Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #150 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-07-13
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Format: PAL
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 470 minutes

Synopsis
This second series of the time-bending ASHES TO ASHES—itself a spin-off of the popular LIFE OF ON MARS—continues where the first series left off. After sustaining a serious head injury, naughties era Detective Inspector Alex Drake (Keeley Hawes – THE BANK JOB) wakes to discover she's living in 1982 and working under the watchful eye of the incredibly un-P.C. DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister, reprising his star-making role from LIFE ON MARS). For a progressive, career-driven woman, Drake finds herself at odds with the 1980s' method of investigation and a Scotland Yard unaccustomed to having a female voice heard. With the mystery surrounding the death of her parents now solved, Alex desperately seeks to find out how she has become trapped in the past, but must first unravel a conspiracy within her department that involves police corruption, a wealthy entrepreneur and a shadowy Superintendent involved with the Free Masons.

Customer Reviews

Fire Up The Quattro - LOM Team has done it again!!
Normally you don't write reviews before the DVD release date but this time i have to. I was a big fan of LOM and after the first episode of A2A i was not sure if this show could keep what LOM already delivered. But after seeing episode after episode i got thrilled by this show just as i was with LOM. I preordered the DVD set of series 1 and enjoyed it very much. When series 2 was ready to preorder i ordered it without having seen even one episode of the series. Now after the completion of series 2 on BBC i am very glad that i preordered the set because it only gets better and better. Gene Hunt, Alex Drake, Ray Carling, Chris Skelton, Shaz (does she have a surname?), Luigi all so loveable characters. Those added with twists and turns, 80s feel and music, great one liners and some big question marks leaving you begging for more! I just love the show and i can recommend it to everyone who likes well written scripts, great characters and thrilling quality TV. They have done it again: i'm totally hooked. So, fire up the Quattro an let it be the realease date of season 2 so i can watch it again and again :)

A2A 2.0: Darker, funnier, and better
I was a fan of the original LOM and Series 1 of A2A had its moments. I liked that Alex was the complete opposite of Sam. She was sure of herself, didn't care what anyone thought and was pro-active. Some thought her smug, I thought her wonderful. I didn't care for Gene Hunt in LOM, he bent the law, drank too much, and beat people up thinking he'd get confessions.He thought he was above the law. Yes, he was decidedly un-P.C. but I didn't care for him...I was in the minority as some found him heroic.

In A2A, Gene evolved. He wasn't policing in the 1970's anymore and Alex helped him use more modern techniques. A grudging respect blossomed.
In Series-2, the respect and working relationship has bloomed. Alex has settled in nicely with the team. The banter is wonderful as ever but the over-arching mysteries of this series are deeper, darker and more sinister.
A growing police corruption scandal is present throughout as is Alex's completely upended vision of where exactly she is and how to get out. The rules of this world aren't what she thought. The ground is constantly moving under her feet but she has found a bit of traction with the team and particularly Gene Hunt. Ray, Chris, and Shaz are there for support and a spot of learning but something is amiss.

I won't spoil it but this does crescendo beautifully to a final two-part conclusion which had our family simultaneously holding our breath and screaming. Pins and needles this one.

The writing is far more assured in Series-2 and so is the direction. Hawes and Glenister shine and they do have chemistry to burn: it's deeper than sexual chemistry and neither will admit it. They are both supremely gifted at speaking volumes with their eyes. The supporting cast each get their moment in the sun and they shine. I particularly loved the Alex-Ray relationship and how it developed through the season. Marvelously played with a deft touch by both.

If you like to get lost in mysteries and love to theorize, this is your show. You do have to watch and re-watch. I miss half the clues on first watch. The producers are careful to plant clues from the first seconds of episode one that reverberate all the way through the finale.

Well done!

love the series lets talk about the special features
I just got the dvd the other day...
Now hopefully with others peoples reviews, synopsis you are able to gather what the series is about, also you should really see series one first otherwise you'll be very confused.
I'm here to write a bit about the dvd extras:
1. Commentary on episodes 1 and 2
2. The 80s Quiz
3. Behind the Scenes

1. the commentaries - they are both fine commentaries with Ashley Pharoah and Matthew Graham talking about ep 1 and 2. Bit of a shame there are no actors talkings as they can usually come up with funny or interesting things that we didn't know about this episode, like 'it was really hot that day, or I couldn't stop laughing during that scene' - just to add a bit more to them.

2. The 80s quiz, this is fun - you get to see the actors being themselves and answering questions about 1982, see if you can answer them yourself... the onle thing I'd say is that it should be longer, I thought it was over to quick.

3. Behind the Scenes - this is always good, you get a few short interviews with Philip, Keeley, Dean etc talking about the scenes there doing, so this is nice to see as you see a bit behind the camera, especially since they go through every character, and how they've changed or whats happened to them in the new series.

Overall not a bad set of special featurres of course I always want more but this is definelty worth it with this and the episodes you won't be disappointed. x