Ashes to Ashes: Episode 1

Ashes to Ashes is a British fantasy/sci-fi police drama that is a spinoff of the original (British) TV seriesLife on Mars. Like Life on Mars, the TV program largely centers around a police investigator from the present slipping back in time to deal with the past and the investigative team of DCI [Detective Chief Inspector] Gene Hunt and DIs [Detective Inspectors] Ray Carling and Chris Skelton. Unlike Life on Mars, which had Sam Tyler slipping back to 1972, Ashes to Ashes first takes place in 1981 and takes detective Alex Drake back in time after she suffers a bullet wound through her temple.

At the beginning of the series, Alex Drake is sent to investigate a disturbance that ends up with her facing off with an adversary who seems to know who she is and some mysterious secret from the past. After trying to negotiate with the man, Alex, who has also been investigating what happened to Sam Tyler (this occurs after the Life on Mars timeline), approaches the criminal only to be shot in the head. She appears to slip into a coma and then onto a yacht dressed in the glittery styles of the very early 1980s. Dazed, she stumbles off the yacht and finds herself hearing far-off police sirens and a suspicious-looking man following her. When the man grabs her, a fast-driven red Audi Quattro pulls up and out comes the team of Hunt, Carling, and Skelton, whom Alex recognizes as figures DCI Tyler mentions from his 1972 - 1973 years; after they put the man under arrest and begin to introduce themselves, Drake recognizes what is happening and faints.

The driving guitar solo and energetic "Look out, look out, look out, look out!" part of "Careless Memories" can be distinctly heard during the entire scene that begins at the point where the Audi Quattro is spotted speeding toward Drake and her temporary captor and the time DCI Hunt's formidable presence is made known and is also played prominently during an action scene later on in the first episode that centers around the young WPC [Women's Police Constable] Sharon Granger, who almost immediately gets along well with DI Drake and views her as a role model of sorts.

"Careless Memories" also features on the official soundtrack to Ashes to Ashes, along with other pop/rock songs of the era.