Depending on how successful you were at solving my Life on Mars-themed asterisk quiz last week, this next scoop is either yesterday’s news or as fresh as a summer breeze.
After months of topsy-turvy negotiations, Oscar nominated thesp Harvey Keitel has officially inked a deal to join the cast of ABC’s forthcoming Americanized redo of Life on Mars. He’ll play Det. Gene Hunt, the hard-nosed, iron-fisted head of the homicide department. Philip Glenister originated the role in the British version.
Keitel joins previously announced cast members Jason O’Mara and Michael Imperioli.
OK, Mars fanatics, it’s weigh-in time: Is Keitel a worthy successor to Glenister? Does this piece of casting make you more/less inclined to watch? Were you among the precious few who correctly solved the asterisk quiz? Sound off below!
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I’ve been hearing all sorts of bad things about this pilot-daptation. Apparently it loses a lot of the major themes and great parts of the original. But if Keitel is on-board then so am I. The man blackmailed a girl with a piano, I’m sure he’ll do fine as Gene.
This actually does make me more excited, because while seeming to be about the Sam Tyler character, Life on Mars success really hinged on Glenister and the Gene Hunt character (as evidenced by the fact that they spun him off in Ashes to Ashes). When I first heard they’d cast Colm Meaney, i actually cringed… but Keitel is such a great actor and can be such a terrific bad-ass that it seems like he could bring something really interesting to the role.
And just to add to that, I did see the early pilot, and it was pretty awful. The Gene Hunt character was completely underwritten and not nearly as complex or funny. So if adding Keitel means that the character becomes more central and prominent in the show, and makes the show a bit grittier, then I’m all for it!
No one can top Philip Glenister in this role. Couldn’t they change the character’s name because Gene Hunt has his own spin-off ‘Ashes to Ashes’, which is still continuing. I feel iffy about having two actors actively playing the same character.
I am going to have to say NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I don’t care that he’s been nominated and blah, blah, blah. I just see this casting as yet another sign that they don’t really get the show. Sure Gene Hunt is tough, but he never looked it. Keitel looks like he could kick your butt 20 different ways.
I will definitely be watching if Keitel is associated with the project. He is just such an awesome actor! Harvey is still a bad ass at what 68 years old now? Bring it on!
Actually, Colm Meaney was an excellent and worthy successor to Glenister, but I guess Keitel will do. That being said, the more I read about this the more doomed the series sounds.
Harvey Keitel BRINGS it! He’s timelessly hot (like Jack Nicholson and Sophia Loren), and seriously bad-ass. And on-screen, you can’t take your eyes off the man. The show is going to be huge now.
From what I saw, the main thing missing from the US Version was, well, life. They tried to re-do the British version and everyone, including Colm Meaney and Jason O’Mara, was flatter than flat. So unless they have some sort of spark they’re not telling us about, well, I don’t have a lot of hope…
I was a bit miffed that Colm Meany wasn’t playing the Gene Genie, but now?
I am SO looking forward to this!
They should have kept Colm Meany
OMFG! I was upset when David E. Kelley resigned the production to the October Road guys, and even moreso when Colm Meaney was let go from the series. But, Mr. White more than makes up for it now. I’m a lot more optimistic about this remake now!
I don’t know who Harvey Keitel is, but I’m disappointed they dropped Colm Meaney.
Keitel would have been a great choice for Gene Hunt if he were 20-25 years younger. But he’s not, and the producers are making a big mistake.
Not that it will matter, because this one isn’t sticking around for long. I’m expecting that it will have a trajectory reminiscent of Commander-in-Chief and be gone by the end of the season.
lmao at the first comment…how can you not know who Harvey Keitel is?!?!?! However as much as I love him and Michael Imperioli, the premise is too odd. They should have just done a 70s cop show, instead of the “guy from the present day goes into a coma and imagines he’s in the 70s” thing. (and then wakes up and kills himself in the series finale…yeah, that’s how the British one ended. Really worth the commitment of your time to these characters, huh??)
