Posted in: BBC, streaming, TV, YouTube | Tagged: ashes to ashes, Lazarus, Life on Mars

Lazarus: Life on Mars Sequel Series Pilot Table Read Set for November

It looks like the pilot script for Life on Mars' Matthew Graham & Ashley Pharoah's follow-up sequel series Lazarus is getting a table read.

It was back in 2022 when we first learned that Life on Mars' Matthew Graham and longtime collaborator Ashley Pharoah had a pilot script for a follow-up sequel series, Lazarus (named after David Bowie's final single release). The series would look to tie up the story that began with the original series and continued into Ashes to Ashes, with John Simm and Philip Glenister having both expressed interest in returning to their roles as Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt, respectively. But even with Simm sharing back in March that he & Glenister had "read and loved" the pilot script, the actor admitted that he had no idea what the status of the project was. Three months later, that update would come – and it wasn't good news.

"Some sad news, folks. After many months of planning, we will now not be making [Lazarus]. I can't go into details, but the hurdles were financial, not creative. Naturally, all who were involved are sick as a jungle full of parrots. Not least myself and [Ashley Pharoah]," Graham wrote to kick off a series of three tweets breaking the news to the fans back in June of this year. "It was a cracking concept – pertinent to our times. It had a whole new round of things to say about the relationship between the public and the police. And it was bloody funny too. But that, as they say, is showbiz, baby. Forgive us if we don't take questions on the decision or on what happens next for Gene, Sam, and the gang. But we wanted to let those who were interested know so that you could instead raise a pint of tan n bitter to the Guv," Graham added.

And here's a look at a tweet response from Pharoah, sharing that they're looking for a way to bring the script to life in another manner or release it to the fans:

Well, it looks like that pilot script might just be seeing the light of day after all. Set for Sunday, November 19th at BFI Southbank, an event entitled "Lazarus Table Reading" is listed – described as "a table reading of the pilot episode for the final part of the 'Life on Mars' trilogy." While we're not quite sure who will be involved with the event yet, the event's overview reads:

Life on Mars chronicled the fish-out-of-water adventures of Sam Tyler, a Manchester policeman who is struck by a speeding car in 2006 and awakes to find himself in 1973, and part of a very different police force. A spin-off, Ashes to Ashes, followed. A third instalment, entitled Lazarus, was announced but was never made. This special event is an opportunity to see what might have been, with a dramatic table reading of the opening episode.

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