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Life On Mars : Complete BBC Series 1 [2006]

starring: John Simm, Philip Glenister, Ashley Pharoah, Bharat Nalluri, Claire Parker (IV)

May 15, 2006
Well, the BBC did it with the updated Dr. Who and now they've gone and done it again. This is a terrific show and a wonderful update on the old 'cops on the box' action drama.
The basic premise is intriguing - is the hero in a coma, back in time, crazy - but it's the 1970s feel that gives it the biggest kick, and that's especially down to the big shoes filled by Gene Hunt. What a wonderful creation. A man so desperately wrong, in so many ways, yet a man who's basic instincts are often so right -- to get the scum off the streets at any cost. (Hunt - a nice play on words, too!)
This is an intelligently scripted show, that leaves you guessing as to what really is going on with regards to Sam Tyler, the hero, and the 2000s vs 1970s ... Read More:

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Spooks: Complete BBC Series 1-5 (Exclusive to Amazon.co.uk)

starring: Peter Firth, Rupert Penry-Jones, Raza Jaffrey, Omar Madha, Khalid Laith

December 03, 2007
Nice to have all five series together, even if overpriced, but is it me or is the series getting a bit tired? Like so many good series they seem to be trying too hard as time goes on, with more and more farfetched plots; think the last series of Ally Macbeal for example.

As an aside, I don't expect realism from this sort of series but I would hope that MI5 has somewhat more than the skeleton staff portrayed here, with 5-6 people to save the country each week.