Ashes to Ashes: Season 1

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Ratings

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7.9

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7.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Ratings

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Ashes To Ashes

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Season Details & Credits

BBC-1 | BBC | BBC America | BBC One | Season Premiere Date: March 7, 2009

Starring: Keeley Hawes, Philip Glenister, Montserrat Lombard

Summary: Welcome to the Ashes to Ashes guide at TV.com.

DI Alex Drake of the Metropolitan Police is taken hostage and shot, and wakes to find herself apparently thrown back in time to 1981. She quickly recognises DCI Gene Hunt and his team from detailed reports made by DCI Sam Tyler about his own trip to 1973. Initially sceptical about theWelcome to the Ashes to Ashes guide at TV.com.

DI Alex Drake of the Metropolitan Police is taken hostage and shot, and wakes to find herself apparently thrown back in time to 1981. She quickly recognises DCI Gene Hunt and his team from detailed reports made by DCI Sam Tyler about his own trip to 1973.

Initially sceptical about the surreal nature of her new environment, Alex, a modern, no-nonsense woman, clashed regularly with her sexist colleagues but had to learn to adjust while she strove to find her way back to 2008. As time passed, Alex started to accept her situation, and wonder whether her life in the future had been the dream. Executive Producer Jane Featherstone described this spin-off from Life on Mars as "a touch of Moonlighting teamed with a measure of Miami Vice." The show aimed to build on the success of its award-winning predecessor, resurrecting Philip Glenister's ever-popular detective while taking the opportunity to wink at 1980s fashions and attitudes.

Ashes to Ashes is a Kudos production in association with Monastic Productions for the BBC.… Expand

Creator: Ashley Pharoah and Matthew Graham

Genre(s): Drama, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction

Season 1 Episodes

tbd
S1:E8. Episode 8
Air Date: March 27, 2008
tbd
S1:E7. Episode 7
Air Date: March 20, 2008
tbd
S1:E6. Episode 6
Air Date: March 13, 2008

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Jessica Shaw

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

Rob Owen

If the early Ashes episodes are representative of the series, this show will indeed be good fun. Read full review

Ellen Gray

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

Tim Goodman

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

Alan Sepinwall

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

Robert Lloyd

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

Maureen Ryan

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

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User Score

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7.9

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User Reviews

PolisKanin

Feb 8, 2014

Unfortunately, John Simm is gone in this series, however, Gene Hunt is still as funny and "charming" as ever. 80's is a better time period than 70's in my opinion.

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

KevinR

Mar 10, 2009

Keely Hawes doesn't have quite the same charm as John Simm but it's still a very solid series with amazing characters, great drama, and fantastic humor.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

drlowdon

Feb 13, 2021

When DI Alex Drake (Hawes) is called in to deal with an armed man, she is shot and left for dead. The next thing she knows she finds herself in 1981, working alongside Gene Hunt and his team.

Audiences were quite rightly sceptical about this follow up to the excellent Life on Mars,When DI Alex Drake (Hawes) is called in to deal with an armed man, she is shot and left for dead. The next thing she knows she finds herself in 1981, working alongside Gene Hunt and his team.

Audiences were quite rightly sceptical about this follow up to the excellent Life on Mars, especially as Keeley Hawes would be replacing John Simm in the lead role. The show soon finds it’s rhythm however with Keeley Hawes new character bringing a different, but no less interesting dynamic to the group, making this first season almost as good as it’s predecessor.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Seasons & Episodes

70

Series Overview
Season 3

tbd
- Season 3 Overview
  Air Date: April 2, 2010
Season 2

tbd
- Season 2 Overview
  Air Date: April 20, 2009
Season 1

70
- Season 1 Overview
  Air Date: March 7, 2009
- tbd
  S1:E8. Episode 8
  Air Date: March 27, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E7. Episode 7
  Air Date: March 20, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E6. Episode 6
  Air Date: March 13, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E5. Episode 5
  Air Date: March 6, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E4. Episode 4
  Air Date: February 28, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E3. Episode 3
  Air Date: February 21, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E2. Episode 2
  Air Date: February 14, 2008
- tbd
  S1:E1. Episode 1
  Air Date: February 7, 2008