karrjuanma Captivating and fascinating from beginning to end. everything ties together. amazing.

wilmcg I first started watching this series, the one they produced in UK/London, first. I saw it listed on Netflix. I liked it very much, it had that mixture of perfect humor and action. And, the actors/actresses where excellent! The last decent thing I have seen on American TV was "The Closer", which has now been changed to "Major Crimes", OK, but not as good. I could not believe they canceled the series. (But, I still have not got over BBC canceling Ballykissangel, they must have idiots, making these decisions.)I was glad that they decided to do a USA / New York version, it was just as good! With excellent actors/actresses. Now, that series has been canceled, too! The same idiots, must have immigrated to the US.

grendelkhan It's nearly impossible to look at the US Life on Mars without comparing it to the UK original. It can't live up to the standard set. It deserves to be reviewed on its own merits, though.The US series essentially adapts the UK scripts, with a more American-centric attitude. Therein lies part of the problem. Since the UK scripts were written with UK experiences in mind, the American ones end up a bit too knowing about the 70's nostalgia. It tends to throw it in your face, rather than immerse you in this world. Also, it never really invokes the police shows of the 70's, as did the UK version.The characters are rather thinly fleshed out, particularly Ray and Chris. It's possible they could have grown if the series had continued, but they do seem rather clichéd. Gretchen Moll and Jason O'Mara are fine as Annie and Sam and really only suffer in comparison to the original British actors. Harvey Keitel is another matter. he just plays Harvey Keitel. There's nothing particularly wrong about his performance, but it is rather subdued for a character like Gene Hunt. Hunt is written as a flamboyant, testosterone driven leader, but Keitel delivers it with his usual reserve. It never quite meshes.The series starts rather weakly, with too much false nostalgia dominating. It improves as the episodes progress and lets the mystery of Sam's experience take center stage. However, the series never really plays the ambiguity well. Has Sam traveled in time, or is he delusional or in a coma? The series never really leads you back and forth as the UK series did so brilliantly. This version pretty much sticks to one conclusion.The ultimate failure is the ending. Since the show was canceled, things were wrapped up quickly. the ending is set up, after a fashion, but it is so clichéd that it can never succeed.In the end, the show demonstrates why it is rarely a good idea to try to remake something that established itself as a classic at the beginning. You can only fail. At best, you might introduce a new element, but it tends to lead the production away from what made the original great. That really seems to be what happened here. Mad Men proves that you can do a nostalgic show and do it well, if you have a good concept and follow through on the details. The details were lacking in LOM. It's worth a look, but the UK series is so far beyond it that you really only need to see it.

steve e Having never heard of this show prior to its debut on ABC, I absolutely loved the American version. After a few episodes, the characters really developed, and the actors seemed to gel more than in the start. A lot of humor involved Michael Imperioli and Keitel condescending women's rights and confused by 'Spaceman's' current attitudes that we take as common sense.The British version is obviously amazing, but it's two separate countries, so the issues and slang used (along with the scenery), are very different. To be honest, I didn't understand a lot of the references in the British version. I wasn't even alive in the 70s. I am almost positive a lot went over my head in the American version as well. The basic premise, the hallucinations, and character names are really the few things both have in common. The idea of a re-make is to improve something that was done poorly yet remained popular (usually a cult classic) or alter a successful idea to reach new audiences, not produce a carbon copy. Ricky Gervais understood that concept when bringing us the Office. Even today, his characters evolve yet maintain his original, core personalities, yet that may be due to his current involvement as producer and writer.From reading the other reviews, I believe it was impossible for fans of the original to view the American version as something attuned to our history. The anger seemed more directed at Americans for even attempting this version, not its content, the sharp, sarcastic dialog (after the growing pains), or the humor in the ideals held a mere thirty years ago. Be that as it may, the outcry was heard and new fans of the series were stripped of a potential classic before it had a chance to develop into its beautiful and savvy predecessor. Sometimes the translation is lost on its way overseas (like Coupling), but I do not think that was the case here. Every week I was eager for a new episode. Every week I laughed and got more involved with the growing complexities within each character. Due to this, the final episode will infuriate just about everyone. It was an idea meant to be led to slowly and with a lot of misdirection, yet the cancellation sped us to the "wow" moment too quickly. It became a moment of confusion, instead of revelation.I would advise purchasing either version and cranking the volume. Otherwise, you're not going to hear the music over your own laughing and voiced epiphanies. Both soundtracks are stellar, and half the fun is guessing at the end of the series like with Lost, and I promise, you will fail as soon as you start trying.Both versions have a place in my heart. Enjoy them!