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Life on Mars -- "The Man Who Sold the World" -- 11/20/2008

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Life on Mars -- "The Man Who Sold the World" -- 11/20/2008

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Old 11-20-08, 10:36 AM
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Life on Mars -- "The Man Who Sold the World" -- 11/20/2008

Synopsis:
Spoiler:
Sam Tyler learns his father may be involved in the kidnapping of a prominent family's child. As Sam and the detectives investigate the case, he realizes he may have discovered why his father had left town in 1973. As buried memories of his childhood begin to surface, Sam believes he might have been sent back in time to help his father and to prevent him from leaving.

A "Journeyman" episode if ever there was going to be one.
Old 11-20-08, 11:21 AM
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I am seriously digging the vibe of this show - the cast is gelling nicely - mol is outrageously cute in her 70s doo, imperioli rocks that 'stache like nobody's business and keitel glowers appropriately - a nice compliment to the original. It's the little touches that really make me excited - the grimy look when the cast is on the streets, the blaring, trumped up string and horn arrangements during the police action - apart from the stunt casting of whoopi goldberg a couple of weeks ago i don't find much to complain about- hopefully it will stick around for a while.
Old 11-20-08, 11:27 AM
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Originally Posted by rfduncan
A "Journeyman" episode if ever there was going to be one.
The UK version of this episode aired long before Journeyman even premiered. In fact, it was the Season 1 finale.
Old 11-20-08, 07:29 PM
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Life on Mars will get 4 more episodes...17 total for this season.

http://ausiellofiles.ew.com/2008/11/...ng-abc-pa.html
Old 11-20-08, 09:23 PM
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Ryan O'Reilly!
Old 11-21-08, 03:17 AM
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I hope this show doesnt get cancelled as well. If so, Lost is the only use i will have for this network.
Old 11-21-08, 03:25 AM
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Originally Posted by Axeramm
I hope this show doesnt get cancelled as well. If so, Lost is the only use i will have for this network.
Did you read my post? ABC ordered 4 more episodes. They are also moving this after Lost next year. I think the chances are good it sticks around through this season. A 17 episode 1st season isn't bad considering how limited the premise of this show is.
Old 11-21-08, 09:08 AM
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Originally Posted by DJariya
Did you read my post? ABC ordered 4 more episodes. They are also moving this after Lost next year. I think the chances are good it sticks around through this season. A 17 episode 1st season isn't bad considering how limited the premise of this show is.
I agree. I said it back when the schedules were announced, ABC had a great Wednesday lineup if it went Pushing Daisies, Lost, Life On Mars...so 2 out of 3 ain't bad.

I guess for me it seemed like a no-brainer that LOM should be on after Lost...the compatibility is there. Oh well I suppose.
Old 11-21-08, 09:44 AM
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I liked this episode despite the fact that the guy who played Sam's father was a terrible actor. Too bad we have to wait 2 months for the next one. I guess I can always rent the BBC version in the meantime.
Old 11-21-08, 09:52 AM
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A question to the fans who have seen the British version, if I watched the entire series during this hiatus, do you think it will spoil the show for me?
Old 11-21-08, 09:21 PM
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O'Meara and Mol have great chemistry.

I don't want to wait until Jan. 28th for the next ep.
Old 11-22-08, 12:13 AM
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yeah seeing that the next episode was Jan. 28th was pretty disappointing, well that is better than never I guess
Old 11-22-08, 12:13 PM
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I thought this was a great episode. Put yourself in Sam's shoes and imagine the emotional rollercoaster that would be for him.

Agreed that the cast is great--especially Mol and O'Meara. And I think the actor who played Sam's dad is good, too. He's also been on The Sarah Connor Chronicles lately.

And boy--did that voice on the phone at the end sound evil or what? I can't believe we have to wait two months to find out what happens!
Old 11-22-08, 07:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Quatermass
I liked this episode despite the fact that the guy who played Sam's father was a terrible actor.
I liked the Beeper King in this.

Originally Posted by macnorton
A question to the fans who have seen the British version, if I watched the entire series during this hiatus, do you think it will spoil the show for me?
Well you'd find out what happens in the end, so that seems like a pretty big spoiler. The bigger problem is that you may be bored with the American episodes since all they seem to be doing is rehashing the UK ones, at least as far as I remember since it's been 2 years since I saw series 1. This has been disappointing since I'm liking the cast more than I thought I would, especially O'Mara, Mol, and Imperioli, who have been at least as good as their UK counterparts (or better in Imperioli's case). I'd like to see them in original episodes.
Old 11-22-08, 10:20 PM
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I'm having a hard time not watching the British version but I like this one too much to spoil it. I'm just happy that if this one gets canceled, I can at least finish it by watching that one.
Old 11-23-08, 11:06 AM
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Originally Posted by Brian Gentz
yeah seeing that the next episode was Jan. 28th was pretty disappointing, well that is better than never I guess
Honestly, this news pissed me off. Haven't they learned a two month layoff will lose viewers? Network retards.
Old 11-23-08, 11:08 AM
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Originally Posted by Easy
Honestly, this news pissed me off. Haven't they learned a two month layoff will lose viewers? Network retards.
Yeah the break sucks, but they only have 10 more episodes left (17 total) to pad out until April or May.
Old 11-23-08, 08:57 PM
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Originally Posted by Cellar Door
And I think the actor who played Sam's dad is good, too. He's also been on The Sarah Connor Chronicles lately.
Dean Winters - he was one of the lead actors in the HBO series OZ.

Two month wait until the next new episode? What do network execs do - sit around all day and try to figure out new ways to kill off series that are catching on?
Old 11-23-08, 11:37 PM
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I actually was hoping they would hold off the remaining episodes until Lost comes back.

