||SPOILERS|| It's no secret that I had issues with Ashes To Ashes last year. The series echoes its predecessor Life On Mars, but with a few tweaks to the formula (a change in era from '73 to '81; and having a female time-traveller who has essentially seen LOM because she studied Sam Tyler's case-notes.) This cleverly prevented Alex Drake (Keeley Hawes) just reenacting Sam's distress – but, by adding a knowing wink, the series ultimately admitted its silliness and it became difficult to care about a situation even the heroine believes is a fantasy. And because audiences had already received an explanation for Sam's arrival in '73, the mystery that underpins ATA didn't feel particularly mysterious. But, the series is back for another try, and while I still feel a little uncertain about ATA as a whole, this premiere was a half-decent start that ironed out a few kinks...Most intriguingly, the series opens in a contemporary hospital room, where an unseen patient is being tended to by nurses, watching a television report about the disappearance of DI Alex Drake. At first, we're fooled into believing this patient is Alex herself (fresh out of her coma, but being held in secret), until the nurses refer to the patient as a male. An interesting start to get the sci-fi quotient of ATA's audience thinking...
But the real story takes place in 1982. It's been a year since we last saw Alex, Gene (Philip Glenister), Chris (Marshall Lancaster) and Ray (Dean Andrews), but not much has changed. The Falkland's War is occurring overseas, Alex has ditched her silly perm but kept the snow-white jacket, Chris is still dating Shaz (Montserrat Lombard, still sounding retarded) and Ray's still chewing gum. It was actually quite refreshing seeing these characters again; particularly Gene, thanks to 17 episodes spent watching Harvey Keitel mangle the character into a tetchy granddad for the American Life On Mars remake. Plus, despite the fact LOM:US aired a full hour later in the States, ATA is much more amenable to swearing and showing naked breasts, which gives it a sense of authenticity missing from its transatlantic cousin-once-removed.
The investigation this week concerned the discovery of undercover cop Sean Irvine in a Soho strip club, dressed in women's lingerie and apparently the victim of auto-erotic asphyxiation. It's an ignoble way to check out, so there's little sympathy from the disgusted Gene and his giggling cronies, but Alex comes to believe Irvine was murdered when the coroner detects signs of a struggle on the body. Did someone murder Irvine and stage his "accidental" death? Does Gene drive a Quattro with no care for pedestrians?
We're also introduced to Gene's superior, Detective Superintendent "Supermac" Mackintosh (Roger Allam), a force legend who appears to have some relevance to this case in particular. Allam's allowed himself to become stereotyped as slimy officials in recent years (see: V For Vendetta, Speed Racer, et al), but he should provide some entertainment. There's already the strong smell of police corruption surrounding him, and it's possible Gene's loyalty may see him dragged into a moral grey area.
As usual, the '80s-set police investigation is rather tepid and most of the sci-fi interjections quite laughable (an old woman on the street suddenly speaks to Alex in a modern-day voice, as does an Alsation dog!) After 16 episodes of LOM, 8 episodes of ATA, and 17 episodes of LOM:US, such surrealism has become quite tedious. Alex even catches sight of her lost daughter Molly (Grace Vance) stuck inside an old episode of Grange Hill, but scenes of people talking to TV screens have actually become passé for this show.
Keeley Hawes (the target of a lot of unwarranted hatred last year) has definitely toned down the histrionics, giving a more measured and sly performance than usual. But she still talks to people in '81 as if they're illusions that will put up with her insane prattling about the future, and whatnot. And, to be fair, they do! Philip Glenister is there to chew scenery and dole out misogynistic one-liners, which he does with great gusto. He's definitely a TV icon, but not a particularly interesting character when you scratch the surface –- even when they occasionally throw in references to his ex-wife, which he just bats away and tightens his smirk.
Overall, this was a middling episode for me. The investigation wasn't tedious, although the resolution was open-ended and hinted at some form of continuation, while Alex apparently makes contact with a phone caller who's also stuck in '82 (he's left a rose in her apartment), and has knowledge of the future. A fellow time-traveller? Or someone who can manipulate whatever limbo state Alex is in, speaking to her from 2008? As usual, there's enough to pull you through the episode and perhaps lure you into watching another, but the whole premise feels like it needs to introduce some big, unexpected sci-fi developments.
Like LOM before it, ATA just isn't that interesting as a straight-forward cop show and the Alex/Gene chemistry can't hold a candle to the Sam/Gene double-act, so it will need something more creative than people stuck in televisions and talking dogs to keep us watching. With the intriguing scenes that bookended this opener, they may have found something worth sticking around for, but only time will tell...
20 April 2009
BBC1, 9pm
Writer: Ashley Pharoah
Director: Catherine Morshead
Cast: Philip Glenister (Gene Hunt), Keeley Hawes (Alex Drake), Dean Andrews (Ray Carling), Marshall Lancaster (Chris Skelton), Montserrat Lombard (Shaz Granger), Roger Allam (DS Mackintosh), Adrian Dunbar (Martin Summers), Shaun Evans (PC Kevin Hales), Pooky Quesnel (Ruth Irvine), Anna Nightingale (Sally), Joseph Long (Luigi), Geff Francis (Viv James), Grace Vance (Molly Drake), Diane Langton (Julia), Gwyneth Powell (Mrs McClusky) & Michael McCain (DCI Garrett)
