Ashes To Ashes: From beginning to The End
Roehampton. Wednesday, 10 February. 10pm.
"This is the end - beautiful friend... "
Jim Morrison and The Doors there folks. The end is always beautiful to a writer. It means you've done it. It's finished. Story is told. Switch off the computer and go to the pub.
So am I forlorn, perched on a camera box on the edge of set on a freezing cold night in Roehampton, south west London as director David Drury shoots the last ever close up of Gene Hunt? No, I'm not. Sorry. Je ne regret rien as they say in parts of Somerset. The story is told. I think two of my toes have fallen off inside my boots and the icy camera box has put my bum under local anaesthetic but I feel... well... satisfied.
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It is a hard but acceptable reality that shows will run and run not until the race is won but until the network blows the whistle and calls the event off. Usually between series. With Ashes we set ourselves the task of telling a three year story. This meant running over the line even if the cheering crowds wanted the race to carry on.
It may also have meant panting to the finish whilst the stadium cleared out early. Don't know why I'm sounding so cocksure - that may still happen. Stay in the stadium folks! It's neck and neck on the final straight, I swear!
Where did this story start? Not in Blackpool with and . For me, it started with Uncle John. He wasn't a real uncle; he was a drinking mate of my dad's, the kind you were made to call "uncle" in the 70s. He wore a camel-hair coat and smelt of fags and bitter and High Karate. He played darts and would say things like "Be a good boy Matty and pass uncle's Panatellas off the table."
In my world of boyhood fears and fantasies he was a rock of self-assurance, smelling of crafty pints and one hundred-and-eighty and masculine camaraderie. He was a god. And like all gods, I knew he would live forever. And that was Gene Hunt.
He wasn't called Gene Hunt for many years but when Tony, Ash and I were discussing our 70s cop show - Ford Granada - I realised there might be a context for Uncle John. Uncle John with his coat, his slip-ons, his fags, his beer-breath, his dart-throwing arm... and this time with a gun and a fast car too.
Go get 'em Uncle John!
And so there was Life On Mars. Tone, Ash, Matty - three soap opera oiks who met on EastEnders and decided to write a show about coma-cops falling into episodes of . And Uncle John had become Gene Hunt. And Gene Hunt had become ruddy iconic. Like the with a beer-gut bestriding the land.
So now we reach the middle of the story. Mars ends. But there are still questions. Is Sam dead? What is this world? Who is Gene? Will Ray ever shave off that 'tache?
Ashes To Ashes was our response to a question from the Ö÷²¥´óÐã: Is there any more Gene Hunt? But honestly, we were thinking about Gene and the 80s whilst we were finishing Mars. Because if the 70s forged him, the 80s were only ever going to betray him. In an age of crass, shallow opportunism, Gene was going to be cast adrift. A dinosaur in a rapidly changing world. And THAT'S drama.
And whereas the 70s were mythical to us because we had been kids then, the 80s were ironically more knowing, more grown up, because we were. Not that we started that way. We had Alex Drake - our gorgeous, confident, intelligent police psychiatrist (I mean psychologist - although it's the same thing). Shot in the head and back in time surrounded by characters created by Sam Tyler. Why?
A new mystery started to unfold, with this feisty, smart-mouth woman going nose-to-nose with the Guv. And as soon as squared up to , we had to put on our sunglasses before the crackling of sexual energy blinded us.
Sitting here in the cold on my camera box, I smile as I recall that lighting test - the first time Phil and Keeley played a scene. Keeley - vulnerable yet defiant. Phil - domineering yet wary. And she reaches out to feel his heartbeat. To see if Gene can be real. And the script calls for him to do the same. And Phil goes for it. They have met as actors only 10 minutes ago yet he reaches out and grabs her right breast with one large hand, uttering the elegiac line "Fandabbydozey."
And then they both fall into each other, giggling like kids. And we're all giggling. But with relief. There's chemistry. And we need chemistry to sustain us through three series.
And so we set sail. Series one - frothy, arch, silly and fun. Yes, fun. Some thought too much fun. But it's the 80s, it's the Quattro, it's New Romantics. Come ON. What, you want ? Then go see Ibsen, cos we're having fun over here dancing to .
