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One of the cars used simulate cross traffic. They went across, reversed, and waited for the next take. (Photo by author)
On a few blocks of Keap Street in Williamsburg yesterday it was 1973. No it wasn’t a highly localized distortion of the space time continuum, but the US version of Life on Mars filming.
The show, based on the brilliant BBC show of the same name, will follow NYPD Detective Sam Tyler (Jason O'Mara) who wakes up in 1973 after a car accident and has to deal with 1970s policing techniques and an old style cop named Gene Hunt (Harvey Keitel) leading a team of detectives including one played by Michael Imperioli.
However, the American version of show has gotten off to a rocky start. The original Los Angeles set and filmed pilot, backed by David E. Kelly, featured O’Mara as Tyler and Star Trek veteran Colm Meaney as Hunt. Something was definitely lost in translation with a version that was leaked onto the Internet.
A new production team took over and thanks to some incentives signed into law by Governor Paterson, the show shifted coasts and as side benefits the show was able to tap the deeper pool of New York acting talent and have the city act as another character.
During the filming yesterday, the only stars visible were Keitel and O’Mara, but there was a fleet of vintage cars complete with vintage license plates and inspection stickers to provide a proper seventies feel. The only give away would be the modern white on green street signs instead of the period signs which were color coded by borough, although a crew member said they would likely be digitally added in post production.
So will the show wind up like so many other terrific British programmes that didn't make it over the pond properly? We'll find out when the show debuts on October 9th at 10 p.m on ABC.
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wow! Mr. Keitel looks like a million bucks....minus $999,999.
Love all those old cars the Monte Carlo and the Olds look great.
Sounds like a cool show. Love NY in the 70's.
Bad Lieutenant rocks. Keitel is a genius actor.
"Bad Lieutenant rocks"
I'm not an abel ferrara fan but that was probably one of the most hardcore cop movies I have ever seen. Completely raw and disturbing.
NY cops in the 70s seem to be a popular subject these days. saw them filming this last week on West 4th at B.
real sad at how they're no doubt going to wreck this awesome show. why not just show the bbc version here?
They did show the BBC version, albeit edited for language and nudity, on BBC America.
Gretchen Mol is in this series. I loove GMol.
Both seasons of the UK version ran recently on BBC America, and I understand the network plans to air a mini-marathon of selected LOM episodes on Oct 5th, the week of the U.S. version's premiere.
"Life On Mars" was a good show. Why do we have to have an American-made remake? Too many viewers who are too stupid to translate from the original English?
fuck this shit! I was just at rockefeller center and they were filming 30 rock with Adam Baldwin and Will Arnett. They are fucking giants! They are like 6'4 or something.
I think like The Office, this version of Life on Mars will be a different animal from its UK counterpart for a number of reasons. For one thing, the socio-political climate in 1973 New York was considerably different from that of 1973 Manchester. Also, the producers are looking to expand the overall storyline beyond a mere 16 episodes (the length of the UK incarnation). There is somewhat similar thinking with a version being made in Spain set during the reign of Francisco Franco (though that version is set in 1978). I think the overall concept of Life on Mars could work in a variety of international formats, each with a unique spin.
The Spanish version sounds quite interesting, although for some reason we would really love to see an Australian version of the show.
Now the biggest problem with the failed pilot episode was that it tried to be almost a slavish copy of the original with a bit of Americanization. There are indications that the US version will take more of the same tack as The Office and be its own show.
Interestingly the follow up series to the original Life on Mars called Ashes to Ashes met with some unfavorable reviews. (Don't expect it on this side of the pond.) It has Keeley Hawes as a modern day detective/psychologist who knows all about Sam Tyler's trip back to 1973 Manchester, who gets shot (maybe?) and wakes up in 1981 London with Gene Hunt and his boys.
Ashes to Ashes is good, but in a different way. One can only hope that the US version of Life on Mars is good, but in a different way than the original.
Having seen the original on BBC1, I'm very intrigued to see how the American version plays out, it certainly has a much more interesting city to play with... Manchester just seemed to be a collection of terraced housing, warehouses and grotty concrete buildings... it has nothing really recognisable in the way of landmarks.
But this, it pleases me no end that we'll be seeing the World Trade Center making regular TV appearances again. And it'll be cool to see Harvey Keitel in a series as I've only seen him in film roles.
It's also going to be fun because it conjurs up fond memories of things like Starsky & Hutch and Hill Street Blues.
There is somewhat similar thinking with a version being made in Spain set during the reign of Francisco Franco (though that version is set in 1978).
...I'm having trouble remembering the zombie Franco's iron grip on Spain three years after his death in 1975.
(I wonder if he'll have his head in a glass jar like president Nixon on Futurama.)
Love love love, the BBC version, I really hope they are changing the series a bit for the US at least in plot. What would be the point of watching it if its a slavish re-make? I already know what happens! Surprised they kept the names the same, but Harvey Keitel is a good sign... He seems very Gene Hunt to me, I mean 'Gov'... I mean... Sarge? what would be the US equivalent?
The BBC show was brilliant, so the US version had better be better than good. Gene Hunt is trully the best of the worst as far as any sort of correctness goes, and hopefully that stays and doesn't succumb to frail american sensibilites. If anyone was around NYC in the 70's there is plenty for the show to work with and make it their own.
Admittedly, I was a bit rushed when I wrote that about Franco. That said, his presence was still very much felt for some time.