Life on Mars US Casting News

[PsychoPere]

From The Hollywood Reporter comes news of two actors to have recently signed onto the US remake of Life on Mars.

The first is Michael Imperioli, of The Sopranos fame. The article does not indicate who his character will be, while IMDB lists him as "Detective Ray Carling." I haven't seen the original British show yet, so I don't know if this is a new character or not.

The second piece of news, and obviously the bigger piece, is that a replacement for Colm Meaney has been found. Harvey Keitel will now take the role of Detective Gene Hunt.

What say you, those who've seen the original show? Do you think Keitel is a good choice for the role or do you think Meaney was a better choice?

 

[Aragorn]

Harvey Keitel? They wanted him for Criminal Minds but he wanted a huge say in the show. I wonder how they got him for Life on Mars.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

I'm still bummed out that Colm Meaney was dropped. I think he would have made a wonderful Gene Hunt. I think Harvey Keitel will probably work, but my motivation for seeing this remake has dropped considerably.

As for Michael Imperioli, I think he's a poor casting choice, but I only know him from his brief stint on Law & Order. And yes, Ray Carling is from the original.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Y'all haven't seen the original US pilot yet?

Colm was just too small. Figuratively and Literally compared to the Phillip Glennister. No menace, no bad ass, hells he was practically friendly. Colm was practically panto.

Ray in the original was the yesman/henchman dirty cop lieutenant of Gene, who himself is a bad cop, since all cops are bad in the 70s, it's just how things were done, who was completely in denial about his sexuality. Oh, and he was just a touch thick too.

Oh. Is there any chance I won't have to see Harvey's Penis again?

 

[Canadave]

I'm still bummed out that Colm Meaney was dropped. I think he would have made a wonderful Gene Hunt.

You must not have seen the unaired pilot. He was pretty wooden and seemed uncomfortable in the role.

As for these two actors, I don't really know either of them well enough to say for sure how they'll do.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

You don't know Harvey Keitel?!?

I wasn't going to bother with this series, but now...I just might have to. I'm curious to see why someone like Keitel would do any TV show.

Is there any chance I won't have to see Harvey's Penis again?

As long as they keep this show off HBO, we're in the clear.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Y'all haven't seen the original US pilot yet?

Colm was just too small. Figuratively and Literally compared to the Phillip Glennister. No menace, no bad ass, hells he was practically friendly. Colm was practically panto.

I'm still bummed out that Colm Meaney was dropped. I think he would have made a wonderful Gene Hunt.

You must not have seen the unaired pilot. He was pretty wooden and seemed uncomfortable in the role.

I didn't even know it was filmed and released.

I must say I'm surprised to hear that Colm Meaney didn't do well in the role. When I first heard about his casting, I immediately thought of Layer Cake and figured the casting was perfect.

 

[Canadave]

You don't know Harvey Keitel?!?

I know who he is, but he's one of those actors for whom I seem to have not seen the vast majority of his movies, and the ones I have seen that he was in were so long ago that I can't really remember what he's like as an actor.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

I wasn't going to bother with this series, but now...I just might have to. I'm curious to see why someone like Keitel would do any TV show.

That will be interesting to see what he will be like, but to me (and others) Gene Hunt will always be Philip Glenister.

 

[Aragorn]

I wasn't going to bother with this series, but now...I just might have to. I'm curious to see why someone like Keitel would do any TV show.

Like I said above, he was interested in Criminal Minds but wanted too much control.

His paychecks may be bigger, but the roles he's getting aren't close to what they used to be.

Would Gary Sinise be on CSI:NY if he were still getting Apollo 13 and Forrest Gump-quality roles? Would James Caan have taken Las Vegas if it had been offered to him fresh off of Misery? Hell, Keifer Sutherland probably would've turned down 24 had he not made like six straight-to-DVD flicks right before.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Y'all haven't seen the original US pilot yet?

Colm was just too small. Figuratively and Literally compared to the Phillip Glennister. No menace, no bad ass, hells he was practically friendly. Colm was practically panto.

