TV Gold

The final season of "Ashes To Ashes" is apparently drawing ever closer and I've just noticed this on the Press Office page of the BBC website... http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/proginfo/tv/2010/wk12/unplaced.shtml#unplaced_ashes

All sounds pretty interesting stuff... late March or maybe early April???

An Ashes To Ashes 3: Exclusive First Look by Ian Wylie

http://lifeofwylie.com/2010/03/05/ashes-to-ashes-3-exclusive-first-look/

I was a bit late getting into this series and have still not watched series 2 yet, although i do have it on DVD. My dad has been very ill since i got it and i just haven't found the time yet. Sounds as if i will have to make the time soon.

BBC press pack now available... http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2010/03_march/10/ashes.shtml

So now we know, the third season of 'Ashes To Ashes' begins its eight week run on Friday, 2nd April on BBC One at 9.00pm... looking forward to 'firing up the quattro' one last time!!!!

Also...

Don't think much of the contents of the 'Soundtrack album' http://www.play.com/Music/CD/4-/13863758/Ashes-To-Ashes-Vol-3-Original-Soundtrack/Product.html#, I mean there's good stuff like Bowie, Tears For Fears, The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen and Yazoo but I hate that Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper and The Buggles

and apparently July will see the box set http://www.play.com/DVD/DVD/4-/13589218/Ashes-To-Ashes-Series-3/Product.html, I just hope we will get more than just the usual commentaries and 5.1 sound mix as befits this final season!

Any comments on episode 1?

All i will say (so as not to spoil it for anyone that hasn't seen it yet) is it did have a lot darker feel to it than the previous two series which i presume will run through all of the episodes. A good start i reckon and an excellent and threatening new character addition. Not sure about Alex Drake's new hairdo though, sack the hairdresser i say

All I can say is.. it was most excellent! Nice to hear Sweet Dreams kick in as Keeley says, "Lets fire up the Quattro!".

Personally I prefer double episode viewings of “Ashes To Ashes”, which rather echoes the way they are presented on the DVD box sets so I’m always going to be one step behind most of you guys. However, yep I ‘fired up the Quattro’ last night with the opening two episodes for this third season and I certainly came away with an overriding positive impression of this pairing.

A worthy and interesting way to reintroduce viewers and Alex to her series 80s era regulars with her wandering through the electrical appliances department with fellow series regulars speaking to her through television screens. I like the altered dynamic in the department plus the addition of Jim Keats breathing down the necks of Gene Hunt and the other series regulars. I think it’s a shame that the trademark white jacket has gone however although stylish Alex Drake’s presence is not such a visually dominating factor especially compared from when she originally time travelled back in the opening episode of the first season. Alex certainly seems like an intrical permanent member of the team which makes up wonder how she will be able to return to the present day. Shame also that Chris and Shaz romance has ended with no chance of the wedding that we were heading towards in the latter stages of Year Two.

It is a brilliantly moving and emotionally distressing development that is well delivered in the second episode for Shaz deciding on her future career tempered with a final last triumph for the Hunt’s team. I love the simmering suspicion about Gene Hunt regarding the demise of Sam Tyler and I’m beginning to wonder whether I just might have to nab the “Life On Mars” box sets even though I’m rather put off by 70s music (IMO the era style forgot!). Although I have to say that I hate the mindless pap of Billy Joel’s “Uptown Girl”, a song that still grates on my nerves whenever I hear it, I did find the opening sequence offering a pastiche of the video very amusing.

On the evidence of these two episodes this final season demonstrates that “Ashes To Ashes” is going to provide a dramatically engaging, emotionally enthralling ride with it being further enriched by moments of comedy and action spiced up by a worthy fairly occasional 80s music soundtrack. Yes indeed, I’m looking forward to the rest of this season which I’m sure will continue to be a visually enriching and rewarding experience whether it be on first viewing or sitting in your permanent DVD title collection.

However, as with the previous year I think I’ll probably wait about six months after the Season Three DVD box set is released when hopefully there will be a significant price reduction, but yes it’s definitely something I want to add to my collection. I hope I’ll be proved wrong about this but I suspect we will get minimal extras of only a couple of commentaries and a half hour making of which would certainly be a shame especially as this rounds up the overall five year “Life On Mars”/”Ashes To Ashes” series arc.

Episodes three and four, which I watched last night I thought were pretty good. Three was good for the character of Ray with worthy emotional scenes especially confronting the arsonist fireman. Four was suitably dramatic with Chris 'losing it big time' down in the Police cells but I thought this episode was also memorable for the laughable chase that culminated in our regulars pursing the villains into the 'Blue Peter Garden' finished off with a petrol can thrown right in the fish pond! Very funny was the report of the incident on the childrens television show which our regulars watched.

Looking forward to more of this series!

Didn't think there was too much of particular note in episodes five and six watched a couple of weeks ago.

However much more impressed with episodes seven and eight which I watched last night.

Eight I thought was a marvellously fitting finale, dramatically and emotionally moving. I think it tied up everything quite brilliantly for ongoing narrative and regular and guest cast members. Sad about the Quattro getting shot up but did anyone notice the Mercedes 190 catalogue in Gene's office?

One thing I didn't quite understand... I hope someone can clarify for me. Who was skeleton that Alex Drake dug up by the scarecrow, I'm pretty sure it wasn't Sam Tyler?

Thanks in anticipation

Sarah Tarrant wrote:One thing I didn't quite understand... I hope someone can clarify for me. Who was skeleton that Alex Drake dug up by the scarecrow, I'm pretty sure it wasn't Sam Tyler?

Thanks in anticipation

The body was Gene Hunt. I thought that was pretty clear? He talks about the whole scenario behind him being murdered while in the farmhouse. Drake also looks at the warrant card that she pulled from the body and it has the name Gene Hunt on it.

IMO Season Three of 'Ashes To Ashes' on DVD seems a bit of a rip off for only offering the eight episodes with the only extra being a 20 min 'making of'. I'll certainly be waiting for the price to drop quite significantly, probably towards the end of this year/beginning of next before I complete my collection.

In the meantime I've managed to nab a copy of the first season 4 disc DVD box set of 'Life On Mars' from the ASDA entertainment website for only £8.93, arrived in the post today! Fantastic bargain for offering all eight episodes (with commentaries on all), plus hour long (two-part) 'Take A Look at the Lawman' making of, 14 min 'Music of...', '8 min 'Get Sykes' and 6 min 'Out takes reel'... just wished we'd got the same content for A2A(3)!

An interesting page well worth checking out...

http://lifeofwylie.com/2010/05/23/ashes-to-ashes-the-answers/