ASHES TO ASHES follows on from the hugely successful BBC series LIFE ON MARS, and sees the return of the self styled 'Sheriff of Manchester' DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister). Whereas LIFE ON MARS was a throwback to the crime-fighting style of the 1970's with a style and wit reminiscent of THE SWEENEY and THE PROFESSIONALS, ASHES TO ASHES takes you back to 'the decade that taste forgot', the 1980's. The series revels in 80s nostalgia, providing plenty of sight jokes and of course, a brand new car for Hunt.
DCI Hunt has left the relative comfort of the Greater Manchester Police to take on the 'southern nancys' of London, where he once again acquires a time-travelling sidekick, this time in the sexy and smart DI Alex Drake (Keeley Hawes). Alex's journey began back in 2008 when she was shot during a botched kidnapping of her daughter Molly. Her psychology background and indepth knowledge of the Sam Tyler case lead her to dismiss her predicament as a vivid hallucination. Nevertheless, with crime rife on the streets of 1980's London, and a police team that's not very receptive to modern career women, Alex has a lot to prove before she can figure out how to get home.

Feb 2008

The follow up to Life On Mars, Ashes To Ashes sees the return of DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) - but he is no longer the self styled 'Sheriff Of Manchester' - drawn by the action and intrigue of the London Met, Gene's turned his attentions to taking on the 'southern nancy' criminal scum! He is joined by his faithful sidekicks Ray Carling (Dean Andrews) and Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster). DCI Alex Drake is thrown into the mix - after suffering a horrific accident in 2008 she finds herself in 1981 alongside Hunt and his team.

• Great writing, fabulous music and lashings of humour^...]an utter treat - Radio Times
• ASHES TO ASHES is better than LIFE ON MARS - The Guardian