I'm still bummed out that Colm Meaney was dropped. I think he would have made a wonderful Gene Hunt.

You must not have seen the unaired pilot. He was pretty wooden and seemed uncomfortable in the role.

I didn't even know it was filmed and released.

I must say I'm surprised to hear that Colm Meaney didn't do well in the role. When I first heard about his casting, I immediately thought of Layer Cake and figured the casting was perfect.

Same here, but after seeing the pilot, he's just not right for the role. Then again, I didn't think anyone was right for the role. The show just doesn't work as written. It may just be a side effect of being Americanised though.
I will have to see what it's like now they've moved it to New York, and changed the cast though.

 

[Roshi]

I'm trying real hard to picture Keitel saying: "You're surrounded by armed bastards!" and it still doesn't click...
But I will give the series the benefit of the doubt, though.

 

[biotech]

I can see the Harvey roll fine, Michael Imperioli as Ray though, not so much, Ray is a bear of a man, Micheal is tough, but he's skinny.

 

[little_chris]

itll suck...

none of them compare to the raw awesome that is Phillip Glenister.

 

[IcecreamLtDan]

I like Harvey Keitel myself, for those who don't remember him, just watch the two National Treasure movies, he plays Agent Sadusky, the FBI agent. My only concern with him playing the role of Gene Hunt is that he isn't exactly a young man anymore. I have problems seeing him playing the physical parts, even though he was known for that in his younger days. I do not know the actor playing Ray so I won't comment on that.

I still don't see how this show could work in the US. The way women are portrayed in the show for the most part, while probably quite accurate for the time, simply won't fly here in the US. The feminists groups would go insane. We're to PC these days for a show like this to go on.

 

[WillsBabe]

I think Harvey Kietel is excellent casting as Gene Hunt. I think this because he has to have the genuine vibe of the time, but the thing you have to remember about Glennister's Gene Genie is that women find him attractive (probably despite their better instrincts!) I think Kietel can pull that off, he has a magnetism that's attractive and repulsive at the same time. After having said that, I'd love to have seen Meany take on the roll (although I don't think he would appeal to women in the same way as Philip Glennister). I'm not massively interested in seeing the US version now.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I think Harvey Kietel is excellent casting as Gene Hunt. I think this because he has to have the genuine vibe of the time, but the thing you have to remember about Glennister's Gene Genie is that women find him attractive (probably despite their better instrincts!) I think Kietel can pull that off, he has a magnetism that's attractive and repulsive at the same time. After having said that, I'd love to have seen Meany take on the roll (although I don't think he would appeal to women in the same way as Philip Glennister). I'm not massively interested in seeing the US version now.

I lost interest in a big way with the trailer, then I watched the unaired pilot and it was just dull and flat. Colm Meaney's Gene just didn't work.

 

[WillsBabe]

^ I hear what you're saying, and when I heard that they'd cast Meany I was suprised. He just didn't seem to have the right vibe for the role, but still my interest in the show rested on him because I wanted to see what he could do with it. I'm pretty sure that Harvey Kietel can pull off Gene Hunt, so I'm not massively interested in seeing it. I know that sounds like lousy logic, but it's what I'm thinking none the less!

 

[Rincewiend]

You don't know Harvey Keitel?!?

I know who he is, but he's one of those actors for whom I seem to have not seen the vast majority of his movies, and the ones I have seen that he was in were so long ago that I can't really remember what he's like as an actor.

The most recent movie i saw him in was Be Cool..
He is also in the 2 National Treasue movies, which i have on BR, but i still have to watch them...

 

[Bob The Skutter]

^ I hear what you're saying, and when I heard that they'd cast Meany I was suprised. He just didn't seem to have the right vibe for the role, but still my interest in the show rested on him because I wanted to see what he could do with it. I'm pretty sure that Harvey Kietel can pull off Gene Hunt, so I'm not massively interested in seeing it. I know that sounds like lousy logic, but it's what I'm thinking none the less!

I understand what you mean. The main part of my interest came from the fact he was involved. But that evaporated fast after the awful trailer.