ASHES TO ASHES TAKES BBC AMERICA BACK TO THE '80s

-U.S. premiere of sequel to hit series Life on Mars-

BBC AMERICA's inventive and highly acclaimed police hit drama Life on Mars transported a modern day cop back to the '70s. Now the eagerly awaited sequel, Ashes to Ashes, finds hard-nosed Detective Chief Inspector Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister, Life on Mars, Cranford) no longer the self-styled 'Sheriff of Manchester' but taking it to the scum of London in his new Audi Quattro. Ashes to Ashes premieres Saturday, March 7, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

It's 1981 - the year of Princess Diana's wedding, the Brixton Riots, the invasion of yuppies - and the year that everyone's favorite politically incorrect cop Gene Hunt takes the London Metropolitan police force by storm. Flanked by his faithful sidekicks, Ray Carling (Dean Andrews, Life on Mars) and Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster, Life on Mars), he has been transferred down South, to the action and intrigue of the London Met.

It's bad enough having to deal with the �southern nancy� criminal scum, but an even bigger thorn in his side is about to be foisted on him in the shape of a sexy, strong-willed and intelligent officer from the 21st Century.

Ambitious single mother, Detective Inspector Alex Drake, has risen rapidly through the ranks of the Met in the modern world of 2008, where her skills as a psychological profiler are valued highly as an aid to capturing suspects. But she is ripped from her current world of high tech, sexual equality and respect when she is kidnapped and shot. Suddenly, Alex finds herself in 1981, interacting with familiar characters from her past and from the detailed reports she's been studying, logged by none other than Sam Tyler.

In two-tone '80s London with a New Romantic soundtrack ringing in her ears, Alex finds herself working with the boorish Gene Hunt himself, whose methods of nailing villains and opinions of women detectives and psychological profilers are still stuck in the Stone Age.

While some of Gene's team has dispersed, others, loyal as ever, are still in tow. Now a technological whizz-kid in the squad's surveillance team, Detective Constable Chris Skelton has clearly moved with the times, along with a tight-permed Detective Sergeant Ray Carling, who is keen to experience London's nightlife. Frustrated by each other's stubbornness, the friction between Alex and Gene heats up. But, as the two titans collide, it becomes apparent there is more than just professional tension emerging.

Jane Featherstone, Executive Producer for Kudos, says: �Ashes to Ashes is the next chapter in the life of Gene Hunt, as seen through the eyes of a modern, no-nonsense woman. It's a touch of Moonlighting teamed with a measure of Miami Vice. Keeley is fantastic as Alex 'posh knickers' Drake. She is sexy, ballsy and very intelligent � and turns Gene's egocentric life upside down!�

Like Life on Mars, which has been adapted for ABC, Ashes to Ashes takes its title from a David Bowie record.

BBC AMERICA brings audiences a new generation of award-winning television featuring news with a uniquely global perspective, provocative dramas, razor-sharp comedies and life-changing makeovers. BBC AMERICA pushes the boundaries to deliver high quality, highly addictive and eminently watchable programming to viewers who demand more. BBC AMERICA is distributed by Discovery Networks. It is available on digital cable and satellite TV in more than 62 million homes.

EPISODE SYNOPSES

***WARNING SPOILER ALERT***

Episode one

When DI Alex Drake is shot and lands in 1981, she comes face-to-face with DCI Gene Hunt, the relic of old-fashioned policing she read about in Sam Tyler's reports. Alex thinks she is in a coma and needs Hunt's help to go after Layton, the man who shot her in 2008. She is confident she knows the rules of the game, but, with no contact from the outside world, Alex has to contend with a terrifying possibility.

Premieres Saturday, March 7, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Episode two

It's the week of the Royal Wedding, and CID (Criminal Investigation Department) is under pressure to keep the streets quiet. Realizing she is stuck here for now, Alex is desperate for escapism. She goes on a date with a handsome Thatcherite and makes contact with her mother, Caroline. As bombs threaten to ruin Charles and Diana's big day, Gene needs Alex to stop being distracted and acknowledge this world has the power to hurt.

Premieres Saturday, March 14, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Episode three

When a prostitute complains of rape, Alex has a tough time convincing Gene to take the case seriously. She is the lone voice in CID, and only the link to a recent murder victim makes Gene take the investigation further. The pursuit of the attacker takes them undercover to a costume party, but has Alex's determination got the better of her, and is her effort to prove a point masking her judgment?

Premieres Saturday, March 21, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Episode four

When the body of a worker at a nuclear research center disappears from the morgue, it smacks of conspiracy to Alex. Was Martin Kennedy killed because he had proof the government was testing neutron bombs? Gene is adamant that murder has simpler motives, and a link to Alex's mother gives him at least one suspect in an investigation that leads them into dangerous territory.

Premieres Saturday, March 28, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Episode five

Simon Neary is a gangster Gene has wanted to nail for years. When the team discovers that his latest deal is to obtain guns, the case takes on another imperative for Alex. Is stopping the guns a way to stop herself getting shot in 2008? Gene is shocked by how far Alex is prepared to go, including trying to persuade Neary's young boyfriend to turn informant. Would she put a civilian at risk?

Premieres Saturday, April 4, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Episode six

Alex thinks she's close to death and has to keep her brain alive by solving the case: a raid at a Post Office. Gene believes the culprit is Chas Cale, a bank robber he crossed swords with years ago. When Chas claims he's too ill and too old, Gene reflects on whether he too is over the hill. For once, Alex needs Gene to be strong for her. She fears she can't solve the case alone and is desperate not to die in 1981.

Premieres Saturday, April 11, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Episode seven

Thousands of pounds collected for charity have been stolen, and the only lead is Gil Hollis, the man who raised it. Alex is sure that Gil knows more than he realizes and that she can coax it out of him. But when Gene is humiliated on a TV appeal, he resorts to his 'fists first, questions later' method. Can Alex prevent Gene going off the rails just at the point when she needs to stay in control, and if she can't, will someone die?

Premieres Saturday, April 18, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Episode eight

It's the biggest day of Alex's life: the day her parents were killed. She believes that if she can prevent this from happening she can leave the prison of 1981 and get back to her daughter Molly. With Gene waylaid by a station inspection, Alex needs to use every ounce of her strength and energy to stop the elements coming together, throw a cog into the wheel of fate, and finally return home.

Premieres Saturday, April 25, 9:00 p.m. ET/PT.