Broadcast History: February 07, 2008 to May 21, 2010
Ashes to Ashes is a British science fiction and police procedural drama television series, serving as the sequel to Life on Mars.
The series began airing on BBC One in February 2008.
A second series began broadcasting in April 2009.
A third and final series was broadcast from 2 April to 21 May 2010 on BBC One and BBC HD.
Ending:
The final episode reveals that the Life on Mars/Ashes to Ashes world is a form of limbo or Purgatory, for "restless dead" police officers. These restless dead include the main characters Gene, Ray, Chris, and Shaz (Montserrat Lombard), all of whom died in violent circumstances. There may be others.
The revelation of their deaths come as a surprise to all except Gene who knew they were all dead but who had forgotten the circumstances of his own death due to the passage of time. All except Hunt "move on" as he takes it upon himself to act as a psychopomp or "ferryman", to all of his officers, helping them on their way to The Railway Arms (their euphemism for Heaven).
Gene returns to his office where a newly dead officer arrives, demanding his iPhone (implying that he is from the present) and asking where his office has gone, in a very similar manner to the arrival of Sam Tyler (John Simm) in the first episode of Life on Mars.
