Life on Mars US - the unaired pilot

[firehawk12]

Tsk tsk. Where is everyone else? I just heard about this today... grabbed it and I'm going to watch it later. It's 50 minutes and apparently they're moving production to NYC, so it seems like this will just be one of those "not to be seen" pilots.
Still, should be interesting... from my brief look at it, the dude wears the same jacket that appears on the UK series.

 

[PlainSimpleJoel]

I heard something about it. I might wait see what it is like, as the UK version was brilliant, but the move to New York could be interesting.

Phil in Elk Grove, Calif.: Do you have any updates on the cast of Life on Mars, ABC's new fall drama? I heard recasting was in the works. Please tell me Lenny Clarke, Rachelle Lefevre and Colm Meaney from the original pilot haven't been canned!
Not sure about Lenny Clarke, but as of last week Rachelle Lefevre's role of Annie Cartwright and Colm Meaney's role of Det. Gene Hunt are back on the open market. Sorry.

Taken from here


I think should show the BBC version.

 

[firehawk12]

Ouuuuch. This just makes this pilot even more interesting. I wonder if the recasting happened because of the move or because of any audience testing.

 

[firehawk12]

Interesting so far. No title sequence and there are differences, but they used the same "accident" shot and the same slo-mo shot when he first enters the station.

Ah, same black and white TV lectures... that talk about Sam. Whoot.

 

[bigdaddy]

Colm Meaney was the only reason I was going to watch it!

 

[firehawk12]

Colm Meaney was the only reason I was going to watch it!

The show's worth checking out regardless.


Ahah! They didn't edit out the strings holding the actors back in the final scene... at least now I know how they do those ledge scenes.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I'm just watching it now. The first episode of the UK version didn't have a title sequence either. It at least doesn't seem like the "buddy comedy" the trailer made it seem like.

 

[firehawk12]

Oh, it didn't have the sequence?
And there were a lot of notes from the pilot... yeah, they re-jiggered the future stuff a bit, but you had the near jump, the TV, the punch to the stomach. Probably a lot more, if I could remember the original episode.

Now that David E. Kelley is gone though (and I guess Schlamme is gone too?), I wonder if they're going to try to stay as faithful to the British series or if they're just going to go all out and just keep the time travel concept.

 

[The Wormhole]

Colm Meaney's gone? Well, I'll probably check the show out anyway, but damn, that's a downer.

 

[Technobuilder]

I wasn't expecting Colm Meaney to jump ship, but I guess I can understand it. He's been given very big shoes to fill and he doesn't have nearly half the freedom Phillip Glenister did to develop the amazing characterization of Gene Hunt.

Jason O'Mara is no John Simms, but so far I can see him as a decent Sam Tyler.

Of course I'm not going to hold the show to be ramrod straight and unflinchingly faithful to the orignal series that spawned it. They've got to be allowed to develop new concepts as well as innovate novel twists and turns for the storyline to approach the length of a normal american TV season.

Plus, this is the really the only way to give the show a chance to establish it's own identity in the same way that "The Office" was allowed to evolve into something worthwhile.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I finished it, but whatever it is it's certainly missing that thing that made the original good.
The trailer killed most of the enthusiasm I had for it, this pilot, while an improvement over what I expected from the trailer, didn't do anything to improve my enthusiasm for it.

 

[Harvey]

Colm Meaney is gone? David E. Kelly is gone? Thomas Schlamme is gone?

Why do I need to see this again? I might as well look for the original, which will probably remain superior.

 

[Technobuilder]

Colm Meaney is gone? David E. Kelly is gone? Thomas Schlamme is gone?

Why do I need to see this again? I might as well look for the original, which will probably remain superior.

You haven't seen Life On Mars yet?

It's worth a look.

"The Guv" is a favorite character of mine.

 

[dark angel_707]

just copying the 1st episode of the UK series is pointless. They could of taken the basic concept and did something to stand alone side the UK series (Like the US Office)

When the US version of the Office became its own show it was excellent

 

[Harvey]

Colm Meaney is gone? David E. Kelly is gone? Thomas Schlamme is gone?

Why do I need to see this again? I might as well look for the original, which will probably remain superior.

You haven't seen Life On Mars yet?

It's worth a look.

"The Guv" is a favorite character of mine.

Well, for most of the year I don't have a TV, and when I do, I don't have anything more than basic cable. DVDs are the only option, and then I'm competing against three other people in this house.

I'll see it one of these days.

 

[Canadave]

I have to admit, I'm kind of glad Colm Meany is gone. He's a great actor, but I just couldn't buy him as Gene Hunt. Then again, topping (or even coming close to) Phillip Glenister is a pretty tall order.

Overall, the whole thing just failed to grab me. Jason O'Mara was pretty lackluster as Sam, and the whole thing just felt rushed and by-the-numbers.

Oh, and was anyone else thrown off by the use of cues from Donnie Darko in the temp score? It weirded me out!

 

[wamdue]

ok reading what im reading, I wouldnt be surprised if this ends up as a mid season.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Colm Meaney is gone? David E. Kelly is gone? Thomas Schlamme is gone?

Why do I need to see this again? I might as well look for the original, which will probably remain superior.

Yeah, they left a long time ago. The guys who produced the sleep inducing October Road are producing Life on Mars now.

 

[flandry84]

Anybody else get the sinking feeling that the show has just gone "focus-group friendly?"
Wouldn't it be great if just once in these remake shows/movies,the producers strove to reproduce what made the original concept worthwhile?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

I think should show the BBC version.

Just releasing it on DVD would be sufficient. Everything is released on DVD that is even halfway good, and it's weird this show hasn't been (or at least isn't on Netflix).

Network honchos avoid re-airing shows they didn't develop and prefer to develop their own versions for this reason: they are judged on their ability to develop their own stuff. Just buying someone else's stuff makes them look like losers who can't do their job. No network honcho is going to commit career suicide like that.*

The logic of buying a premise for a series that was successful is because they think the premise is what made the series successful. Of course, this is ridiculous logic because it's all in the execution. Anyone can come up with a frakkin' premise! But the honchos are addicted to the illusion of safety that comes from a "proven premise," and will be stunned when most if not all of their imported premises crash and burn. Dolts. They look at The Office (successful because it's gone so far beyond the premise) and think they can duplicate it. I think they're in for a big shock.

Life on Mars is showing all the earmarks of a show in serious trouble, with the big names fleeing like rats from a sinking ship. Don't anyone get too attached.

*One exception this year is NBC re-airing Merlin. But NBC is in serious trouble and this is a sign of their desperation. The other networks haven't yet sunk so low.