cultural appropriation success

I have to admit that I was quite impressed by the US version of Life on Mars. Usually a remake of a UK show for a US audience is an unmitigated disaster (unless they make no changes at all, in which case the question has to be asked why bother to do so), but this one was as good as, if not better, than the original. Unlike it's progenitor, it concentrated less on the metaphysical aspects of the situation (which is good, since I don't really know of any other icon that could have effectively replaced the BBC Test Card Girl in her role*), and concentrated on recreating a classic 70's US cop show (which again, is distinctly different in feel to the 60's and 70's British cop shows, with their inherent emphassis on "the guv'nor," that the original drew upon nostalgically). And I have to admit that I did like the ending, despite it being rather trite and even though it didn't leave you questioning the nature of reality (as I said, far less metaphysical). I wonder if they knew the show had been cancelled before they shot it (then again, at least one sequel is still obviously possible). * They did try to do so, however, and it didn't take at all. Without the weight of the icon behind her, she simply became a girl who mysteriously made appearances throughout the series. However that didn't matter, as her commentary role got taken far more effectively by the hippy chick from 2A (and her metaphysical/analogy role was effectively irrelevant anyway).