Then series two - darker, shadier. Alex now feeling consumed by this world and by her growing fear of, yet attraction to Gene. And Super Mac trailing corruption in his wake. Culminating in Gene threatening publicly to kill Alex himself if she crosses him again. And then shooting her - accidentally - he swears accidentally. And Alex slipping into a coma within her coma and finding herself back home with Gene leering at her from every hospital monitor - on the run for her attempted murder - and shouting at her to WAKE UP!
And so to series three - where the two worlds of Mars and Ashes begin to collide. Where the stakes have never been higher. The dark is rising now. There's still plenty of fun but it's the kind of fun one has in defiance of the cold wind blowing through. And why are we bringing it all to an end? Because a story needs an end. A journey needs a destination. And this show has been a journey for all of us.
In true filming style, we shot the last ever scenes in the story last week. God, our cast were on fire. I mean they were outstanding. And now, tonight, we're ending on a scene from episode seven. Mood is good. Champagne is cracked and waiting for toasts as soon as David shouts "Wrap."
What will I miss most? Writing a show where one can hop from comedy, to action, to pathos, to supernatural, to romance - all in one episode. The freedom, the space to evolve a tale in the way that only television can do.
Because, whatever I write next, I know this is the big story of my career. And I thank you for listening to it. Am I sad? Nope. This story has a start, a middle and an end.
That's a wrap.
The End.
Pub?
Pub.
Matthew Graham is co-creator, co-writer and co-executive producer of Ashes To Ashes
Comment number 1.
At 1st Apr 2010, daveac wrote:Thanks for the insights.
I can't wait to see this third series story unfold.
And luckliy I AM off to the Pub tonight!
Cheers, daveac
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Comment number 2.
At 1st Apr 2010, Silja wrote:Thanks for sharing and for giving birth, raising and complete this marvelous series. It's the best Tv-series ever!
I'm from Norway and I love your work. Good luck with tomorrows show.
I can't wait for the dvd release :-)
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Comment number 3.
At 2nd Apr 2010, rose wrote:Role on 9pm cant wait to see the third and last series. Sorry its finishing but better on a high.
Thank you to to the writers for a real great series.
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Comment number 4.
At 2nd Apr 2010, Hyperstar wrote:What will Ö÷²¥´óÐã One show now this is finished? I think they will just nick Newswipe from Ö÷²¥´óÐã4
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Comment number 5.
At 2nd Apr 2010, jingscrivvens wrote:Dear Points Of View ; Amazing writing,fabulous casting and brilliant music.A2A and LOM are worth the licence fee on their own. Cant wait to see series 3.
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Comment number 6.
At 2nd Apr 2010, Trev wrote:Good to see Ashes to Ashes back but yet again very disappointing picture quality on Ö÷²¥´óÐã HD. To top it all it was anounced that the next episode will be in 2 weeks time on Ö÷²¥´óÐã HD because of the Golf. This scheduling is totaly unacceptable. How can the Ö÷²¥´óÐã expect to build up the HD audience by messing us about like this. Why does the Ö÷²¥´óÐã waist money on producing something in HD only to discourage viewers watching it in HD.
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Comment number 7.
At 3rd Apr 2010, heilanner wrote:it was great to see A2A back, especially in HD!! but trevorjharris is right; why the hell would the schedulers do this to us A2A fans? is 3.2 going to be shown a week late on HD or not at all ala Mad Men? if the HD channel is going to be a week behind Ö÷²¥´óÐã1 then it means i (and many others) will not be able to talk to any of our friends or family members, or watch any other tv show, listen to any radio show, read any newspapers or magazines or look at any related websites for fear of having it spoilt!
if you're just not showing it at all on HD then it seems pointless to have shot it that way. honestly, the people behind the HD channel (i'm looking at YOU Danielle) have absolutely no regard for their viewers!
A2A is a series, designed to be watched in sequence. the golf is a one-off event which doesn't even benefit from HD treatment.
the people behind A2A should demand the Ö÷²¥´óÐã simulcast it on the HD channel. they seem, after all, to care about their fans. the Ö÷²¥´óÐã however couldn't give a toss about the people who pay their wages.
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Comment number 8.
At 3rd Apr 2010, Marquee wrote:I agree - the whole way in which Ö÷²¥´óÐã HD is run appears to be a perfect example of how to show contempt for your audience. Not just the picture quality, but scheduling issues like this. And it's the shows that suffer - I could easily have missed the fact that it hadn't series-linked to next week. Hence I won't bother risking to record it on HD again (I rarely watch anything live these days). Not that it makes much difference anyway on Ö÷²¥´óÐã HD.
