I watched this and was prepared to hate it, as I am a huge fan of the original series. The experience was akin to watching the two different versions of Max Headroom. The British versions of both are gritty, dark and slightly depressing; the American versions are more upbeat, brighter and less effective as a result. This show does show promise though. I was a bit disappointed at the way the plot blew through the original script. It was recognizably the same story, but 'streamlined' for an American audience. As we all know, Americans can't understand British TV (or so the executives believe). Jason O'Mara is passable as Sam Tyler, but he was too obviously trying to be John Simm. His performance at times seemed forced. Maybe he just needs to get to know his character a little better. The standout character is Harvey Keitel as Gene Hunt. He isn't Philip Glenister, but he has some of the bad ass attitude that Glenister simply reeked of. Let's hope that he can carry the show, because the other characters seem to be pale copies of their British counterparts.
Review of Life on Mars
