h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

New series begins tonight on BBC1 at 2100 for those interested

Are you hired to make these annoucements Matt, or do you do it on a voluntary basis?

Already watching

Next episode is on BBC4 straight after, Matt

Did anyone else think that episode was a bit weird? I mean, I know it's Life on Mars, but even so...

I get a renumeration of the soul

Preferred the 2nd episode (Chris Chibnall writer) to the first one (Matt Graham). A little slow to start, glad they have decided to do just the two series now. Still enjoyed the shows - Tyler and Hunt were great once again. And Marc Warren suitably evil

Def preferred the second

I bet the actors are loving being sexist pigs!

Well we don't have digital down here, so I'll have to wait until next week to find out if I prefered the second episode. Are they stopping at the end of two series then?

Yep, John Simms says no.

Best not to run it so long it gets silly, repetitive and boring.

Stargate

*double*Lost

Just read about the possible sequel starring DCI Hunt set in London called 'Ashes to Ashes'. Am interested...

Noooo! God save us from spin-offs. Everyone who comes up with an idea for a spin-off series should be forced to watch Mork and Mindy until they apologise.

I liked Mork and Mindy!

I haven't bothered with LoM this time around because I wasn't that much into those sort of cop shows anyway, and it's too long drawn out for me.

I liked Mork & Mindy too

And Frasier was good.

But then, there's Joey.

Ah, it's a contentious issue indeed!

It seems to me that the Life on Mars team have taken the right decision in stopping this show after a mere two series while it is still good and before it becomes drawn out and silly. Gene Hunt is a decent enough character but is not much different to, say, Morse and therefore I can't see a series based around him being that original. Speaking of which, has anyone see Lewis? Is it any good?

Lewis is interesting because although he's now the DCI and has his own sergeant side-kick - it's now the sergeant who has the degree (Cambridge - which lead to a funny commet from an Oxford professor last week)

And Lewis obviously misses Morse and is beginning (now he's a single man) to adopt someof Morse's mannerisms.

I like it

I hope, much as I love The Gene Genie, that we don't get a spin off. Frankly I'd rather watch (we're) The Sweeny (son, and we haven't had any dinner)

Why is Lewis single? What happened to the wife and kids? Hasn't changing him into Morse just taken away the charm that Lewis had in the first place?

his wife was killed by a hit & run driver (not caught, I'm hoping we get back to that)

he isn't Morse - but he is adopting some of his mannerisms and ways. Not many but it is noticeable. And if you watched Morse and know how much some of Morse's foibles seemed to annoy Lewis, it is sweet to see how he is going that way.

As a sequel/spin off it's not half bad.

I forgot it was on and missed it. I hadn't realised it had been piloted last year, and I was annoyed because I was looking forward to it. Morse has aged a bit - I've been watching some of the '20 years of Morse' programmes, and they don't keep my attention in the way they used to. I thought Lewis might do. I'll try to keep watching for it!

I prefered Fraiser to Cheers after it had been on for only a little while, and I think there was another spin-off I preferred as well, but can't remember what it was. I'd no idea that M&M was a spin-off, from what show?

I think Life on Mars should have been cleared up the first time. I hate this new habit of making shows that don't clear anything up at the end of the series. If I want a novel I'll buy a book!

I'll wait til the series is over and then ask someone what the hell was going on!

Mork and Mindy was a spin-off from Happy Days.