But great to have A2A back, can't wait to see how it concludes.
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Comment number 9.
At 3rd Apr 2010, daveac wrote:Firstly I enjoyed Ashes to Ashes and it's now back on track with Gean & the gang in full flow
#post 7 the golf is a one-off event which doesn't even benefit from HD treatment.
I can't agree with that statement - here's an image (not a screen grag) from last year:-
Of course I not sure how good the HD picture will be at this reduced bit-rate.
As to Ashes to Ashes it does seem daft to start a series and then skip a week - it really would help if now Channel 5 are not taking up their HD slot - we could have two Ö÷²¥´óÐã HD channels - whether that's Ö÷²¥´óÐã 1 HD & Ö÷²¥´óÐã 2 HD or the current Ö÷²¥´óÐã HD (mixed channel) and Ö÷²¥´óÐã Sports HD
Cheers, daveac
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Comment number 10.
At 3rd Apr 2010, heilanner wrote:but do you really need HD to see a ball being knocked about some grass? be honest, A2A deserves the HD treatment (and timeslot) more than the golf does.
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Comment number 11.
At 7th Apr 2010, Daniellenagler wrote:I wanted to pick up the comments 6 through to 10 from trevorjharris, heilanner, marquee and daveac.
There are a significant number of people - based on previous years' viewing - who are very keen to see "a ball being knocked about some grass" from Augusta, particularly since HD allows you to see the ball as it flies through the air, and to appreciate the differences between the rough, the fairway and the green.
We would much rather be in a position to maintain a simulcast of Ashes to Ashes with Ö÷²¥´óÐã One throughout the run - but with commitments to the US Masters we have had to identify the first available post-watershed slot for episode two that is affected by our live golf coverage. That happens to be Monday (12th) at 9pm (as the golf runs through the weekend) and so that is when Ashes to Ashes will be available in HD that week.
One HD channel bringing content from across the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's channels is never going to avoid these kind of conflicts - we do our best to manage them, and of course I'm sorry that for some that creates "unacceptable" scheduling. I believe that to be preferable - personally - to making and broadcasting less content in HD.
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Comment number 12.
At 7th Apr 2010, heilanner wrote:Thanks for replying Danielle :) You say that "a significant number of" people will want to watch the golf? i'll be interested to see how the viewing figures compare to those of Ashes To Ashes!!! i have a feeling i know which show will win.
you also say that you'd prefer to have scheduling which your PAYING audience find unacceptable? that's a very strange attitude for the head of a channel. surely you should be doing everything possible to make the people who pay your wages happy?
you may prefer one channel (making people angry that they cannot see the shows they love as someone at HD head office has decided something else should be shown in it's place), but methinks you may be in the minority here. it's been made abundantly clear both on the old HD blogs and on various other sites such as Digital Spy that what the paying public want is simulcast channels. we don't care if it means upscaling non-HD shows. in fact, we WANT upscaling of non-HD shows!!!
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Comment number 13.
At 8th Apr 2010, Darren Phillips wrote:I understand the Ö÷²¥´óÐã has dedicated channels for various genre, Danielle, and hasn't it always been the problem that sport and SF/Drama are FORCED to clash like this?
WHY the hodgepodge of competing stuff?
I remember, as a child, missing out on a lot of my favourite shows because 80s Ö÷²¥´óÐã was incapable of juggling a decent schedule and maintaining consistency. It upset me then because I didn't understand it.
It upsets me now because I see no progress - even with your much vaunted & trumpeted (plus over-indulgent/showy 'cool' idents) expansion, sadly now being sullied by Murdoch & Son - whom I despise.
You have to have the capacity for consistency for ALL licence payers or you'll lose the public's faith - and we don't really need you in this format anyway.
If you are going to be inconsistent, fine, a larger corporation will take over distributing all your output in HD from very large servers, I imagine very much like iplayer & on demand do now, but at transmission time onwards - and for a better fee than the £150 a year I currently pay you and only use for Doctor Who, Ashes, and the Football that terrible, odious man hasn't stolen from the Great British public - i.e. 90% of it.
