Meaney In 'Life On Mars'

TrekToday · May 18 2008, 04:38 AM

Colm Meaney (Miles O'Brien) will be appearing as Gene Hunt in a 1970s-era cop show.

As reported by TV Scoop, Meaney will be playing a 1970s-era cop who works with a twenty-first century man who has been transplanted back to 1972. "You're dealing with the attitudes and ideas of LA in the seventies," said Meaney in an interview with Rotten Tomatoes.

Meaney says that being on the set makes one feel like one is in the 1970s. "It's really funny to walk onto a set that's supposed to be 1972, because I remember 1972," he said. "And it really feels like you're going back to the thirties or something because you take for granted how far we've come technologically. You don't think about it, because I guess it happens gradually, but there's a line in the script where Jason [O'Mara] says something about DNA and I think he's talking about washing-up liquid."

A trailer for Life on Mars can be seen here. The show will possibly be airing on Thursday nights in the fall.

Meaney will also be participating in Ironclad, a movie set in thirteenth century England. It is the story of a small band of knights who defended Rochester Castle against the tyrannical King John. Other signed to be in the movie are Richard Attenborough, Pete Postlethwaite and Angus Macfayden.

To read more, head to the articles located here, here, here and here.

WillsBabe · May 18 2008, 09:24 AM

I hope we get to see this in the UK. It looks really good. I want to see it to seehow it differs from the UK version and because I want to see it just to watch the show! I'm pleased that Colm's got another gig, too.

Jim Steele · May 18 2008, 09:32 AM

Oh. God.

I was looking forward to this until I saw the trailer. It looks terrible. And Phil Glenister > Colm Meaney.

WillsBabe · May 18 2008, 09:36 AM

There's no denying that Glennister is the Gene Genie. Still, I still want to see it.

T'Bonz · May 18 2008, 09:45 AM

Actually, after writing this article, I'm now interested in seeing the cop show. It sounds interesting and a bit different.

Jim Steele · May 18 2008, 09:59 AM

T'Bonz wrote:

Actually, after writing this article, I'm now interested in seeing the cop show. It sounds interesting and a bit different.

Life on Mars was far more than just a cop show. The US version looks shit but I'd recommend the original to anyone.

MadBaggins · May 18 2008, 02:12 PM

My English friends want to kill Meaney for ruining their favorite show.

Pingfah · May 18 2008, 03:04 PM

I kept expecting Ben Stiller to leap on screen as I was watching that.

They seem to have gone rather more campy slapstick than the original, I'm hoping it was just the tone of the trailer.

ElimParra · May 18 2008, 03:54 PM

WillsBabe wrote:

I hope we get to see this in the UK. It looks really good. I want to see it to seehow it differs from the UK version and because I want to see it just to watch the show! I'm pleased that Colm's got another gig, too.

I have a feeling that will be screened here on one of the commerical networks, but I loved the original. Hopefully the American audiences will get to see it also.

Lindley · May 18 2008, 04:17 PM

Never having seen the original, I think the trailer looks at least a bit interesting. I might check it out.

That said, I don't really understand the whole "American version" thing. If it's good enough for the Brits.....

Jim Steele · May 18 2008, 05:05 PM

I love how they feel the need to explain the metaphor in the title. Y'know, just in case someone in Alabama thinks it's a show about a Martian colony.

Pioneer · May 18 2008, 05:55 PM

I'm glad Colm Meany got another gig but I have no interest in the show.
Oh, and God bless all the Irish!

Plainsong · May 20 2008, 03:48 PM

First Spaced, Top Gear, and now Life on Mars, WTF - can't America come up with its own shows?

Anyone remember how they f'd up Men Behaving Badly and Cracker? Even the US The Office sucked until they finally got into their own scripts. Don't even get me started on the US version of Coupling.

Why not just watch the original version, can Americans not understand English or something?

cubbie · May 21 2008, 02:57 AM

I've seen the UK LOM, and the US version according to the trailer looks exciting.

Jim Steele · May 21 2008, 09:13 AM

cubbie wrote:

I've seen the UK LOM, and the US version according to the trailer looks exciting.

You've got to be kidding. It was like a trailer for a damn sitcom. Was anyone else expecting the cheesy voiceover to say "He finds himself in 1972 - WITH HILARIOUS CONSEQUENCES!"

I'm hoping the show is nothing like the abomination implied by the trailer.

cubbie · May 22 2008, 03:11 AM

I saw so many references to LOM (the UK version) that were scene for scene the same. No, I disagree that the trailer looked like a sitcom. I'm more worried that it will be too similar to UK's LOM.

It still looked interesting and I'm willing to keep my mind open.

Jim Steele · May 22 2008, 08:10 AM

cubbie wrote:

No, I disagree that the trailer looked like a sitcom.

Meh, to each their own.

The Squire of Gothos · May 22 2008, 01:18 PM

Lindley wrote:

That said, I don't really understand the whole "American version" thing. If it's good enough for the Brits.....

I'm guessing there are enough cultural differences to make it necessary.

In "The Office" there was (best example I can think of) a character in the Territorial Army who was made fun of because of his reminders of what he had been trained to do. How well would it go down for someone in the US army to be poked fun at like that I'm wondering.

Temis the Vorta · May 22 2008, 09:51 PM

The trailer killed what little interest I had in that show. I'm just not into cop shows and whatever sci fi content it might have looks extremely minor and not nearly enough to sustain my interest.

Colm had a funny line, tho.

Temis the Vorta · May 22 2008, 09:54 PM

Y'know, just in case someone in Alabama thinks it's a show about a Martian colony.

THAT sounds like the show I want to watch!

The trailer didn't make it look like a sitcom, but there definitely was a comic vibe. Which still doesn't interest me. There are so damn many cop shows on TV, what makes this one stand out? The time period change won't do it on its own. Who really cares about the 70s?