Life On Mars' Gene Hunt has never been one to hold back on his opinions, and it seems that art mirrors life in the case of Philip Glenister. He's been mouthing off, in true Gene Hunt style, to the Radio Times about the state of British TV. As well as stating that EastEnders was "up it's arse", one particular genre of TV attracted his ire the most.

"There's so much cheapness, with all this reality stuff," he said. "Someone makes big bucks at someone else's expense and it's the sadistic element of shows like Big Brother I find so cruel. We're so screwed up with our principles. We used to mock Japanese game shows where they ate bugs. Now we're doing the same, if not worse. It's terrifying." You can just hear Gene Hunt shouting during that quote. So is he right? Is there too much reality TV on telly? Quite probably, but as long as there is quality drama around, like LOM, that will keep me happy enough. Doesn't take much.

Eyebrows were raised, jaws dropped and general shocked expressions were cast when US network NBC took The Office and didn't ruin it. In fact it did so well it actually won awards and is still going strong, despite the original UK version ending after two series. Pretty amazing really, especially when you consider that Coupling bombed big style when it was remade by the same network.

The success of The Office has obviously got the American networks slavering, because there's a whole slew, a veritable raft, of British shows ready to be remade. To some fans of these shows, you're probably already preparing yourself for protest, but it seems the US suddenly can't get enough of our favourite telly programmes. So which ones are on the slate? Read on to find out...

Sam had O.D.'d in his hospital bed in 2007 for some reason. Maybe another ex-con who had it in for him? Maybe a cackhanded nurse, or a slipped drip? Who knows. The result in 1973 is that he's behaving like an amphetamine addict and everything, not just his pet TV set, is talking to him. The radio, the advertising hoardings, the side of a milk float. He's in a bad way.

After a dodgy episode last week, Life On Mars returned to form with a story about young girls being murdered and dumped on wasteland in a manner reminiscent of a serial killer - "Manc the Knife" (groan!) - Hunt had, he thought, put away years before.

But as always with Life On Mars, the story took a back seat to the humorous infiltration of 21st century knowledge and methods into '70s bigotry and simplicity, which this week reached new heights. The humour I mean, not the bigotry.

As I mentioned before, ITV are showing a season of Jane Austen adaptations very soon, starting with Billie Piper in Mansfield Park this Sunday. To celebrate, then, we thought we'd take a look back on some of the period dramas that have graced our screens over the years.

Now, to save it from being all corsets and fainting (ie. all Austen and Dickens) I've been, well, a little *free* with the definition. So while the top five are pretty serious, numbers ten to six are not your standard costume dramas - but interesting, I hope.

A-Division receive a bomb warning, the caller claiming the IRA are about to extend their bombing campaign to Manchester. But Sam knows the IRA never used dynamite - only home-made explosives - and believes the bomb doesn't exist. Only it does, and his misplaced certainty results in DS Ray Carling being injured and the rest of the team turning their back on Sam.

Auntie might be decidedly dischuffed about the RTS journalism and soap awards, but she has reason to be cheerful on the subject of the drama award, since both established Saturday night question Doctor Who (answer: Primeval, but only if you're under ten) and award-winning mould-breaking time-shifting science fiction drama Life On Mars are both nominated for the Royal Television Society's Drama award, as is last year's excellent and all too short series about the lives on a single street: The Street.

I'm definitely glad not to be judging this category, as I'd have to give the award to all of them.

Well they brought the '70s back to life with great style, and now the producers of BBC One's Life On Mars are set to do the same with the '80s, according to a report in today's Sun.

Mars' spin-off Ashes to Ashes will follow the career of DCI Gene Hunt eight years after the period covered in the original show (and presumably after Sam Tyler has slipped back to the future). The title continues the theme of Bowie's music which helped make Life On Mars such an iconic success.

So not quite "ten years after" then? No, but I couldn't resist a nod to the old band.

Why did DI Sam Tyler find himself back in 1973? Will he ever get back to 2007? Will he get it together with Annie Cartwright before he goes? How wide can flares get? Just how much Old Spice can one man wear? The answers to these and many more questions are about to be revealed as series 2 (of 2) of Life On Mars begins in a couple of weeks.

Have you seen Life on Mars? When I first heard about it, I thought it was a David Bowie documentary, but as we all now know, it's a BBC drama that sees John Simm playing Sam Tyler who somehow wakes up 33 years back in time in 1973... but somehow manages to still keep his job as a copper (a bit like Adam Adamant in reverse eh?).

Anyway, Life on Mars has been a rousing success getting decent reviews and good viewing figures, so obviously, our American cousins have sat up and taken note and are set to remake the BBC time-travel cop show for ABC. David E. Kelley is writing and executive-producing Mars for ABC, and to be honest, I can see it working if they make it look like a cross between Shaft and Starsky and Hutch. There are no dates as yet, but we'll keep you informed. [Mof Gimmers]

A 20-second spoof of Camberwick Green has been made by the BBC to promote series 2 of Life on Mars, and is being distributed virally for maximum exposure. In an inventive twist, the sequence will also be used in the show itself as part of a dream Sam has following drug treatment, used in the present to try to bring him out of his coma.

The show's marketing, which includes blanket coverage of all media outlets, maintains the retro theme by using the 1970s' BBC branding. At the end of the campaign the Ford Cortina Mark III used in the show will be auctioned, and proceeds donated to Comic Relief.

Click here to download the video clip

2006 has been a good year for new drama, whether it be one-offs, potential pilots masquerading as a short series of one-offs, costume dramas or complete new series. One of the best such was Life On Mars. The premise was so weird and original, the execution so accurate and original, that the show was catapulted to the top of everyone's must-see list and became one of the most widely discussed programmes of the year.

It was way back in July that we revealed the possibility that the second series of Life on Mars may be the last.  Today, the BBC confirmed that the decision has finally been made, and the time warp will close on the story at the end of series two.  But just so we don't all get complacent, producers have pulled the "filming two endings" trick again to keep us all guessing.

All the loose ends will be tied up, including explaining how Sam Tyler came to be stuck in the 1970s in the first place.  Wearing a scruffy leather jacket will never be the same again.

With the second series of Life on Mars currently in production the big talking point among the writers, cast and crew is whether they will resist doing more.  Speaking to the US press, star Philip Glenister says: "John Simm and I are pretty adamant that we don't push the show beyond its natural shelf life and we think that's probably sooner rather than later. Whether we wrap things up at the end of this season, or whether we have a two-part special afterwards, we're not quite sure yet."

No date for screening the second series is yet available, although it is likely to be in the Winter/Spring season.

The first series of everyone's favourite time-travelling cop show Life on Mars is just about to hit the US. John Simm and Philip Glenister are on the promo circuit, thus prompting this little interview with SciFi Wire: I never realised Glenister was modelling Gene Hunt on Brian Clough, but there you go - you learn something new every day.

The Stage's TV Today blog is also generous enough to gives us a few facts about season two, including the useful hint that it's going to be even more surreal than the first one. I guess LSD was part of the 70s... [Rob Buckley]

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