have high hopes as I thought Life on Mars II wasn't a patch on the first series, which I loved. So I wasn't surprised that this one's not very good either.

I enjoyed the first couple of episodes but I am beginning to think it may just end up being regarded like a lot of other spin offs; "Good, but not a patch on the original". Unlike Life On Mars, I just don't really care about Drake. It's well cast and directed, but lacks something. I quite like some of the eighties music though, makes you realise some of the tunes from that era weren't so bad, unlike the fashion.
Not sure what's going on with that Clown though.
Gene Hunt is becoming a bit of a caricature too.

I've struggled to get into it to be honest. Last week's episode was better, but like David says, I couldn't really care less about Drake... She's just a pain in the arse, and all the psychobabble stuff seems really strained. I'm not taken on the idea of the sexual chemistry between her and Hunt either. I was hoping to find out a bit more about Hunt's background in this series, but it's not going to happen, is it? Still... I'll stick with it.

As for the clown - it's Bowie's character in the Ashes to Ashes video:

I agree with Johan. I gave LoM II 2 episodes, and I think I've given AtA its last chance.
My problem is Alex - she's a collection of character devices rather than a character herself, and I think it's the writing rather than Keeley Hawes (apologies to her if the spelling is off) at fault.

ATA's problem is the usual with sequels. LOM was so unmissable because it was so original - there was a sense of mystery throughout: what was going on? Were we completely inside Sam's mind, or did any of this have some kind of objective reality? This time around, not only are we completely familiar with how this thing works (thereby robbing the whole story of any mystery), but Alex, the central character, is herself au fait with the workings of the internal shadow play she now occupies. In the first episode, there were hints that maybe she's come unglued when she realised that understanding her situation didn't necessarily mean she could control it. But that line seems to have been abandoned, and she's just going with the flow, albeit maybe a bit more reckless than in her real life, since she sees her actions as being consequence-free. It's good fun, and a labour of love, again, where the period detail is concerned, but it's certainly not compelling.

EDIT

What's gone wrong here?

Life on Mars surpassed it's merits. Ashes to Ashes chewed them up and wrapped them in chewing gum wrapper.

Than torched it.

it's fun listening to the guv tear that tart off a strip while fancying the arse off her, and when Noddy and Big Ears get in the way, farting about playing coppers, it's even better.

Fer Gawd's sake what's all the effing analysis for? Go with the bloody flow. Relax.

Maybe whatserface's little girl will show up on the bleeding test card, maybe clown boy will run away with the circus, I dunno.

But if I hear you call the guv a caracatch, er, craratur, er, whatever, you can expect a nasty fall on the way downstairs to the cells.

...Philip Glenister's performance is pretty much the only reason I'm still watching it, personally!!

I know that comparisons are inevitable, but the creators of A2A intentionally created a show that was different in many ways to LoM.

They knew they wouldn't be able to top LoM for originality, so created a different beast in A2A. I read an interview with Ashley Pharoah, one of the writers, and he admitted as much.

Personally, I think A2A is a lot funnier than LoM and I love it for that.

I also think that people remember a lot more about the 80s than they do the 70s, so it's easier to pick holes in the newer show.

However, I will admit that Keeley Hawes character is pretty crap - and that's clearly not her fault.

Incidentally, anyone see her on Jonathan Ross on Friday? She looked very ill at ease - a classic case of a proper actor being interviewed, rather than a 'film star'.

Our Sky+ didn't record the second episode for some reason. I think our Sky+ got it right after seeing it on the repeat. Haven't bothered since then. It would have been great if they'd played it as a straight up police drama - its the voices and messages etc. that irritate and don't add anything. And whats with Drake's mum. No Fun.

Am I mad, in a coma, or have I gone back in time? Oddly enough, I couldn't give a stuff. Gene Hunt was the real success of Life On Mars, the rest of it was just window dressing. What could have been a timeless character has been saddled with so much arch baggage, that he's barely going to make it to the end of a third series. All Hunt needs is a by-the-book foil; why the writers thought it necessary to send that character through time and space to serve that function I'll never know. I'm sure the clever premise helped get the show commissioned, but its turned out to be a real cul-de-sac.

Just for one episode.