series looking for errors in the background etc!

I must say that the makers did a cracking job.

I didn't see one single satellite dish in the background or a Ford Mondeo in the distance or something similar!!!

I only clocked 2 errors throughout all 8 epidsodes; the well known 1979 Austin Allegro with 1973 plates in episode one & in the very last scene of episode 8, there is a CCTV camera encased in a black sphere on a pole in the background, but I suppose they left that one because it could have been passed off as street lamp.

Has anybody else noticed any 21st century continuity errors?

A2A coming soon....

quote:

Originally posted by antonyD:
A2A coming soon....

I feel really wary about it. The chemistry between Tyler and Hunt was just perfect - it seems like over-egging it to give Hunt and sexy young woman to inter-act with. And (speaking as someone close to a DI in the Met) the CID is not exactly ankle deep with women who have risen through the ranks through brilliant psychological profiling. This seems to have become a real media cliche, being so much more exciting than the reality of murder investigations where psychological profiling has no place at all.

quote:

Originally posted by Syntax Error:
I've just bought both series on DVD & having watched both of them on TV, I have now officially become sad & sat through the DVD of the 1st series looking for errors in the background etc!

I must say that the makers did a cracking job.

I didn't see one single satellite dish in the background or a Ford Mondeo in the distance or something similar!!!

I only clocked 2 errors throughout all 8 epidsodes; the well known 1979 Austin Allegro with 1973 plates in episode one & in the very last scene of episode 8, there is a CCTV camera encased in a black sphere on a pole in the background, but I suppose they left that one because it could have been passed off as street lamp.

Has anybody else noticed any 21st century continuity errors?

Sorry if this has been mentioned before but

The iconic 70's BBC test card girl had long auburn hair ( its imprinted on my memory, as it was just about the only thing on BBC in the afernoons back then)
Why did LOM change the test card girl to a blue eyed blonde ?

quote:

Originally posted by don't call me shirley:

quote:

Originally posted by antonyD:
A2A coming soon....

I feel really wary about it. The chemistry between Tyler and Hunt was just perfect - it seems like over-egging it to give Hunt and sexy young woman to inter-act with. And (speaking as someone close to a DI in the Met) the CID is not exactly ankle deep with women who have risen through the ranks through brilliant psychological profiling. This seems to have become a real media cliche, being so much more exciting than the reality of murder investigations where psychological profiling has no place at all.

I can't see Gene Hunt gelling with a female sidekick.

I fear Gene Hunt is either going to become a cliche ridden sexist dinosaur or be severely neutered to fit in with PC brigade.

quote:

Originally posted by nosey rosie:

quote:

Originally posted by Syntax Error:
I've just bought both series on DVD & having watched both of them on TV, I have now officially become sad & sat through the DVD of the 1st series looking for errors in the background etc!

I must say that the makers did a cracking job.

I didn't see one single satellite dish in the background or a Ford Mondeo in the distance or something similar!!!

I only clocked 2 errors throughout all 8 epidsodes; the well known 1979 Austin Allegro with 1973 plates in episode one & in the very last scene of episode 8, there is a CCTV camera encased in a black sphere on a pole in the background, but I suppose they left that one because it could have been passed off as street lamp.

Has anybody else noticed any 21st century continuity errors?

Sorry if this has been mentioned before but

The iconic 70's BBC test card girl had long auburn hair ( its imprinted on my memory, as it was just about the only thing on BBC in the afernoons back then)
Why did LOM change the test card girl to a blue eyed blonde ?

Good question.

I never noted that one; I wonder why they did that?

Yes, Syntax Error, I wonder why they did that, too?

They went to such pains to make it 70's authentic... and then to