LIFE ON MARS?

I was immediately intrigued when I first heard of Life on Mars. Once I started watching the BBC series, I stayed intrigued, despite the fact that it seemed like the show was basically a seventies cop show with a little bit of mind games. Then I realized I loved the show precisely because the psychoscifi element was so subtle. It had a little of everything, character, procedural stuff, and mindfucking. I was also leery of how long they could carry this on, the whole man-out-of-time thing.

Oh. What? Two seasons and out. Cool. Hit it. Hit hard. Get out. Kinda thing you just can't do on American TV.

Enter David E. Kelly and ABC, last pilot season with their American version of Life on Mars.

At first, I was skeptical. I read the pilot script. It's basically the original pilot with different place names and the British stuff taken out. Respect for the original material. Still skeptical though, just not as much. Then it was cast. Look at them. There's nobody in that cast I don't like. And Tommy Schlamme directing. Not a bad thing at all.

So while this has been hanging in the ether for, like, a year...it just wouldn't die on the vine and so, in that time I have been alternately looking forward to and dreading it.

Hollywood Reporter is saying it looks good for the upfronts.

"Mars," which had been dormant since the pilot was shot last summer, has gained momentum in the past week and appears close to a series pickup, with "October Road" creators Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg -- all repped by Endeavor -- in talks to come on board as exec producers and ABC Studios in talks with 20th TV to join as a co-producer. However, sources indicated that no deals can be made without the blessing of Kelley, who created the U.S. version of the British series and owns the rights to it. Kelley is currently reevaluating his involvement in the project, starring Jason O'Mara as a 21st century cop transported to the 1970s, as it goes forward.

Hmm. I still don't know. Will it seem like it's gone too long after just one season? Or will it have some new different energy?

Think I'm gonna pop in my Life on Mars DVDs.