I despise Murdoch, but he'll bring in HDDTV before Virgin unless you have better vision, and do you want me to break a lifetime promise at 41?
I won't, but you should sort yourselves out and do your jobs properly for decent, hard-working licence payers.
I must add that all this 'reality' stuff is utter BOSH! and a cheap, cowardly solution that is a shameful indictment of our times and an insult to all fields of British TV production, as is imported nonsense like 'Lost' (Channel 5, I know, but take my point please).
'Hallo, Spaceboy' please!
Dx
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Comment number 14.
At 9th Apr 2010, paul_geaton wrote:Matthew, my thanks for an entertaining Blog and a wonderful TV show!
Danielle, in the light of the recent scheduling comments (#6-13) though, wouldn't now be a good time for a new Blog from you revealing the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's plans for its HD future. I'm assuming that you do have a plan and that it doesn't involve having just one, all-purpose, HD channel in perpetuity.
Whilst you can't please everyone all of the time it's worth considering that you could make us all a little less upset if you reveal how you intend trying to please more of us more of the time, in due course.
Back to topic, I was away for A2A last week so I'm really looking forward to seeing it in HD for the first time next Monday (and, of course, I'm really hoping that the PQ (and surround sound?) will meet my expectations).
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Comment number 15.
At 11th Apr 2010, wednesday83 wrote:To those moaning about the lack of an Ashes to Ashes simulcast, have you seen the quality of Ashes to Ashes HD?? Its awful. Hardly any difference to the SD version at all - infact not sure how BBD HD are getting away showing it when they claim there channel is all HD content...
As for the Golf, it really can look fantastic in HD when its on the right channel. Its just a shame the Ö÷²¥´óÐã have got the rights to it.
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Comment number 16.
At 11th Apr 2010, wednesday83 wrote:@ 14, I wouldnt get too excited if I was you. To call it HD is a bit of a joke really.
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Comment number 17.
At 11th Apr 2010, Simon Scuffham wrote:I also would like to thank Matthew Graham for a truly different, quality bit of work. A2A is right up there in the list of the very best material the Ö÷²¥´óÐã have ever shown.
My only gripe with this latest series is the picture quality is tragic, watched it on Ö÷²¥´óÐã1 (before I realised it was also on HD), and it was well below the std I would have expected, poor definition, smudging, and general lack of clarity.
then saw it was also on HD, so watched that version, and to he honest, it was also quite poor, marginally better with static shots, but once again, very hit and miss once the camera starts to move at speed.
Is this really how you intended your work to be shown?
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Comment number 18.
At 11th Apr 2010, derek500 wrote:@12
You may be surprised. Last year The Masters reached number three in the Ö÷²¥´óÐã HD ratings. That's based on the average across the whole transmission. If the 'peak' was used it would have been number one.
With all the publicity, the first episode of Ashes to Ashes on Ö÷²¥´óÐã1, hardly set the world alight, ratings wise.
Personally, I'd rather The Masters was on Sky, but at least Ö÷²¥´óÐã do give their HD viewers the chance to see it too.
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Comment number 19.
At 11th Apr 2010, citizenloz wrote:@ 18 derek500 wrote:
You may be surprised. Last year The Masters reached number three in the Ö÷²¥´óÐã HD ratings. That's based on the average across the whole transmission. If the 'peak' was used it would have been number one.
Though that may be an indication of how weak the rest of the Ö÷²¥´óÐã HD programming is, not how appealing the masters is... if the only thing it has to compete with in the ratings is the 47th repeat of planet earth, it wouldn't be hard.
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Comment number 20.
At 11th Apr 2010, Trev wrote:It is not only Ashes to Ashes which has been affected. No HD Antiques Roadshow is available today.
If the Ö÷²¥´óÐã wants to cover live events such as Golf it needs another HD channel. My view is that it should simulcast Ö÷²¥´óÐã 1 and use a second channel to fill in the rest. The Ö÷²¥´óÐã has plenty of transponder space on satellite and even has a spare HD channel on Freeview HD.
The Ö÷²¥´óÐã has just spent over 1 billion pounds on refurbishing Broadcasting House. The Ö÷²¥´óÐã has been critisised by parliment for the over spend on this project which was partly due to accomadating another overseas channel. The Ö÷²¥´óÐã needs to change its priorities and put more money into HD in the UK.
