The Past Keeps Calling Me....

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Sonik Wiz

šŸ‘‚ 500 MPH EARS šŸ‘‚
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May 30, 2005
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It started a couple of weeks ago when I discovered an amazing TV series called Life on Mars. Probably everyone already knew about this except me. But I should summarize & say this is the original BBC show, not the USA version which flopped, dealing with a police detective injured in a car accident & when he wakes up he's gone from the 2000's back to the 70's. It combines detective police mystery, fantasy, time travel and a helluva lot great music. I'm watching it on BritBox I'm sure it's available elsewhere.



Then a few days ago I received a brochure from KU Geezer Continuing Education including a presentation titled 1971: The Year Rock Exploded. A lecture with following group discussion about how this maybe was one of the best years ever for popular music. I plan on going and haha etc... the location is at the Tallgrass Creek retirement center.

While I was googling the presenter & looking up other stuff I ran across what I really want to mention here. A year ago NPR celebrated fifty years of All Things Considered. The current World Cafe on NPR made a broadcast dedicated to the music of 1971. It's rather long, about 2 hrs but is fascinating. You can wrap presents while listening to it but I found it so good I just had to sit down & listen to it. Enjoy:

https://www.npr.org/sections/world-cafe/2021/05/03/992487661/what-the-radio-sounded-like-in-1971
 
It started a couple of weeks ago when I discovered an amazing TV series called Life on Mars. Probably everyone already knew about this except me. But I should summarize & say this is the original BBC show, not the USA version which flopped, dealing with a police detective injured in a car accident & when he wakes up he's gone from the 2000's back to the 70's. It combines detective police mystery, fantasy, time travel and a helluva lot great music. I'm watching it on BritBox I'm sure it's available elsewhere.



Life On Mars was great. When you finish it, check out a sequel series called Ashes to Ashes.
 
I thought the USA version of Life On Mars was great. Though, I never remembered hearing it lacked ratings. I need to go read up on it. I know sometimes networks cancel a show for various reasons and not always lack of viewership. I seem to remember checking out and liking the original BBC show but itā€™s been a couple of decades ago.
 
I thought the USA version of Life On Mars was great. Though, I never remembered hearing it lacked ratings. I need to go read up on it. I know sometimes networks cancel a show for various reasons and not always lack of viewership. I seem to remember checking out and liking the original BBC show but itā€™s been a couple of decades ago.

I remember reading about the USA Life on Mars but never got around to watching it. Only made one season. They do have comparisons of the Brit/USA shows on YT. One of the best aspects of watching a show like this is it greatly influences my play list for the evening after watching.

Incidentally also on YT is a comparison of the British IT Crowd original and the USA pilot that never went further in development. These were so close in action/dialogue that you could do a split screen in sync comparison. Yet the original version is brilliant, the American one a travesty. Worth checking out.
 
I looked up Life on Mars some years ago after Simm's take of The Master on Doctor Who, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Wanted to see more of his acting.

Absolutely loved the show. Couldnā€™t bring myself to watch the U.S. version, though. Might have enjoyed it had I given it a chance, but I was satisfied with the U.K. version and wanted to leave it at that.

Only saw one episode of Ashes to Ashes. I think that was on BritBox which we had for a time, but then dropped. Thatā€™s one I might get on DVD at some point.
 
I remember reading about the USA Life on Mars but never got around to watching it. Only made one season. They do have comparisons of the Brit/USA shows on YT. One of the best aspects of watching a show like this is it greatly influences my play list for the evening after watching.

Incidentally also on YT is a comparison of the British IT Crowd original and the USA pilot that never went further in development. These were so close in action/dialogue that you could do a split screen in sync comparison. Yet the original version is brilliant, the American one a travesty. Worth checking out.
Yeah, I remember those shows, just don't remember how it ended, whether the secret was revealed or not etc.

Seemed like I really enjoyed the Brit version, what was it, about 3-4 seasons long?

Rack it up to good ol' CRS again!
 
While I think all good things about the concept of Life on Mars, the set design, the 70's culture, Music is the glue that holds it all together. It is so much fun to hear a classic piece of music add to a scene as the plot rolls along.

I haven't discovered yet if there is a proper soundtrack available to the series. But look at this... a complete listing of songs used in the show:

https://www.tunefind.com/show/life-on-mars-uk
Click on a season and then an episode to see what's used. And I like how the list gives a one or two sentence description of what's happening while the music plays.
 
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