Because, if the pairing of Lost and Life on Mars works out as planned, then these remaining episodes of Life on Mars should be seen by more people than if it were to stay on Thursday nights thru the end of the year.

Hopefully the 8M+ people now watching will come back in January. And if some of the people who watch Lost who haven't seen LOM give it a chance, then maybe LOM can average 10M+ next year.

Chris
Old 11-24-08, 09:35 AM
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Originally Posted by Quatermass
I guess I can always rent the BBC version in the meantime.
Where? The original isn't out on DVD.

Originally Posted by macnorton
A question to the fans who have seen the British version, if I watched the entire series during this hiatus, do you think it will spoil the show for me?
Well considering there is no legal way to watch the original except on repeats on BBC America which doesn't have it on the schedule any where...

Originally Posted by marty888
Two month wait until the next new episode? What do network execs do - sit around all day and try to figure out new ways to kill off series that are catching on?
Well actually what would be smart is to re-air all the episodes already shown to try to generate additional fans. People who missed it the first time could get caught up while there is nothing new on TV right now...

Great episode. It makes sense that this story would have been the S1 finale in the original. Very cool - certainly a nice way to go out before a huge hiatus.

Last edited by rfduncan; 11-24-08 at 09:37 AM.
Old 11-24-08, 01:38 PM
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Originally Posted by rfduncan
Where? The original isn't out on DVD.
Well that blows. I see it's out in R2 which is okay since I have a region-free player, but I'd rather not have to buy it.
Old 11-24-08, 10:13 PM
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I was wondering what happened to his hot hippy neighbor, we haven't seen her for a couple of episodes. I always suspected she was part of the mystery, considering her cryptic remarks, seemingly being aware of Sam's situation, and (unless I'm mistaken) we've never seen her interact with any other characters.

Also regarding the previews for the next episodes (not a spoiler), did anyone notice that the creepy voice on the phone (they replayed the last phone call) was completely different?
Old 11-25-08, 04:28 AM
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Originally Posted by macnorton
A question to the fans who have seen the British version, if I watched the entire series during this hiatus, do you think it will spoil the show for me?
From my own personal point of view, I have seen the entire British version and I am enjoying the remake.

If BBC America reruns it or if you have a multi-region dvd player, I'd say you can watch the first 15 of the 16 British episodes. The British series finale is excellent. Of course there is no way to know exactly how the American version will end yet.

Also, the more you know about British culture will help. For example, there is an episode in which Sam and Annie go undercover as "Tony and Cherie Blair".
Old 11-25-08, 05:10 PM
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081125/tv_nm/us_mars_1

"Mars" creators praise U.S. version of series

By Paul J. Gough Paul J. Gough Tue Nov 25, 2:06 am ET

NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) – The co-creator of the BBC's "Life on Mars" gives high marks to the new version across the pond as being in the same gritty spirit as the British version.


Reuters – British duo Ashley Pharoah (L) and Cameron Roach celebrate after winning best Drama Series at the 36th …

The ABC series stars Jason O'Mara as a New York detective who finds himself back in the 1970s after a car accident. The cast includes Harvey Keitel, Michael Imperioli and Gretchen Mol.

"I think it's marvelous," said co-creator Ashley Pharoah, who was in Manhattan on Monday to pick up the British show's second International Emmy for best drama. "We're really very proud of it."

Pharoah said he understood that the U.S. version was likely to take a different direction from the original.

"They're changing the mythology, which I think is all right," Pharoah said. "It has to be different. Otherwise everyone just goes on YouTube and sees how it ends."

"Some people back home didn't like the ending," Pharoah said of the British series' decidedly downbeat conclusion. That ending accommodated the wishes of actor John Simm, who didn't want to do more that 16 episodes, but Pharoah noted that it was "the end we had in mind from the beginning."

U.K. series writer-producer Cameron Roach also doesn't mind the U.S. version's changes.

"I think it's good that it ends in a different way," Roach said. "It keeps the American audiences guessing."

Pharoah is also happy about the direction the show took after producer David E. Kelley left. "They made the right decision in my opinion to do (the show) in New York in the '70s" rather than the original plan to set the ABC series in Los Angeles.

"It was sun-drenched and rather pleasant," Pharoah said of the first ABC pilot. "The whole point of our show in Manchester and the one in New York is to show those mean streets and show how much has changed in these 30 years."


While in New York for the International Emmys, Pharoah and Roach visited the ABC show as it filmed scenes Monday in Brooklyn. The differences between the two versions were apparent on set.

"For us, in our slightly limited BBC budget, we have two vintage cars," Pharoah said. "They had a whole street of them. There's kind of a bit of envy there. There were extras everywhere. My goodness."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter
Well of course they love it $$$$$

And I always thought that Ashley was a woman and everytime I saw the British version I thought that Annie was written from a woman's point of view. Guess I was wrong. Stupid British with their screwed up names!

Chris
Old 11-30-08, 12:57 AM
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Originally Posted by wetsprockets
Well you'd find out what happens in the end, so that seems like a pretty big spoiler. The bigger problem is that you may be bored with the American episodes since all they seem to be doing is rehashing the UK ones, at least as far as I remember since it's been 2 years since I saw series 1. This has been disappointing since I'm liking the cast more than I thought I would, especially O'Mara, Mol, and Imperioli, who have been at least as good as their UK counterparts (or better in Imperioli's case). I'd like to see them in original episodes.
I fully expect them to remake all of the British ones, with the exception of the football hooligans one, before moving on to do their own. There were only 16 episodes total done of that one, so that's basically the first season over here.

I'm interested to see where they take it after that, but it's a bit early to expect them to announce a second season already. As long as the series gets a proper ending, I wouldn't be too unhappy if it doesn't last for more than a few seasons.


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