AIN'T NECESSARILY SO...

ABC pulls the plug on the American version of Life on Mars. A finale will explain how Sam Tyler got transported back in time and will (maybe) bring him back to his own time (http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/ustv/a148359/abc-axes-life-on-mars-after-one-season.html).

In november 2008 your humble servant wrote: « To adapt foreign formats will certainly not be the solution to the troubles of this Fall's schedules or of the whole season. See ABC's Life on Mars US... What's the point of adapting series American viewers already know through BBC America or the internet? Do programing execs believe Brit shows are still ghettoized on PBS or relegated to cheapo syndication deals? » (http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2008/11/la-cabeza-de-alfredo-garcia.html). But ABC has not lost faith in foreign formats, Argentinian shows are the flavor of next season (http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/03/things-to-watch-in-hollywoodland-you.html), and the network will adapt ITV's No heroics.

To guess the fate of Life on Mars US was no psychic: two pilots (think of it, Life on Mars' premise has been remade twice!), renowned producer David Kelley leaving the adaptation, major cast changes with Colm Meaney being replaced by Harvey Keitel as the American Gene Hunt, and mistakes, with Michael Imperioli not casted as Hunt. A move from Los Angeles to New York, and a new production team. But most of all, Jason O'Mara (Sam Tyler) and Harvey Keitel had the impossible mission to reprise roles played by John Simm (imagine poor Russell Crowe in the State of Play movie) and Philip Glenister.

British production companies should rent their shooting facilities - like what the producers of the Fort Boyard game do, in order to help US Networks to try to devise proper adaptations of their shows. More seriously, La Chica de ayer, the Spanish Life on Mars, looks far more interesting with its local cultural and historical input (http://tattard2.blogspot.com/2009/02/la-chica-de-ayer-spanish-life-on-mars.html). You must bring something more than the concept and American actors or locations.

Thank God, Harvey Keitel, one of the most talented American actors, didn't try British accent. Perhaps on Demons US?

LA CHICA DE AYER (THE SPANISH LIFE ON MARS)

2009, Samuel Santos is an ambitious and determined Chief Inspector of the Madrid police. Violently hit by a car, he awakes 32 years before, in 1977, during the España de la Transición (Spain during the transition to democracy, two years after the death of general Franco).

Not only he's now only Inspector but he must work under the command of Chief Inspector Joaquín "Quin" Gallardo, epitome of the macho type in a sexist, homophobic police which constantly flirts with the borders of the Law. And only Ana Valverde, in charge of administrative tasks, doesn't think Santos is mad. Sounds familiar? Of course... La chica de ayer (The Girl from Yesterday) is the official Spanish adaptation of Life on Mars, the cult classic BBC television series with John Simm as Sam Tyler.

This Spanish version (a first series of 8 episodes), produced by the company Ida y Vuelta, will arrive soon on Antena 3 (Un Paso Adelante - sort of Spanish Kids from Fame) with Ernesto Alterio as Samuel, Antonio Garrido as Gallardo - the Spanish Gene Hunt, and Manuela Velasco as Ana.

Unlike the US unnecessary remake for ABC, the idea of a Spanish Life on Mars is naratively very attractive - with the cultural clash between the 2009 cop and the Police force in a Spain at the beginning of the post-Franco era. This Spanish historical and cultural input could make La chica de ayer (in reference to a standard by the band Nacha Pop) far more interesting than its US counterpart. And Spain did a rather good job on its adaptation of RIS Delitti Imperfetti (RIS Cientifica, for Telecinco) - the Italian answer to the CSI franchise.

La chica de ayer on the Antena 3 website: http://www.antena3.com/lachicadeayer/

Some first impressions (in Spanish): http://www.chicadelatele.com/2009/02/17/la-chica-de-ayer-cuatro-minutos-que-bien-valen-mi-atencion