The Futon Critic reviews US Life on Mars

The Futon Critic has an in-depth review of the American Life on Mars pilot, but notes that it will be reshot because of the producers replacing David E. Kelley wanting to recast. It doesn’t look too bad, and contrary to all those fans moaning because they didn’t hear the Bowie song in the trailer (do you guys know how much is paid to get a song into an ad? And was it used in any of the British trailers?), it is worked in to the story in exactly the same way as the UK one: it’s on Sam’s Ipod.
   Some names are changed, there’s a character called George Randall (played by Lenny Clarke) who seems to be neither Chris nor Ray, it’s LA 1972 and not Manchester 1973 (probably to allow for the story to cover the presidential election, fitting for 2008 in the US). Sam hears or sees Maya through the TV, and Annie Cartwright is already a detective, not a PW. We knew all of this already, but the Critic has a few more incidental details of the pilot.
   The author of the review, Brian Ford Sullivan, believes the show will likely be successful, rather than follow the route of the American version of Coupling.
   Now, it Brits really want to get upset, wait till the Americans redo The Vicar of Dibley next year.