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Ashes to Ashes: Complete BBC Series 1 [2008] [DVD]
 
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Ashes to Ashes: Complete BBC Series 1 [2008] [DVD]

DVD ~ Philip Glenister
4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (96 customer reviews)
RRP: £39.99
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Frequently Bought Together

Ashes to Ashes: Complete BBC Series 1 [2008] [DVD] + Ashes To Ashes - Series 2 - Complete [DVD] [2009] + Life on Mars : Complete BBC Series 2 [2007] [DVD]
Total RRP: £119.97
Price For All Three: £33.34

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Ashes to Ashes: Complete BBC Series 1 [2008] [DVD]
75% buy the item featured on this page:
Ashes to Ashes: Complete BBC Series 1 [2008] [DVD] 4.2 out of 5 stars (96)
£9.98
Ashes to Ashes Series 1& 2 Boxset [DVD] [2008]
9% buy
Ashes to Ashes Series 1& 2 Boxset [DVD] [2008] 4.0 out of 5 stars (4)
£22.58
Ashes To Ashes - Series 2 - Complete [DVD] [2009]
5% buy
Ashes To Ashes - Series 2 - Complete [DVD] [2009] 4.7 out of 5 stars (41)
£13.58
Life on Mars : Complete BBC Series 2 [2007] [DVD]
5% buy
Life on Mars : Complete BBC Series 2 [2007] [DVD] 4.7 out of 5 stars (72)
£9.78

Product details

  • Actors: Philip Glenister, Keeley Hawes, Dean Andrews, Marshall Lancaster, Montserrat Lombard
  • Format: PAL, Surround Sound, Widescreen, Closed-captioned
  • Language English
  • Subtitles: English
  • Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
  • Number of discs: 4
  • Classification: 15
  • Studio: Contender Entertainment Group
  • DVD Release Date: 5 May 2008
  • Run Time: 480 minutes
  • Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (96 customer reviews)
  • ASIN: B001265O6G
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 903 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)

Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

A triumphant return for DCI Gene Hunt, Ashes To Ashes takes some of the characters from the superb time-shifting police drama Life On Mars, and moves the action to the early 1980s. So it’s out with the Cortina, in with the Audi Quattro, and straight down to some terrific television.

Joining DCI Hunt -- again played with terrific force and stature by Philip Glenister -- is Keeley Hawes, as DCI Alex Drake. Like John Simm’s character in Life On Mars, DCI Drake suddenly finds herself in 1981, with no clear reason why.

This provides the platform for another terrific show, the first series of which is fully present and correct here. Ashes To Ashes is tonally a little different from Life On Mars, but maintains the wonderful attention to period detail (and a healthy 80s soundtrack to match), and the willingness to mix in some fun alongside the serious business of police work.

Ashes To Ashes is some achievement. It grounds out an identify for itself, stepping out of the shadow of Mars. And the rapport between Hawes and Glenister is a real highlight. But there’s so much to enjoy here, backed up by the promise of another series in the offing. For now, though, there’s plenty to get your teeth into here, thanks to a quality, very British drama that’s simply compelling television. --Jon Foster

Product Description

Philip Glenister, Keeley Hawes, Dean Andrews, Marshall Lancaster, Montserrat Lombard

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Customer Reviews

96 Reviews
5 star:
 (57)
4 star:
 (20)
3 star:
 (10)
2 star:
 (3)
1 star:
 (6)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.2 out of 5 stars (96 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
51 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Bollinger-Knickers takes on the Gene Genie, 28 Mar 2008
By Dr. George L. Sik (Epsom, Surrey) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
It would be very tempting just to say this isn't quite as good as Life on Mars, but the only thing that's really missing is the originality of the concept. Psychologically-trained copper DI Alex Drake is fully aware of what happened to Sam Tyler in Life on Mars - she's studied his case and she knows all about Gene, Ray, Chris and the rest. She thus enjoys something of a separateness from the action, totally convinced that none of it is real and that those in the 1981 world are 'constructs' created by her, rendering the dreamlike quality much more haunting and niggling this time round. She's also a little smug (Gene calls her Bollinger-Knickers, but clearly fancies this 'posh bird' something rotten). Some female viewers I know find her very annoying - I, like Gene, find her very sexy!

The best episodes are the first and last. In the first, you suspect the writers had a deliberate checklist of things to include to hook Life on Mars fans: an intriguing setup; a new car; the most memorable tunes of the era; Zippy and George from Rainbow (remember Basil Brush and Camberwick Green from Life on Mars?). This may be a little arch, but it's what we viewers want! As for the last episode...no. No clues!

