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Ron Miller's DARK CORRIDORS VOL. 9, No. 39 |
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On Television |
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ON MARS" ...U.S. Version |
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finds himself back in 1973. |
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Another British series gets
a drab American remake
of TheColumnists.com
Time is running out for Det. Sam Tyler. He’s got to find a serial killer who has kidnapped his girlfriend, a colleague on the police force. While racing to a location where the killer may be hiding, Tyler is hit by a car and knocked unconscious. When he “wakes up” everything has changed. He’s still in New York City, but it's now 1973--not 2008!
Wandering through the streets, Sam tries
to comprehend what has happened to
him. Is he having a dream, is he in a coma, or has he somehow
time-traveled back
three-plus decades? And if he has, how can he get back to the
time--and life--he knows in order to save girlfriend Maya?
This ABC series is based on the hit British drama of the same
name. But that’s where the similarities end. The British
version, starring John Simm as Tyler and Philip Glenister as
his boss, Lt. Gene Hunt, was wonderful, gripping television.
Running for two seasons (16 total episodes) on BBC America beginning
in 2006, it was a show that kept viewers on the seat of their
pants wondering just what was going on with Sam Tyler! Was he
alive, dead, dreaming or....? And that series ending...WOW!
Unfortunately, all that ABC’s version of “LOM”
has going for it are the great Harvey Keitel as Lt. Gene Hunt,
and Michael Imperioli (“The Sopranos”) as tough Det.
Ray Carling. Irish actor Jason O’Mara is a rather wooden
Tyler, lacking the fire so evident in Simm’s portrayal,
and not in the same acting league with Keitel and Imperioli.
Along as eye candy are Lisa Bonet, in a recurring role as Maya,
and Gretchen Mol as Annie Norris, a member of the NYC Police
Women’s Bureau, circa 1973.
Another potential plus, at least initially, for the show is its
time slot. It airs right after the hit “Grey’s Anatomy”.
ABC’s “LOM” has had a troubled history. Prolific
producer David E. Kelley was first attached to the show, but
dropped out. A pilot was shot, but then all the actors, with
the exception of O’Mara, were recast. New executive producers
were brought in: Josh Applebaum, Scott Rosenberg and André
Nemec. This is the same team behind the short-lived series “October
Road.” All these changes in such a high-profile show usually
are not a good sign.
But time and the all-powerful Nielsen ratings
will tell if “LOM” has a future.
(If you are wondering, the Brit version is currently not available
on home video in the U.S. It’s also not on Netflix, and
Amazon.com is only selling the not for U.S. formatted version.
Hopefully the Brit version will eventually turn up on this side
of the pond.)
©2008 by Donna J. Plesh. The photo is courtesy of ABC. This column first posted Oct. 6, 2008.
TO ACCESS DONNA J. PLESH'S ARCHIVE OF COLUMNS ON THIS SITE, CLICK HERE: PLESH ARCHIVE
You can comment
on this column online. Please address your message to either
"The Editors" or Donna J. Plesh. To send an email,
click here and don't forget to mention Donna's name: talkback@thecolumnists.com
©2008 by Ron Miller. This column first posted Aug. 20, 2007.
Ron
Miller is a former nationally syndicated television columnist
and the author of "Mystery! A Celebration," the official
companion book to PBS' "Mystery!" series. He currently
writes about television mysteries for MYSTERY SCENE magazine.
You can comment on this column online. Please address your message to either "The Editors" or . To send an email, click here and don't forget to mention name: talkback@thecolumnists.com
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