Life on Mars

Just finished re-watching the complete Life on Mars TV series (the original BBC one, not the dubious American remake)... fucking amazing show. I recommend it. I've been watching the US series, actually; out of curiosity more than anything else. It's kind of embarrassing to watch some of the little scenes that they needlessly aped from the original. Totally unnecessary. The value of this new show, though, is that 1973 New York is substantially different from 1973 Manchester, and watching both is really interesting for their time capsule captures of those years.

You'd think that Harvey Keitel (who replaced Colm Meaney from the US version's pilot) co-starring would also bring something to it, but so far his character/performance seems pretty weak. But then, I'm also comparing him to the original series' actor Philip Glenister. And this actor for the main role of Sam Tyler, Jason O'Mara (of Resident Evil: Extinction fame) can't help but pale in comparison to my man-crush Jon Simm. Besides starring in LOM, he most visibly played The Master in some awesome Dr. Who episodes last year, in which he got himself elected as the new prime minister of England. Amusing connection... when working undercover in an episode of Life on Mars, he took the name of "Tony Blair," as he gets himself invited to a swingin' key party. Cute.

Wow! From IMDB, I just learned that Simm and Glenister just did a movie together, called Tuesday (not yet released, I don't think?). And Simm's filming this crazy series called Seven Days, about a guy and his relationship with his wife, while he serves out a prison sentence. The crazy part is that they're filming this thing for a few weeks at a time, over a period of the next four or so years. At the end, it'll be released as a film worldwide. Simm has also been rumored to be the next Dr. Who, but I'm betting against that one.