Life on Mars
Patience is rewarded
They wait for those who are blocking them to move aside or, if it all goes on long enough, to die in their place. Back in the late ‘90’s, writer Tony Jordan, then the lead writer on BBC soap EastEnders, approached Stephen Garrett with a cunning plan. Why don’t we ask the BBC, he suggested, to fund a week-long writer’s brainstorming session to generate some ideas for returning drama series? The BBC agreed, and a few weeks later, Tony had rather brilliantly engineered for himself and fellow EastEnders scribes Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharaoh, a week-long all expenses paid holiday at the seaside. Well, Blackpool to be precise. The writers, fueled by a diet of fish'n'chips, rum and candy floss, would "brainstorm" for three days, with Stephen Garrett joining them for the remainder of the week to see what notions had been generated in this uniquely creative and stimulating environment. When Stephen arrived, his attention was immediately drawn to the four words (there were only four words) on the white board dominating the small meeting room commandeered for the occasion. Memorably these words were: “suck carrots in hell!” The writers looked pleased with their three days work. Sadly, nothing came of the satanic show that lay at the heart of this suggestion, nor of the river police pitch, and nor the notion of the late-starting mum who goes to medical school. Good ideas, all. But the idea of a cop from the present day who, after a car accident finds himself back in 1913? Is he dead? Mad? On drugs? In a coma or has he traveled back in time? That was genius, so clearly inspired and game-changing, what broadcaster could possibly say no? Well, the answer was, all of them. Over and over again for seven years. Once more, it took many brilliant creative collaborators and yes, a little bit of luck to get to a greenlight from BBC1, spawning two seasons of Life on Mars and three seasons for it’s spin-off Ashes to Ashes.