Life On Mars was bloody bloody bloody bloody bloody excellent. Sadly my critical faculties go out of the window when I really like something, so that's as detailed an analysis as you're likely to get, but I'd encourage everyone to watch this. Proper grown-up telly, first UK thing for ages that I would happily hold up against the best US stuff.I'm slightly biased because the main bird on it looks like that Zooey Deschanel of whom I thoroughly approve, but even taking that into account, it was great. Thank blimey for that, I was starting to think I just didn't get telly any more.*
And that was after an hour of Richard Dawkins going up to hectoring religious types and saying 'yes, but that's bollocks, isn't it?', which was enormously enjoyable. Not so much as exponent of the Louis Theroux 'hang them with their own petard' school of interviewing (opening an interview with a conservative christian US evangalist with 'ooh it's a bit Nuremburg Rally' was entertaining, but not that productive) and I'd like to see a proper dialogue with the more thoughtful end of religiosity next week, but still, most interesting.
UPDATE: Agreed - the american man had scary lips. But not as scary/impressive as the lego church.
* I don't mean reception, although I still can't get Channel 5, but never mind. Bygones.
If I was, somehow, inexplicably, leaning toward becoming a born-again Christian, I think the mouth of the American evangelist was enough to put me off. He really did have the strangest lip set-up I have ever seen. (He was also unbelievably obnoxious and arrogant, which probably didn't help.)
ReplyDeleteBut the adverts looked crap! I didn't bother watching it. Will I have missed out forever? I mean, the plot really did look naff beyond belief.
ReplyDelete(Was 'Rodney' in it?)
It was absolutely fantastic, like a much smarter Quantum Leap with less leaping, but a hero called Sam, all the same. Quite liked the Back to the Future shoutout, and the bit with the telly was pretty scary. Didn't like the black barman much, until his whole Jamaican t'ing turned out to be an act. Lots of great reversals like that, especially the scene on the roof.
ReplyDeleteAnd what a soundtrack!
Even crosser now that I missed it. Perhaps Telewest Teleport will be repeating it (although, so far, it seems to repeat only those things which I didn't wish to see once, never mind watch again!) Glad to see that there is something worth watching at last - Christmas telly (what I saw of it) was mostly poo! Or was that just me?
ReplyDeleteA LEGO CHURCH!
ReplyDeleteAs a lego obsessive as a child, my first thought upon seeing that was not "someone's got too much time on their hands" or "woo what a freak" but "hmm, I think she's used some of those round onesies to make that mosaic and I've a feeling those lights are made from those tubey onesies".
Oh dear.
You're taking the words out of my mouth, James. I actually wanted to know what happens next! Haven't had that for a while. Although I'm a bit worried what he's going to do now, surely he's used his most important bit of information from the future already?
ReplyDeleteAlso, why does John Simm look so familiar, I don't think I've watched any of the things listed on his imdb site ("Blue/Orange", "Sex Traffic", or even "Imperium Nerone"?). Oh, actually, must be that horrendous "Human Traffic". God, I didn't know I had such a long memory for crap movies.
Some exploratory watching of channel 5 at my parents over Xmas via their new digital TV box confirmed the following :
ReplyDeleteYou are missing nothing.
I even forgave the continuinty announcer's patronising proclamation: "we think you're gonna love it", because you know what, I think we did.
ReplyDeleteMessrs Jordan, Pharoah and James have come up with a winner. Just the right balance of 70s send up and dramatic entertainment.
I'm so pleased everyone liked Life on Mars as much as I did - it's made by the same company as Spooks/Hustle, which boded well (even though I have severe reservations about Hustle, it's well made).
ReplyDeleteParticularly enjoyed the psycologist ex being the means of communicating with 'real world'. That and the Open University business were great devices. Hoorah for new telly!
I only watched Hustle for the Liv Tyler looky-likey.
ReplyDeleteI forgot about the pre-show announcement thing - I'M ALREADY WATCHING IT! SHUT UP!
Some debate as to whether ordering the Diet Coke was a nod to Back to the Future, I completely missed that if that's what it was. Ooh, I miss having a proper job with the standing-round-discussing-element sometimes. Although this blog does the job admirably.
i didn't watch it on the basis that it looked a bit, well, embarassing. like when your mum and dad do rock and roll dancing at your birthday disco.