Along the way there is much fun to be had, together with inspired touches like bringing the real Shaw Taylor out of retirement for a Police 5 segment.

It's addictive, it's a winner. Yes, it's a bit uneven, occasionally too tricksy, occasionally historically inaccurate. But knackers to that, as I'm sure Gene himself would say!
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18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Life on Venus?, 22 Aug 2008
By Mr. Stephen Kennedy "skenn1701a" (Doha, Qatar) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)      
Quite simply, if you liked Life on Mars, there is no reason you should not like this. Yes, there are quibbles, and Sam Tyler is sorely missed - but the writers have managed something quite rare, in managing to keep life in the premise, keeping what worked, and yet injecting something new.
So what's new? This time, a woman - DI Drake - is the main character, as she was Sam's psychologist and therefore knows this world completely. When something happens to her, she finds herself immersed in it, with the characters we came to love in Life on Mars. However, this time it's the 80's, and as well conceived as the 70's was in Life on Mars, the 80's and 80's TV cop series conventions seem even more vivid here.
It takes a couple of episodes to get into gear, as Keeley Hawes struggles to fill the gap left by Sam Tyler. She is never as compelling as John Simm was as Sam Tyler, but does get into a groove, particularly in the chemistry with Gene Hunt.
And it's Gene Hunt that is really the star of the show... in the `70's he was in his hey day, here, the 80's bring the beginning of political correctness, and this makes for many of the more interesting scenes, the clash of Hunt versus pc-ness. The script and its wonderful one-liners that todays cops could never get away with are just so worth tuning in for. In fact, in this series it would be fair to say that all the characters get more of a chance to shine.. kudos to the scripwriters.
Don't make the same mistake I did though and think this was going to be the whole thing - this is only season 1, so not all story threads get wrapped up here! I for one will be keeping my eyes peeled for season 2...
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22 of 25 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Addictive and sexy, 13 July 2008
Life on mars was fantastic already. I did not get hooked by the first Ashes to Ashes episode but kept watching and got to really love it. Maybe it is because I can relate more to the 80s than the 70s, everytime music starts in ashes to ashes I was going like Uuh I remember that, the same with the fashion and details. The series is perfectly produced and the actors are great. I like how Chris and Ray have developed. And, quite frankly, Gene Hunt becomes one of the most sexiest characters on TV ..... Fire up the Quattro..... Now Bollinger Knickers you can either punch me or kiss me ..... Gene Hunt Chapter 1, Verse 2 .... - just a few of the utterly un-PC scruffy quotes by Gene Hunt. Of course, the female lead, Keeley Hawes, is great too and carries her part tremendously. Ashes to Ashes is very recommendable, either if you know Life on Mars or you dont, Ashes to Ashes stands for itself as well as it does as a follow up.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Great TV Show.
Great stories and great acting from the superb characters in this show. One of the best TV shows the BBC have produced in years. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. S. Newbury

5.0 out of 5 stars its goooooooooooood......
Everyone is aware that is not life on mars and this series is quite short of what life on mars was. However, the direction that this show took the whole franchise into was very... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Franco Nero

3.0 out of 5 stars Good - but Life On Mars was GREAT
Unfortunately, I found the main character in this series to be very smug and annoying whereas I sympathised with the main character in Life On Mars. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Mr. L. M. Pomeroy

1.0 out of 5 stars Where was this going?

I was straight into this series having never seen anything before.
My expectations were high from a BBC series. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mystery Shopper

5.0 out of 5 stars Out of the ashes
Really loved Life on Mars 1&2 so wanted to continue the trip. As before Gene Hunt steals the show and this time, being the 1980's he's more bewildered by the emerging tide of... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. S. Mccoll

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as Life on Mars
Finished Series One last night. Absolutely a fan of Gene Genie, but the female lead character is just annoying and uninteresting. Read more
Published 3 months ago by 300booksayear

4.0 out of 5 stars Let's do the time warp again - 80s style
It is very tempting to compare "Ashes to Ashes" to "Life On Mars" but while the premise is the same and it has some of the same characters, it IS a different series. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Star_Sea

4.0 out of 5 stars Ashes to Ashes Series 1
A fantastic drama recently televised but well worth a second watch (and a third and fourth).
Published 4 months ago by Goobycat

4.0 out of 5 stars Not what it was
Bollinger Knickers is taken back into the lost world of Tyrannosaurus-Hunt in a carefully plotted story-arc that builds step-by-step to the death of her parents for a premier... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Mutt

5.0 out of 5 stars There can be only one GUV!
The follow-up on "Life on Mars" is stronger and much more dynamic. I think the makers of the series realised who are the really strong characters. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Rager

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