"Life On Mars"

Has anybody seen this show?

I haven't seen the British version, but the American version is amazing.

First off, love the constant "juxtaposition" that we see with this guy who's thrust back 35 years. His passive acceptance of women in uniform and homosexuality, compared to his fellow police officers of the day.

I love how they show the sexism of the day. The female officer at the precinct is called "no nuts" because she's a woman.

The backstory is just amazing as well. I almost want to rent the British version too. I hope its just as good.

~String

 

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I actually saw the original British first. I think it is an interesing idea, but after a few episodes, it is still just a cop show.

I love Life (the series) though. I don't care for the cases, but love his zen, not to mention Dani...

 

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I've seen previews while watching Pushing Daisies and have been meaning to check it out. The whole person from some other time period resulting in culture clashes concept has always appealed to me.

 

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"Life" is amazing. It's really become one of my favorite shows. Amazing. And it's not just a typical cop show, there's something about Crews that really sets the show off. His whimsical wit. His new boss is awesome too.

I pared down my shows about a month ago to the bare necessities. Now I've added "Life On Mars" and "Life" to that list. Both are exceptional.

~String

 

It's really amazing. He brings his "future" ideologies and abilities to the early seventies. It's really a unique contrast and expose of the times (both now and then).

~String

 

This was already discussed in the Kat & Kim thread.

For one: Humor & drama are very parochial (good choice of words, not mine). For better or worse, Americans don't like "watching" foreign shows. We can sit here and debate that fact and criticize that fact, but whatever conclusions we draw won't erase the fact that Americans only want to hear ONE or maybe TWO "foreign" accents in a TV show (and, there are often Aussies or Brits on our TV shows: we like them, we just want more of "us").

Humor is personal business and a TV show needs to make money, it won't do that unless it's populated by Americans. TV is a "for profit" industry and it isn't here to spread accents and/or create fair representation of other senses of humor that, ultimately, Americans don't want and would never get. Besides, the originators of the shows make a lot of money through the remake that would have never been made without the remake.

I pointed out before that "The Office" is an EXCELLENT remake and does very well here. I've seen the British version, it's good, but not funny to me. There are NUMEROUS American remakes, namely "All In The Family" and "Sanford And Son", both of which are classics and far surpassed the British versions that inspired them (financially and critically).

Side Note: The American version of "Life On Mars" is better, IMHO, it takes away the glum of the British version and replaces it with this inspirational mystery that drives him and that he is secretly solving. But, I guess I would say that, since I'm an American.

~String

 

A lot gets lost in cultural translation.
Comments about local issues or politicians, for example, would be completely missed.
It allows the shows to be more topical.
It's the same reason some older shows just aren't as funny to people who did not live in that time.

String brought up the perfect example of All in the Family the other day.
Till Death Do us Part would not have been nearly as popular as All in the Family was, because they talked about issues that were in the minds and hearts of the people in the US at that time.

 

(Sigh)

I watched an episode earlier this week on DVR at a friend's. In certain ways, I'm impressed. It made me nostalgic for the days when I smoked a whole lot more pot; the hippie neighbor reminded me of the kind of people I miss dearly in the world. And something about Jason O'Mara made me keep thinking of Bruce Campbell. I don't know what it is.

 

I just downloaded another episode of British version and I still think it's good but there's this darkness. Maybe it's me. I don't know.

~String

 

I've been meaning to start a thread on this show. I also love it. The whole "fish out of water" concept is alsways entertaining, but there's something more at work here. What was the first thing the main character saw when he woke up in the past that convinced him something wierd was going on? It was the world trade center. He looked up, saw them, and said, "Oh my God!"

The seventies have never been considered a particulary great time in American history, yet now, with so much trouble both domestic and international, I suddenly feel a certain nostalgia for that time even though, like the main character, I was only a child then. There's this feeling that, could we turn back the clock as portrayed in the show, we could right all the wrongs that occured since then.

And what symbolizes that idea more than the sight of the twin towers standing, in all their glory.

The show also has an excellent soundtrack, and good acting.

PS Isn't it funny that we so often find String, Tiassa, and myself in agreement on cultural issues such as this show?

 

So they can peddle it to the Aussies.

 

Good taste is good taste. It would appear, also, that Tiassa and I have a love affair with McGriddles as well (sausage & egg, thank you).

