Life on Mars - edited for US release ??

[white wolf]

I picked up Life On Mars on DVD and watched the entire series before it was released over here on BBC America. I was surprised to see that at least one of the episodes shown on BBC America had the beginning teaser edited out.

Is anyone else now watching season 2 and how do you like it?

[dbz]

Thats not the only difference to the aired show either-the music is different for the DVD releases.
Apparantly, EMI have a deal with the BBC-to allow them to use whatever they like without having to keep gaining permission..hence a lot of Deep Purple Etc (harvest/EMI acts). However, it seems that this agreement does NOT extend to the DVD, hence the music is significantly different and the BBC have licensed alternative 70's songs from somewhere other than EMI.

[Simon A]

Here is the complete list of songs used on both versions of the show (aired and DVD):

http://domeofstars.com/forum/index.php?topic=1519.0;topicseen

I know that some people were unhappy with the changes, but since I have never seen the original broadcasts, just the DVDs, I did not suffer to much. I'd like to add though that if I had seen the broadcasts and not the DVDs, I would have missed out on a lot of wonderful music.

I have discovered artists that I now really enjoy because of those substitutions, which to me were very well executed. The Deep Purple stuff was changed for equally fantastic Uriah Heep material and the Stones' Wild Horses was substituted for Frankie Miller's I Can't Change It (what a beautiful song). Such great music on these shows that I just had to find most of them (on vinyl too... ;) ) and make myself a three CD comp complete with dialogue for every episode. Love this stuff Guv! :D

[mark f.]

Watching Season 2 and I'm loving it. The actual police stories are a little hokey at times but to see Sam start to drift in an out is very interesting. I like that the writers are not trying any fancy tricks to keep you wondering what is really up with Sam. In the first series it worked well to leave his "state" a mystery but I like how it gradually gets clearer.

The music is fantastic and it's good that it never gets cliched or sappy. A lot of US TV shows are using music as a replacement for good writing but this show doesn't. The ending last week used "10538 Overture" by ELO and it was so great to hear that song in a TV show.

I'm pissed that a reviewer on Amazon gave the ending away but I'm hoping that there's more too it than what I read.

[mark f.]

NOTE that reading the song list could mean spoilers for the last EP... For anyone wanting to keep everything a surprise I'd avoid the list or don't look at EP 8.

Also, does anyone know if there's going to be a US release of the DVDs?

[AndrewS]

Interesting... I haven't watched all my 1st Series DVDs yet to notice the substitutions. Although I did notice Look at Yourself, I thought that I just hadn't noticed in when it originally aired.

Regardless, I saved the original broadcasts anyway.

Best quote in the thread you pointed to:

Quote from: Fry on April 01, 2007, 06:05 PM
You forgot the Who's Teenage Wasteland form S1E1.

Baba O'Riley and Teenage Wasteland are the same thing ^^;;
:D

[wayneklein]

NOTE that reading the song list could mean spoilers for the last EP... For anyone wanting to keep everything a surprise I'd avoid the list or don't look at EP 8.

Also, does anyone know if there's going to be a US release of the DVDs?

I suspect BBC is holding off on this until the American version is launched (or just before) to gain "heat" on the release.