Ashes to Ashes - Complete BBC Series 1-3 (New Packaging) [DVD]

This series is a spin-off to the time-travelling cop show Life on Mars. In Mars present day cop Sam Tyler, who is used to relying on offender profiling and forensics, finds himself in 1970s Manchester as the new officer on hard-man Gene Hunt's team. The past turns out to be a simpler time for cops when crimes are solved with big fists, fast cars and a copper's instinct. This led to plenty of entertaining stories that mixed drama and comedy in a seemingly effortless way that could have lasted for years, but sadly the series ended after two years and so Ashes to Ashes was born. A new character of Alex Drake goes back in time to join Hunt's team, this time in the 80s and in London. She again faces the problems Sam did of a culture clash between modern day policing methods and old style non-pc bluster.

Depending on whether or not you've seen the first series and then on whether you enjoyed its style, Ashes may provoke different reactions. It's not essential to have seen Mars to understand the format and each of the three years tries to do something different. While trying to avoid giving too much away, I'd say that each year has good and bad points.

The first year tries to be light and comedic. This was a good idea in theory as Mars had often been angst-filled and it helped to make it clear that the series is a different one. But early scenes such as Gene Hunt shooting up half of London without hitting anything from the back of a slow speedboat to the tune of No More Heroes didn't present the show in a good light. Thankfully the parody of 80s cop shows is abandoned in later episodes in favour of an involving story in which Alex decides she's gone back in time to find out why her parents died. This is an effective plot that will keep you guessing until the big reveal at the end of the year.

The second year is darker. It more closely resembles the style of Mars with an arc story involving police corruption and the show starts to explore the mystery of why cops are going back in time. The show introduces new characters, one being a mysterious stalker for Alex and the other Hunt's new boss. The resolution to the series 2 arc story isn't as effective as the first series, but I think this year's episodes are the most consistent. The by-play between Alex and Hunt is at its sharpest and funniest, and the main cop stories, which elsewhere are often routine, are engaging.

The final year provides closure and answers for both Ashes and Mars. It introduces the best new character in Keats, a creepy and charismatic antagonist for Hunt, who becomes the main focus of this year's arc story. The early episodes are the weakest as the secondary characters get more air-time than perhaps they needed along with seemingly superfluous back stories for their lives. But later it becomes clear why we've been told about their lives as the show works towards resolving the time-travelling mystery in an emotional way that allows the occasional weak moments through the three years to be forgiven. Ultimately this show is a rare one that will stand up to repeated viewings and it will be looked at years from now as being an original blend of fantasy and cop show, drama and comedy, character and plot.

I'll admit to being a huge fan of this programme. I watched all three series and the two series of its predecessor "Life On Mars" and thought they were top class entertainment.

Having seen "Life on Mars" (LOM) isn't a requirement to enjoying "Ashes to Ashes" but it would definitely help as many of the main characters and the time travel concept of the programme was set out in the earlier programme.

At the start of Series 1 we meet present day London Detective Inspector Alex Drake, played by Keeley Hawes (sigh......). Where was I? Oh yes. She is in a coma after being shot by a suspect during a chase. She wakes up to find herself in early 1980's London. It appears she is part of the police unit headed by Gene Hunt (played by Philip Glenister). He was also head of the unit that Sam Tyler found himself in "Life on Mars" set in 1970's Manchester. She was familiar with Hunt and the other characters from LOM as she had read interviews Tyler had had after he "returned" from the 1970's.

In Series 1 each episode sees the unit working on a crime while Drake tries to work out how she can get back to "real life" and her young daughter. The time she finds herself in is shortly before her parents were killed in a car bomb. She convinces herself that if she can prevent this happening in her 1980's reality she will return to present day. The two intertwining story threads as well as the brilliantly written and acted dynamics between the characters make each episode a treat
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I don't think I'm giving away too much by saying that Series 2 finds Drake still in the 1980's and trying to find a way back by cracking a plot involving police corruption that Hunt seems to be involved in. This series is darker in tone that the first. She also meets character that, like her, seems to have been thrown back from present day to the 1980's.

Series three was flagged as the final series and this made each episode even more tense as the characters and the viewers move towards an unknown finale. Hints and red herrings are thrown into each episode that encourages us to theorise on what will happen to our characters in the end. Carrying on the dark tone from Series 2 a major new character seems to be out to get Hunt and tries to convince Drake that Hunt has a murky past. I won't say much more except that I thought the ending was brilliant.

There are plenty of comic moments throughout all the series. A lot come from the conflict between Drake's 2000's policing style (her speciality is criminal profiling) and Hunts more direct methods. This is similar to the conflict between Tyler and Hunt in LOM. I found this conflict repetitive after a few episodes in the earlier programme but perhaps because of the romantic frisson between Drake and Hunt, it seemed more believable to me.

Gene Hunt's politically incorrect one-liners have launched a thousand tee shirts and are among the show's highlights. The supporting cast must also get a mention. Marshall Lancaster, Dean Andrews and Montserrat Lombard are brilliant and we come love their characters as much as Drake and Hunt.

The 80's popular culture references, clothes and especially the music are all spot on.

So if you have never seen Ashes to Ashes I really envy you as you have a treat ahead of you. Get the box set, close the curtains, put on your leg warmers, throw your Best of Roxy Music on the CD player and have a great 80's weekend.

Good delivery time. Great series, that we'd watched most of on TV. Bought it for my Mum who missed some episodes and most of the last series. In my opinion, you have to see all 3 series (and every episode) to fully appreciate the storyline, characters and the fantastic last episode that then brings it all together. A very well recieved gift, that I will be borrowing to watch it all again.