@Darren Phillips
I don't understand your antagonism to Murdoch. First he only has a minority interest in Sky. If it wasn't for Sky we would not have an HD television in the UK.
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Comment number 21.
At 14th Apr 2010, MikeFay wrote:"If it wasn't for Sky we would not have an HD television in the UK."
Given that the Belgians had started using the same satellite system to broadcast HDTV (in 2004), it wasn't the most challenging task in the world for Sky to follow suit in 2006.
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Comment number 22.
At 16th Apr 2010, lelly wrote:loving the series - Ashes To Ashes is such a brilliant show as was Life on Mars. Have to say I am really worried that it may be heading towards an ending like the US version of Life on Mars - which was quite frankly - pants. Keeping evrything crossed that it isn't the same coz that would be a major dissapointment.
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Comment number 23.
At 21st May 2010, SheffieldDave wrote:I understood what the storyline of the final episode was but am very disappointed in the Ö÷²¥´óÐã. What a cop out, this could have been a classic episode but it should be relegated to the catacombs until the writers return from their digit removal seminars and do an ending worthy of the rest of the series.
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Comment number 24.
At 23rd May 2010, A2ARocks1 wrote:Hi I'm K - I had an accident in 2010 and woke up in ??? ...... wait a minute ..... well actually it was on the 22.05.2010 when the cold hard rush of reality hit me suddenly , like a rush of alkies heading for the bar for last orders - there will be no more Ashes to Ashes !! Noooo. Oh BooHoo.
So seriously is that correct ? As D.C.I Hunt would say " who's going to collar all the scum-de-la-scum now then ? ". Please don't leave us in this barren limbo land of 2010 - we want more retro/ David Bowie + other 80's hits [ I'll even settle for 90's?? ]
Excellent acting / excellent storyline / [ some say not as good as LOM ] not me - it was all good ! And what's this about USA involvement ? That would really be a kiss of death as far as I'm concerned - Remember Red Dwarf / Cracker ????
RIP LOM + A2A you will be sadly missed. Now where is that pub ? - errmm Railway Arms wasn't it ??
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Comment number 25.
At 24th May 2010, Mossy wrote:Ashes to Ashes and Life on Mars has been the best thing on TV since Edge of Darkness !! i have only just been able to watch the last episode of Life on Mars for the second time ! i dont know how long it will be until i can watch the last Ashes again, I am not ashamed to say after Fridays last Ashes i didnt sleep all question in my head,this was the best one hour i have spent ever! i didn't want them all to be dead and i wanted Alex Back ! ah well its only fiction isnt it ??
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Comment number 26.
At 26th May 2010, windywendy wrote:Disbelief was well and truly suspended some considerable time ago so the ending could have gone anywhere and I would have bought it. That said, I thought the last episode worked extremely well and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
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Comment number 27.
At 2nd Jun 2010, mvagusta wrote:Never have I been absorbed into a TV series as I have with both Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes.
The script is simply "genius" and you can almost feel the chemistry between the characters. The whole set is just perfectly matched.
I seriously feel however that the Ö÷²¥´óÐã should somehow extend this maybe even a *movie* version? maybe I am being too hopeful but this was just an incredibly well scripted series.
A big thanks to all those that made this series possible. The DVD box sets will remain cherished for years to come.....
A big thank you.
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Comment number 28.
At 2nd Jul 2010, MJ wrote:Dear Mr Graham, thank you thank you thank you. And thank you.
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Comment number 29.
At 25th Jul 2010, patrickpp1 wrote:Hi I am writing from the French alps where my wife and I have watched all the episodes from Life on Mars to Ashes to ashes. As we cannot watch the show in english we bought all the DVDS. We saw the last episode yesterday.
We enjoyed it enormously and think it is really brilliant from start to finish.
It is the very best British Tv show I have ever seen, and I have seen many in England, Sweden and France where we now live.
This is what makes the difference between American shows and British ones:
Flair, great ideas and dialogues, a sense of humour and very attaching character and no need for a load of special effects.
Thank you ever so much to the writers, the fantastic actors: you gave us may hours of excitement, joy and happiness.
and please if anybody can transfer our comments to the writers, the crew and actors so that they know that they have huge fans in France.
Maybe we'll meet one day in a pub. Not the railway arms I hope.
Best wishes.
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