After the excellent "Life on Mars" I'm getting quite dissapointed with this series. I think it's too much of the 'Gene Hunt show' now - and a soapy will-they-won't-they element has crept in. The mental condition of Hawes' character is barely considered in this show and its more about Gene's nice red car.

I'm very dissapointed that Kealy Hawes has agreed to a new series. The end scene with Hawe's character and gay man and his 'rash' was a little too predictable.

The TV Cop partnership of the gruff chauvinist and 'posh crumpet' has been done to death loads of times before. Perhaps the next series should be set in the mid 80s and called "Moonlighting", with a nice softjazz Al Jarreau theme tune? Or maybe it's already been commissioned.

The reason why Gene Hunt dominates it is because Keeley Hawes' acting is average at best & her character (Drake) has little or no chemistry with Hunt.

Phil Glenister is a very good actor, so he shows Hawes up.

In LoM, Sam & Gene had great chemistry because Simm & Glenister are both excellent actors.

Agreed,

They can certainly do without the will-they-won't-they element. Why do producers think it's required in every sci-fi drama? I don't care, and to be honest, those two, as you say, don't have any chemistry and wouldn't even make a plausible couple.

The Simm and Glenister partnership was a lot more convincing and interesting, rather than wondering what 80s outfit Hawes's character's going to wear each week. Kealy's character isn't very interesting, but I think it's as much to do with how this series is being written as her innability to act. They've ditched Simm's mentally complex, well-acted character for a vacant, "New Avengers", "Purdy" type character.

I didn't watch Life On Mars, so I have nothing to compare it to in that sense but I do understand why people aren't enjoying Ashes.

I just don't find Alex Drake very likeable. I don't know why. I don't really care if she her 2008 self lives or dies. I think it's the fact that she knows more about what's going on than Sam Tyler did (so I'm told) so she's convinced if she saves her mother in 1981 she'll get out.

I have no problem with Keeley Hawes as an actress and can't think of someone who would do a better job off the top of my head; but she can't do comedy and has no chemistry with Phil Glenister. But when she has such an annoying character to protray, what chance does she have!