ReplyDeletethat'll teach me to avoid anything at all trailed as "drama". note to self: not all channels are like itv
i think the back to the future nod was more the big advertising board for a new motorway, a la marty's 'real estate' hoarding where he'll live in 30 years... i'll just zip up my anorak good and tight.
ReplyDeleteI actually thought that the adverts looked good- but then again, I love anything like this what with the 'time-traveling' and the 70's (despite me being not old enough to have even been born in them). I've had no-one I know who's watched this to discuss this with so, glad there's still here. I loved it, even though the hypnotist/pyschologist graduate man confused me.
ReplyDeleteyes, it was great to see Dawkins given so screen time. My friends are appalled that we're letting our son watch it but won't allow him Little Britain and Celeb Big Brother.
ReplyDeleteJames, how did you find the Lego church? I'm just a tad concerned.
I just spent fifteen hours googling 'depictions of our Crucified Lord in small plastic bricks'. Nothing weird about it.
ReplyDeleteActually it was on Screenhead.com, a vast repository of internet goodness.
And kudos for chidren's television-watching policy. I was never allowed to watch Blackadder or The Young Ones when they were out, so I had to hear about them in the playground the next day, which made them both even odder and funnier than they actually turned out to be, like getting an Australian Aborigine to explain an English pantomine to a group of other, bewildered but very excited Aborigines....
Oh it was wonderful. I watched for John Simm who is yummy and excellent in everything he does. The Lakes - buy, borrow or steal it. Also did a cute cameo in Spaced. Now more eased - I'd run out of TV to watch esp as still no sniff of Green Wing, new or repeat.
ReplyDeleteJames, at the risk or really annoying you - when, when, when...
Can somebody help me out...?
ReplyDeleteHave just watched my recorded version of LOM and it stopped before the end (causing us to scream with impotent rage). What happens?? Sam is standing on top of the building about to force himself out of his coma, and the other two are trying to talk him down. Sam has just said he never mentioned his mobile phone in the notes he made.
then she just said Neil (?) was her ex and doing it for a giggle - he shouted up that he was sorry.
ReplyDeletePC woman said that she would come and stand with him, because the two of them were brave or something, and that she thought he would choose to stay. I think.
I,I, I'm not helping very much am I dad? *chorus of IT'S IN THE SAND*
Thanks flossie. I can sleep more easily now.
ReplyDeleteHey blue cat - TV trivia:
the 'main bird in it' (Zooey Deschanel looky-likey) is of course Liz White, who was the original Naughty Rachel in the Green Wing pilot.
I was not aware of that - the original GW pilot has faded in memory to become a strange parallel-world version of the 'real' GW. Fancy...
ReplyDeletePublic service announcement for rob and those of us who are kicking ourselves for not watching it... LOM is repeated very late on Friday night.
ReplyDeleteEntropy, I was reading these comments solely in the desperate hope that someone had thought to provide that info for us, who are desperate. Thank you kindly.
ReplyDelete(Also, the comments are always worth reading, didn't mean to imply otherwise.)
Thanks entropy, that's what I call service.
ReplyDeletePity flossie's gone and given away the ending though... how thoughtless can you get?
Oh I can't help it. If someone asks something and I know the answer I HAVE to answer. I was no doubt insufferable at school.
ReplyDeleteSorry...
You're not the only one, Flossie. I nearly got banned from playing Buzz (music quiz on the PS2) after shouting "It's Status Quo" from another room entirely..
ReplyDeleteForgot to set vid for LOM, though, didn't I. Can't be that clever.
Entropy, when you said it was repeated 'very late on Friday night', how late did you mean? I couldn't see it listed. Was it so late on Friday that it was in fact 9pm Monday? Cos that's not a repeat that's ep 2.
ReplyDeleteLucky flossie told us the ending anyway. Thanks flossie.
When I checked the online listings last Monday they said Friday at 12.35, honest. Apologies for getting everyone's hopes up.
ReplyDeleteSpot on re: Life on Mars. I thought the flares, Red Rum refs and Mark III Cortina GTX (with vinyl roof) were all going to get a bit 'white dog poo', but they've kept it right on the money.
ReplyDeleteWas this week's 'my mum fancies me' angle not a bit Back To The Future though?
Also loving the Dawkins - 500 years of scientific method and he STILL resorts to 'ARRGH BOLLOCKS'! Sweet gold.
Catch Shameless tonight? Simply fucking unbelievamable! And come on, who's not staying in for the massive mastitis promised by 'Extraordinary Breastfeeding' tomorrow?
ttfn
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