Matthew Graham Movies

The BBC sci-fi-mystery series Life on Mars commences in 21st century Manchester, England, where a young detective, Sam Tyler (John Simm) attempts to track down a serial killer preying on residents in the area. Suddenly, Sam's girlfriend is kidnapped, and Sam suspects that the same individual is responsible for both the murders and the abduction, but before he can pursue the investigation further, he survives an extreme automobile accident and comes to - only to discover that the year is 1973. Unable to determine if he has actually traveled back in time, is dreaming or has lost his sanity, Sam sets about trying to solve the mystery; meanwhile, he continues to work on detective cases under the aegis of boss DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister), a no-nonsense type who resorts to violence as his first method when attempting to solve a conflict. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide

Often described as a more realistic alternative to Friends (or a less comprehensively gay Queer as Folk), this 1996-1997 British television hit tracked the sexual, personal, and professional misadventures of a quintet of young lawyers living together in a South London flat. Created by writer Amy Jenkins, who collaborated on the first three episodes with director Sam Miller, the show's high-drama, party-hard ethos brought the acid-house generation back into the TV fold and paved the way for a number of subsequent twentysomething soaps, from the aforementioned Queer as Folk to the Internet-themed Attachments. Although American audiences didn't get to see the show until it was broadcast in seemingly perpetual reruns on BBC America a few years later, only the program's Brit-pop- and trip-hop-heavy soundtrack seemed dated. The 11-episode first series, from 1996, chronicles the lives of brash, boozy junior barrister Anna Forbes (Daniela Nardini); Miles Andrews (Jack Davenport), Anna's posh, public-school arch nemesis/soul mate; Andrew "Egg" Cook (Andrew Lincoln), Miles' boyish, football-loving best friend; Milly Nassim (Amita Dhiri), Egg's cool, conflicted, control-freak of a girlfriend; and their therapy-addicted, working-class, defiantly gay friend, Warren Jones (Jason Hughes). Although these five characters share the same alma mater, it isn't until they all end up working at a pair of London legal firms that they enter the domestic constellation that will drive the program's drama. Some American audiences may not grasp the class and professional intricacies that add nuance to the characters' lust, envy, love, and friendship; others will savor the irony that crisp Milly is a more experienced solicitor than her inexperienced boyfriend; that hardworking "pouf" Warren is initially such a threat to likably laddish Egg; and that rich Miles and by-the-bootstraps Anna both long for the same exalted position as successful barristers. Indeed, professional intrigue, as much as sex, drives This Life's plot lines; Egg ditches his job in hopes of finding himself, leading to domestic tension with Milly and ultimately a new career; Anna angles for better cases any way she can, including a cozy friendship with a lesbian barrister; Miles finds himself on the opposite side of the courtroom from his manipulative father and feels threatened by Anna's burgeoning success; Milly indulges in a flirtation with her '60s-survivor boss and nurses a deep hatred of a beautiful blonde co-worker; and Warren finds his brash sexuality in conflict with his profession -- and with his desire not to scandalize his family. By the end of its first series, cult-favorite This Life had grown into a bona fide hit; but after 1997's 21-episode second series -- which featured heavier contributions from the supporting cast of Ramon Tikaram, Luisa Bradshaw-White, Steve John Shepherd, and Natasha Little -- the BBC decided not to continue. Some fans still trace rumors of a forthcoming third series, while others express gratitude that their favorite program went out on top. None of the principal participants besides Davenport (The Talented Mr. Ripley) has found further high-profile success, although Nardini, Jenkins, and Miller re-teamed for the similarly themed British film Elephant Juice. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

In this episode of This Life, Miles (Jack Davenport) goes on blind dates with two of the respondents to his Time Out personal ad, but neither assignation turns out the way he expected. Warren gets the chance to work on an exciting case, but office politics get in the way, setting the stage for a disagreement between him and Milly (Amita Dhiri). Milly overreacts when she sees Rachel (Natasha Little) leaving an early-morning meeting with O'Donnell (David Mallinson), furthering her dislike of the pert trainee. Kira (Luisa Bradshaw-White) continues her dogged pursuit of Jo (Steve John Shepherd), finally prancing into his office and making a date. Egg (Andrew Lincoln) begins his new job at the café and meets its stern owner, Mrs. Cochrane (Steph Bramwell). The slovenly Ferdy (Ramon Tikaram) starts to get on Warren's nerves and continues to annoy Miles. Anna (Daniela Nardini) conspires with Milly and Egg to play a practical joke on Miles by phoning in a fake response to his ad. Finally, Warren gets arrested while cruising for men in the park, and Milly has to come bail him out of jail. Series two, episode four of the cult-favorite British soap This Life: How to Get in Bed by Advertising first aired on BBC 2 on April 7, 1997. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide

In this episode of This Life, the house uneasily accepts Ferdy (Ramon Tikaram) as a short-term guest, though Warren (Jason Hughes) has trouble coming to terms with the ambiguous sexual orientation of his former one-night stand. Anna (Daniela Nardini) begins the difficult business of courting political favor in anticipation of her tenancy vote, with mixed results. Her decision to sell Miles (Jack Davenport) out on their joint case in This Life: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? sits better with some colleagues than it does with others, especially when Miles discusses the issue around the office. Miles gets his follow-up HIV test and immediately begins considering his next sexual conquest; Egg (Andrew Lincoln) helps him come up with a personal ad. Egg also manages to lose the house grocery kitty at the bookie's, though he wows the rest of the house with his abilities in the kitchen. Speaking the universal language of football, Egg also manages to charm café manager Nikki (Juliet Cowan) into considering him for a job as a short-order cook. Meanwhile, Milly (Amita Dhiri) and Warren start learning the difficult business of working together. Ferdy visits his priest in hopes of a joint counseling session with his former fiancée, Mia, but it does no good. Later, while clubbing with Warren, he hits on Rachel. At home, he also tries to get back into Warren's pants, to no avail. Kira (Luisa Bradshaw-White) is equally unsuccessful in catching Jo (Steve John Shepherd)'s interest, especially after Miles gives Jo some of his typically ill-informed romantic advice. Series two, episode three of the cult-favorite British soap This Life: The Bi Who Came in From the Cold first aired on BBC 2 on March 31, 1997. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide