Ashes to Ashes tonight @ 9pm, BBC1

[JackieNo]

I'll be watching .

is it repeated at all? like on BBC4 midweek, or even tonight?

I feel like another helping before next thurs!!!

Agree Keeley Hawes irritating. Didn't warm to her at all.
Also,don't think there were whiteboards in general use in 1981.Was 14 in 1981 and don't remember them at school at all.

sugarskyhigh, you can watch it on BBCiplayer if you want - it's on the front page of that right now...

Not that I'm watching it again or anything

Thought I was being slightly bonkers to find Gene Hunt attractive, but not Philip Glenister: then remembered the Rule of Sharpe But Not Sean Bean.

Did enjoy the first episode, agree with many posters here that it reminded me of some carefree (ie, bloody stupid, irresponsible and drunken) times in the 80's...

Yes, keepcalmandcarryon - that's exactly the same thing. Sharpe's an exciting character, but Sean Bean's not nearly as interesting (I seem to remember he's very keen on football).

Just watched this after recording it last night. Sorry to all you haters, i loved it!! Thought i'd really miss John Simm (have fancied him since The Lakes, yonks ago), but thought KH was great, think you're all being really harsh (although i agree about Keira Knightly, she is bloody awful)!! Can't wait for the next one (and love the music, makes me go all tingly - hope we get to hear The Cure at some point....)

Well, I'm reserving judgement, simply because the first episode of Life on Mars seemed to fly by and kept me gripped all the way through, whereas when I watched Ashes to Ashes I actually found myself looking at my watch a couple of times thinking 'crikey still ages to go yet'.
I was prepared for the fact that it wouldn't be the same without John Simm to drool over and determined to judge on it's own merits but KH just wasn't as likeable I don't think. She was annoying me even before she got shot!
Still, it's early days and all the other characters were pretty fab - loved Chris in his white jeans and Ray's curly perm!

I just think it's boggling that an actor can be able to turn charisma on and off like that. John Simm is really quite a shy man, but he can electrify a screen.

PG seemed really uncomfortable when he was on Top Gear, and he was only a bit more confident tonight on Jonathan Ross (ug, I feel really soiled that I sat through it all to watch PG), and yet as Gene Hunt he utterly convinces. How can you be just 'ordinary' like that and manage to 'act' charismatic? It's not like a Pierce Brosnan or a Sean Connery thing, where you have natural charisma that you just bring to the screen. Bloody marvellous ability.

yes, sue, some of the questions from Woss demandedthe reply "but I'm an actor! I'm a professional..it's all made up. I'm playing pretend!"

Yeahbut... remember when we all first started getting wildly overexcited about Gene Hunt and how it coincided with Philip GLenister doing the bedtime story on Cbeebies (the bit of rough with the softer side OMG how many mums slid off their sofas moaning gently...)

The thought had crossed my mind too, PortandLemon.

Agree that the KH character isn't that sympathetic at the moment but I do think we'll warm to her. And I think she is so gorgeous and make the clothes and hair look fab. I've saved it on Sky+ so am definitely going to watch it again. Love the 80s.

when will it be repeated?

You can watch it again on BBCi player!!

I haven't read the thread but just wanted to confirm what I thought Ray said about Sam (had an upset teething Tom on my lap at the time - knew I should have recorded it!).

Did Ray say that Sam died in a car chase but they didn't find his body? Was there any mention of Annie? Did they marry? Have kids?

I like writing fanfic, hence the questions!

Sam apparently drove his car into the river, but it wasnt clear whether it was the Thames or elsewhere. Ray did say the body wasnt found, hence my thinking this was an opening for a Dirty Den style return should it be neccessary at somepoint!

No ref to Annie, sadly!

I only caught the tail end on when it was on in the week, but just watched it on BBCi - loved it! Some superb lines - how can such a MC Pig be so fanciable?!

(also just drooled over the Sharpe You Tube link from keepcalmandcarryon - another one of my faves )

I think it's a great idea not to go with the same kind of drama. This one is hamming it up, and the build-up to when Gene appears is fantastic! It's all very light-hearted, although the Bowie clown character gave me the creeps! Loved Life on Mars, thought it was some of the best telly I've ever seen. Will defintely be watching this series because I think it'll go from strength to strenght, just like LoM did. So there.

Just rewatching it with DH, who was out on Thursday, and wondered whether that was the real Zippy and George. IMDB doesn't credit them...

Indeed it was -- or at least Roy Skelton doing the voices and Ronnie Le Drew puppeting Zippy, although they didn't have the original George puppeteer.

Surely Rainbow was pre-1980s? Im sure I watched it when I used to go home for lunch while I was at Primary school, I left school in 1981!

Rainbow was on more or less forever, I think.

1972-1992, apparently.

Oh dear, it's not anywhere near as good as Life on Mars, but still love Gene

I do love that OMD song (Souvenir) they used - had forgotten about it. Brought the early 80s rushing back for me - not as unpleasant an experience as I would have expected...