Doubtful. The Australian market has 20 million people. That amount of "consumption" would barely cover the script costs here in the USA. Nope, the North American audience (USA & Canada: 340 million) is the goldmine. If the show never gets seen by a foreign audience, it won't effect the success or failure one bit as long as Americans watch it. Now, if the American audience receives it luke-warmly, then the foreign audience will count (i.e. "Fresh Prince of Bellaire" and "Baywatch"; both of which had HUGE European audiences and moderate-to-low American audiences). However, if Americans don't watch it, it won't matter how big the foreign audience is, it'll be pulled in a New York minute.

~String

 

live on mars (the british version) was good, ashes to ashes was less.

Basicly I understand that as Americans watch the most sitcoms and are proud of it

 

I don't think I quite get your meaning, but if I can take a stab (assuming that you're talking about how Americans consume) the fact is it's less to do with the individual consumption part and more to do with the sheer volume of consumers total. There is no motivation for American companies to cater to an Australian audience with only 20 million consumers when there are 340 million right here in North America. This isn't jingoism, it's commercialism.

~String

 

This and that

Well, it was a difficult time in history, but as I was watching the episode where he meets his hippie neighbor, I had a certain pang. That war was worse, and the world was a dark place, but somehow, it seems so far away. At one point I turned to my brother and said, "You know, Lisa Bonet's hot and all, but why? Why would you want to go back?"

Just eat the lasagna, dance with the girl, and don't torture yourself. Maybe you'll find a way back to reality, but if not, at least there's some genuine love left in the world. Take what you can find, and do your best by it.

Art is a connecting tool. The specifics of the following won't make sense to anyone who doesn't read Steven Brust, but the generalities will. And, trust me, in its context, it's dead on:

Okay, it's that middle paragraph that is the most relevant, but I thought to bookend it for context.

• • •​

String

In truth, I don't do eggs. I can't explain it except to say they are wholly discordant to my palate. Nonetheless, I can't figure out what it is about McDonald's food that makes it so damnably attractive.

Life on Mars premiered to 11.3 million viewers; it's fallen off to just over 8 million. At least, according to Wikipedia.
____________________

Notes:

Brust, Steven. Sethra Lavode. New York: Tor, 2004.

"Life on Mars (U.S. TV series)". Wikipedia.com. Updated October 25, 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Life_on_Mars_(U.S._TV_series)

 

People don't normally know this fact, but the USA was at it's apogee in the early 70's. In so many ways. If you remove the Vietnam War and lingering sexism and racism, it all makes a little more sense.

Between 1970-1971 the USA had it's highest (in terms of "completeness" and relative quality) infrastructure (roads were their best, airports were their best, canals, ports and trains were their best). The Schools ranked at the top of the worlds. We had our lowest national debt (per capita), our fairest tax burden, enough "personal" income to allow one parent to easily work and feed a family, the highest government expenditure on military per capita, and the lowest personal debt per capita. Also, the divorce rate was still very low. The only real domestic statistic that was bad was the crime rate in places like LA, Chicago and NYC which were slightly higher back then than they are now, and the lingering sexism and racism that still permeated society.

But, no matter how much we might want to avoid this fact, the early seventies were the best years in American history in terms of tangible facts.

Actually, as fast foods go, you're better off eating McDonalds than anybody else. Period. I very, VERY rarely allow myself to eat any fast food, but in the off occasion I do, it's usually Mikky-Dees. A McGriddle or a BigMac. Sometimes I will do Burger King or Rally's... but I don't have a Del Taco or a Jack In The Box, so I'm stuck with the other national brands... which kind of sucks, 'cause Del Taco is my all time fave.

Let's hope it doesn't bottom out. It's such a good show.

~String

 

Watched the first three episodes, was pretty impressed and enjoyed them. Watched both seasons of the British version next and was impressed even more, and I think so far I like that version better. I agree with you string about the darkness, but I think it's a darkness that's used well and contrasted great with the humor. That grittiness to it makes the British version seem more real, more immersive. The American version has a sort of hopeful wistful quality to it similar to Pushing Daisies (although nowhere near that extreme) that makes it seem more like a fantasy. Maybe that'll change with upcoming episodes, I'll definitely be tuning in.

One IMO undeniable point to the British show though, the American Gene Hunt has nothing, nothing, on the British Gene Hunt.

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This show continues to amaze me.

Last night's offering was simply amazing. I absolutely loved it.

~String

 

Yes, another good show. I enjoyed it. Did you know the main character was originally named Sam Williams, but the writter was asked to change it to something better. His daughter suggested Sam Tyler, she got the idea from the Dr Who character Rose Tyler. Which, in yesterday's episode, was Sam's mother's name!

You know what would be fucked up? If Sam were to have a one night stand with some black girl and then find out the girl was Lisa Bonet's mom.