Wow, they’re not fooling around. First they get Michael Imperioli, now they add Harvey Keitel. Talk about a couple of gritty actors. If they can’t lift this “Americanized” Life on Mars up, no one can. Though I’m still not sure Jason O’Mara can head a series like this, or do I have conifidence in these showrunners and their weak track record.
I don’t think that anybody who has seen the UK version of the show and loved it will be able to watch this revamped Americanized version. It is one thing (like the Office) to take a concept for a show and develop characters differently, but in this case, even the names are the same!!! Philip Glenister was just too darn funny as Gene Hunt – he owns Gene. My advice: watch the BBC version and then watch Ashes to Ashes.
As long as he doesn’t get naked, I’m okay with it.
I agree with the fellow who has doubts about O’Mara and the producers’ weak track record. I’m also pretty sad that so many people aren’t willing to even give this show a chance.
I agree that the British version was thought-provoking and essential TV. However, I am more than willing to give the US version a try, given the involvement of several high profile actors. As always, however, the writers will make it either watchable or not. I am hoping for watchable!
Saw the original pilot, and it’s no where near as good as it should have been, and certainly not as good as the British version. Even crazy Harvey, can’t polish this turd.
I, too, think Glenister owns the Gene Hunt role and I love the UK version. But, I am willing to give the US version a try. I am intrigued by the Harvey Keitel selection.
He’s the perfect choice. Considering all the morally grey characters he’s played, Bad lieutenant, Reservoir Dogs, I think he will bring some well needed ooomph to Hunt in this version with Imperioli to bounce off of, if the writers and showrunners don’t lose their way in the 70’s setting I think we have some brilliant episodes coming. Now if they could only get Gandolfini to play a bad guy!
The way you pimp for comments after every article you post smells like desperation. It’s like “hey I have a new job and my ass is on the line to get readers so please please please show my bosses you care”.
Love the original and nothing can sub the “real” Gene Gennie, but I’m curious about the remake… Just to see if they can do it right.
As for Mr.Keitel’s casting.
Well he’s an excellent actor! But he’s definitelly not what I have in mind when I think “Gene Hunt” and it’s not only the age thing (because yes, I too think he might be a little old-er than required).
However I believe that his not being exactly like the Gene I know and love isn’t necessarily a bad thing. His differences could be used to differ somewhast from the original and give a new spin on the character and the show.
However that could go either way I think: Be a huge success or a huge fluke. I’m willing to sit it out and wait for the end result before I judge.
I’ve seen the original US pilot as well, and it was flat, flat, flat, with a lot of the blame going to Meaney. Keitel will be an improvement. I was hoping they’d cast Tom Wilson (in toned-down Biff Tannen mode) as Gene Hunt, but the changes they’ve made so far suggest that they’re heading in a better direction this time.
Just curious….to all those people who have seen the American pilot – How did you do this? I would love to see it, but don’t know where/how?
One profound problem with the other pilot was that it tried to follow the look and the plot of the British show far too closely. It’s bad enough that the US networks feel that to popularise something they have to Americanise it but if they have to remake it they should at least find some way of making it a different show rather than a complete rehash.
The obvious problem with Harvey Keitel is that he is simply too old… There are points in the original plot where Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt come to blows… I can’t help feeling that this is going to look wrong with Keitel. Maybe the more physical confrontations will need to be reconsidered in light of the casting… That aside Keitel is a powerful actor and the sheer power of his performance may win over people, like me, who see this remake as completely redundant.
I am afraid very afraid of this US version. I loved the original too much. I will give it a try and attempt to keep the expectations low or neutral.
Harvey may be too strong a personality for Jason O’Mara to handle. Time will tell.
I would agree that the first pilot stuck too closely to the original, but also that the ways in which it took another direction were completely bizarre (not including a couple of good supporting characters, making the character of Sam hunky and a tough action hero cop before he landed in the 70’s). They seemed to have missed the point. At least now, they’ve gotten permission from the original creators to change the mythology and characters a bit, and casting Keitel at least seems like they’re trying to do their own thing with it, which could be (if not good) then at least interesting and not boring, which the original pilot I saw had a problem with.