fandomsecrets | [ SECRET POST #2200 ]

⌈ Secret Post #2200 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

01.

__________________________________________________

02.

__________________________________________________

03.

__________________________________________________

04.

__________________________________________________

05.

[Vanessa Ferlito]

__________________________________________________

06.

[Iron Man]

__________________________________________________

07.

[The Tudors]

__________________________________________________

08.

[Kuroko no Basuke]

__________________________________________________

09.

[The Iron Giant]

__________________________________________________

10.

[Ace Attorney]

__________________________________________________

11.

__________________________________________________

12.

[American Horror Story Asylum]

__________________________________________________

Notes:

Going to pull a few secrets from the first page of next week's post to fill tomorrow's.

Secrets Left to Post: 01 pages, 009 secrets from Secret Submission Post #314.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 1 - repeat ], [ 1 - posted twice ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Inspired by the Being Human thread above: I wanted to start watching Life On Mars because I remember hearing good things about it a while ago, but I'm not sure if the good things I heard about it referred to the UK or US version. Which version is better, and how good are they?

(I don't know much about the show apart from the premise and the fact that the lead actor apparently has an Estrogen Brigade from the Doctor Who fandom, which makes it hard to separate legit compliments from fangirls with their hands down their panties).

Also, what the fuck does the title have to do with the show? (unless it has spoilery significance, in which case don't tell me).

It depends on what kind of person you are, and what you enjoy in a series. I personally liked both, and so did my dad -- but my mom didn't care for the original at all, while enjoying the remake.

What I liked the best about the original was the ending, so you really should try to go into it unspoiled if at all possible! As for the remake, I loved the twisted father-son relationship.

The title is a reference to a song by David Bowie, that's played at important points throughout both series. It's also refers to the main character's impression of life back in the seventies; it feels as if he's on some alien planet.

Watch the UK version. The US version ruins the ending, I cannot say more without spoilers but it really does destroy the end, and so retroactively affects your opinion of everything that happened before.

The title is a reference to the David Bowie song of the same name.

basically, don't watch the US version, it was pretty terrible imo, and the ending takes the title super literally, which i hated.

i loved the UK version (and the sequel show, Ashes to Ashes, also a bowie song). good acting, interesting story. and john simm is pretty awesome. there's only 18 eps so i definitely think it's worth a try at least.

I've only started watching the UK version (I didn't even know a US one existed). But well, nothing can really top John Simm...

/shallow

nothing can really top John Simm...

+1

Ugh, the US version. Jason O'Mara is usually serviceable as Sam if often standing around mouth agape. Most of the supporting cast are hit and miss: Michael Imperioli is strong as Ray, Harvey Kietel acts well as always but is seriously miscast as Gene (Colm Meany had the role in the first unaired US pilot and was a better fit), and Gretchen Mol is AWFUL as Annie. She and O'Mara have zero chemistry and her acting is wooden more often than not.

The series had one episode, "Let All the Children Boogie", that I really liked- Cheyenne Jackson was hysterical as a glam rocker, and the story is original to the US version and not another an awkward setting update of stories from the UK version. I bring that up because it convinced me to keep watching the US show. It was evenly an ensemble story (most of the others are very Sam-heavy) and showed that the writers COULD do some unique things with the American setting and characters, putting their own spin on the premise from the UK series. Unfortunately, none of the other episodes lived up to it and it ended on a completely ridiculous note. I just kept staring in disbelief and laughing. The ending is completely different from the original's, which is fine-- but the resolution they DID give it is unintentionally hilarious!

Another thing that could have improved the US version is the city- Manchester is as much a character in the UK version as the cast. Yeah NYC was meaner and dirtier in the '70s, but it was still one of the largest cities in the nation; they needed a smaller, more industrial city to parallel Manchester- Pittsburgh, Buffalo, maybe.

I almost wrote that you shouldn't waste your time with the US one, but it has moments. The police mysteries are generally ok (AIS, many of them are based on plots from the UK version); it's in the treatment of SAM'S mystery that it falls flat. That and some of the casting. I would recommend you watch the original first, and then see if you're interested in the remake.

The original does have some flaws (Chris's stupidity for one; at least thatt gets improved some in Ashes to Ashes), but it sets the tone just right. The balance of drama and comedy is just perfect. John Simm's performance is wonderfully layered- so many things are going on in his head all at once and it comes out in an astonishing performance. And yes, as galerian-ash said, you want to go into its ending as unspoiled as possible. Ashes to Ashes has spoilers to the ending of LoM in its first episode so definitely don't watch that first like someone I know did.

Not throw in a wrench in the works but if you speak Spanish there is a Spanish, as in Spain version of the show to check out as well.

Here's the first episode.

WATCH THE UK ONE FIRST. It is really good, and because I'm not articulate I can't really describe how good I thought it was without spoilers. You want to go into this show as blind as possible, which it was I did and I freakin' loved it. Then if you want you can watch the US one, but imo the UK is better, plus like everyone said that US ending ugh.

Watch the UK version, then watch the US version for Ray and Annie. Watch Ashes to Ashes, too, if you can.

Oh, definitely watch the UK one (There's a US one? What? I can't hear you! *puts hands over ears* Lalala)

As other people have said, the title is an old David Bowie song that fits the show eerily well considering it was written several decades before. It's more metaphorical than anything spoiler-y or literal.

I consider Life on Mars to be my favourite TV show (though I don't watch much TV), and I hope you like it too :D

/not a fangirl with her hand down her panties

[ SECRET POST #2200 ]

Life On Mars - is it good, US vs UK, etc?

Re: Life On Mars - is it good, US vs UK, etc?

Re: Life On Mars - is it good, US vs UK, etc?

Re: Life On Mars - is it good, US vs UK, etc?

Re: Life On Mars - is it good, US vs UK, etc?

Re: Life On Mars - is it good, US vs UK, etc?

Re: Life On Mars - is it good, US vs UK, etc?

Re: Life On Mars - is it good, US vs UK, etc?

Re: Life On Mars - is it good, US vs UK, etc?

Re: Life On Mars - is it good, US vs UK, etc?

Re: Life On Mars - is it good, US vs UK, etc?