Ashes to Ashes
BBC-1 | BBC | BBC America | BBC One | Release Date: February 7, 2008
CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
1
Negative:
1

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Entertainment WeeklyJessica Shaw
Season 1 Review: The sequel ditches the '70s for the '80s--but the original's hard-boiled plots, retro-pop score, and scene-stealing politically incorrect Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) remain. Read full review
80
Philadelphia Daily NewsEllen Gray
Season 1 Review: Alex's gender guarantees that her dynamic with the boss will be a bit different, and it's Glenister, whose Hunt continues to leave Harvey Keitel's in the dust, who's still the best reason to climb into this particular time machine. Read full review
80
Pittsburgh Post-GazetteRob Owen
Season 1 Review: If the early Ashes episodes are representative of the series, this show will indeed be good fun. Read full review
80
The New York TimesGinia Bellafante
Season 1 Review: Britain in the 1980s is arguably a lot more interesting than Britain in the ’70s, and Ashes to Ashes sharply engages the factionalism of the day: the mounting antipathies of the working class, the growth of privatization and development, the fury over nuclear armament. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleTim Goodman
Season 1 Review: Glenister is still riveting, naturally, and Hawes is a real gift. Maybe that's enough to offset the smaller issues, like the cartoonish hero worship of Hunt (three quarters of the way through the pilot, there's a moment where you half expect a laugh track to kick in). Read full review
70
Newark Star-LedgerAlan Sepinwall
Season 1 Review: Ashes to Ashes has a cheekier energy that the original "Life on Mars," one that carries the show even when the police procedural stories are relatively bland. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesRobert Lloyd
Season 1 Review: It's in that "perhaps" and "possibly" that Ashes to Ashes finds a way forward, and although it's not as good as the original, it pushes many of the same buttons and sews on a few new ones. It's quite enjoyable. Read full review
50
VarietyBrian Lowry
Season 1 Review: Alex's gender does open the door to further explore the era's sexual politics, but much of that was still addressed in the first show, and Hawes' dry performance doesn't seriously alter the dynamics. Read full review
37
Chicago TribuneMaureen Ryan
Season 1 Review: Though many small things are executed well, some big parts of this show just don’t work, at least in the first couple of episodes. Read full review
Current TV Shows
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 92 The Pitt: Season 2
2 90 The Celebrity Traitors UK: Season 1
3 87 Hacks: Season 5
4 87 Industry: Season 4
5 87 Genndy Tartakovsky's Primal:...
6 85 The Beatles Anthology
7 85 The Traitors [UK]: Season 4
8 85 Bait: Season 1
9 84 Mel Brooks: The 99 Year Old Man!
10 83 Lord of the Flies
11 83 Riot Women: Season 1
12 83 For All Mankind: Season 5
13 81 The Muppet Show (2026)
14 80 Outlander (2014): Season 8
15 80 The Other Bennet Sister: Season 1
16 80 The Mighty Nein: Season 1
17 80 The Comeback: Season 3
18 80 The American Revolution
19 80 One Piece (2023): Season 2
20 80 Dark Winds: Season 4
SEE ALL