It's nearly impossible to look at the US Life on Mars without comparing it to the UK original. It can't live up to the standard set. It deserves to be reviewed on its own merits, though.
The US series essentially adapts the UK scripts, with a more American-centric attitude. Therein lies part of the problem. Since the UK scripts were written with UK experiences in mind, the American ones end up a bit too knowing about the 70's nostalgia. It tends to throw it in your face, rather than immerse you in this world. Also, it never really invokes the police shows of the 70's, as did the UK version.
The characters are rather thinly fleshed out, particularly Ray and Chris. It's possible they could have grown if the series had continued, but they do seem rather clichéd. Gretchen Moll and Jason O'Mara are fine as Annie and Sam and really only suffer in comparison to the original British actors. Harvey Keitel is another matter. he just plays Harvey Keitel. There's nothing particularly wrong about his performance, but it is rather subdued for a character like Gene Hunt. Hunt is written as a flamboyant, testosterone driven leader, but Keitel delivers it with his usual reserve. It never quite meshes.
The series starts rather weakly, with too much false nostalgia dominating. It improves as the episodes progress and lets the mystery of Sam's experience take center stage. However, the series never really plays the ambiguity well. Has Sam traveled in time, or is he delusional or in a coma? The series never really leads you back and forth as the UK series did so brilliantly. This version pretty much sticks to one conclusion.
The ultimate failure is the ending. Since the show was canceled, things were wrapped up quickly. the ending is set up, after a fashion, but it is so clichéd that it can never succeed.
In the end, the show demonstrates why it is rarely a good idea to try to remake something that established itself as a classic at the beginning. You can only fail. At best, you might introduce a new element, but it tends to lead the production away from what made the original great. That really seems to be what happened here. Mad Men proves that you can do a nostalgic show and do it well, if you have a good concept and follow through on the details. The details were lacking in LOM. It's worth a look, but the UK series is so far beyond it that you really only need to see it.
The US series essentially adapts the UK scripts, with a more American-centric attitude. Therein lies part of the problem. Since the UK scripts were written with UK experiences in mind, the American ones end up a bit too knowing about the 70's nostalgia. It tends to throw it in your face, rather than immerse you in this world. Also, it never really invokes the police shows of the 70's, as did the UK version.
The characters are rather thinly fleshed out, particularly Ray and Chris. It's possible they could have grown if the series had continued, but they do seem rather clichéd. Gretchen Moll and Jason O'Mara are fine as Annie and Sam and really only suffer in comparison to the original British actors. Harvey Keitel is another matter. he just plays Harvey Keitel. There's nothing particularly wrong about his performance, but it is rather subdued for a character like Gene Hunt. Hunt is written as a flamboyant, testosterone driven leader, but Keitel delivers it with his usual reserve. It never quite meshes.
The series starts rather weakly, with too much false nostalgia dominating. It improves as the episodes progress and lets the mystery of Sam's experience take center stage. However, the series never really plays the ambiguity well. Has Sam traveled in time, or is he delusional or in a coma? The series never really leads you back and forth as the UK series did so brilliantly. This version pretty much sticks to one conclusion.
The ultimate failure is the ending. Since the show was canceled, things were wrapped up quickly. the ending is set up, after a fashion, but it is so clichéd that it can never succeed.
In the end, the show demonstrates why it is rarely a good idea to try to remake something that established itself as a classic at the beginning. You can only fail. At best, you might introduce a new element, but it tends to lead the production away from what made the original great. That really seems to be what happened here. Mad Men proves that you can do a nostalgic show and do it well, if you have a good concept and follow through on the details. The details were lacking in LOM. It's worth a look, but the UK series is so far beyond it that you really only need to see it.