Funk to funky, We know Danne's now a junky

My love for Life on Mars and its most important character, Gene Hunt has been documented before. The show was intriguing and confusing and compelling. Plus there were car chase scenes and awesome better-than-Arnie one line throw aways.

When I watched the last episode of season 2, the last season I was sad. At the same time I was delighted that the BBC weren't going to keep it going until they were flogging the dead horse with the bones of the other dead horse. I'm happy there was no jumping the shark in this one. They left me wanting more.

So while trawling Google to find images of the Gene Genie for my last post about him, I happened across some info about a SEQUEL!!!!!

Much like with Shameless, I don't want this to end! I am already over half way through and am mourning the loss of this show already.

Ashes to Ashes is also named after a Bowie song (and a very good Bowie song at that). This time the protagonist (who is by NO means the character that I care about the most) is a female - Alex Drake. She's a police psych who deals with negotiations, and has studied Sam Tyler's file so knows his case. She is shot in the first ep, which leads to her time travel/coma hallucinations to 1981 London and the seemy underbelly of the city at this time.

Sure, there are plot holes so big you could drive a semi-trailer through them. Like why are the Gene Genie and his bumbling sidekicks kicking the arse of armed bastards in London now? And where did that freaky Bowie clown come from?

Alex has a perm, and always seems to wear the same off-the-shoulder-shirt-with-brastrap-showing that can't have been the DI uniform for the Met police at the time. She is dealing with some heavy shit, like not dying, and possibly preventing the death of her parents in that same year. She drinks like a college kid, and flirts fantastically with just about everyone.

Gene Hunt is... phenomenal. I actually think there might be a little bit of a whiff of the unhealthy when it comes to my relationship with this character. When I hear his gutteral voice, growling the completely unPC opinions and pushing around underworld figures, it is like a punch in the guts. The sexual tension between he and Alex is great - and pretty much the only thing that makes me identify with her and her pouty, shouty, permed up face. The lines he is given, and the delicious way he delivers them makes me want to go down to the police station to see if I can find myself a portly, pocky fella with a penchant for scotch and sexual harrassment. As I said, this obsession is getting to be a little unhealthy...

I also really appreciate the design of the DVD. The box set is designed to look like an old school VHS case. The DVD menu looks like an Atari game and the opening credits simultaneously pays homage to the 80s icons of veneitan blinds, wailing electric guitar and cop shows. And the closing credits looks like the old Green On Black DOS screen. While I don't think all of these elements of 1981 hang together cohesively, I think points are deserved for effort.

And I think I deserve points for not spending every waking hour glued to the box watching this show on repeat.

Hunt me out

My not so secret guilty pleasure is watching DVDs of TV. I try not to do illegal things like download shows, unless there is no other way I can get my hands on them. But watching season upon season of good (or utterly shite) quality drama or comedy will be a sure fire happy me.

Late last year I stumbled across Life On Mars. The sound, British version. Where it was blokey, sexist, racist, homphobic, sweaty and un PC (pardon the pun) patriarchy, where corrupt cops could pull off believable corruption because Manchester in the seventies was a sesspool of very convincing scum. Unlike that poor excuse for a remake from Across the Pond. Besides, Manchester at least still looks like it did in the seventies. Well, the parts they filmed in, anyway. Rather than using freaky stock/lighting effects... (I gave it a shot. Various Australian TV critics said that I would love it, even though/because I loved the first one. I didn't. They lied).

If you haven't seen the show, get your hands on it, and watch the whole first season without stopping for dinner.

The obsession for me was not in the main story arc. I didn't give a hoot about Sam Tyler and his time-travel/hallucination conundrum. I wasn't sold on the Tyler/Annie love story.

I only have eyes for Gene Hunt.

Despite the sexism, racism, homophobia, slightly dubious behaviour, terrible haircut and tendency toward violence.... Or maybe because of them.... (I never claimed I was a woman without issues).

And I am not the only one. Glenda Cooper has ranted on this one before me (but I only found this rant in my cyberstalking of the character). And as India Knight reports, the very clever British public voted him as some kind of sexiest character in another meaningless poll.

Maybe it's because of the delciousness of the fact that his name is also an act of someone looking for the person with the right chromosomes with which to share to make babies (because if I could end the hunt for genes with him, oh I would. I would!). And a pun that tasty (while a long stretch of the bow) is too much for me to walk by without a nibble.

Maybe its because of his razor sharp wit and matching tongue.

Or his passion and his spontaneous behaviour.

Or perhaps his authority.

Really, I think its because he resembles a seventies version of Mr Darcy. (Wow, that is the second time this month I have mentioned Darcy. Better make a tag for him too.) He is obnoxious, prejudiced, proud, talks WAY before thinking, generally tries to make himself unlikable.

And yet...

He means well. And he is unwavering in his loyalty. Just like Fitz is.

The funny thing is, I only saw it when watching Cranford. When the combination of Gene's powerful manly commanding voice (swoon!) was coupled with the sideburns, ruffled shirt and tight strides. Nothing like a Sunday night bonnet drama to give you an epiphany!