X

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

Continue with Facebook Continue with email

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

Ashes to Ashes

DCI Gene Hunt is back, but he's no longer the self-styled "Sheriff of Manchester." Flanked by his faithful sidekicks, Ray Carling and Chris Skelton, and drawn by the action and intrigue of the London Met, Gene's turned his attentions to taking on the "southern nancy" criminal scum. However, Gene did not expect to be thrown together with a sexy, intelligent DI Alex Drake. Single mother to daughter Molly, Alex has rapidly risen through the ranks of the Met and, in the modern world of 2008, skillfully uses psychological profiling to capture suspects. When Alex and her daughter are kidnapped, she makes a daring attempt at escape, resulting in a horrific incident. Alex suddenly finds herself in 1981, interacting with familiar characters, not just from her own lifetime, but also from the detailed reports logged by none other than Sam Tyler, which Alex previously spent months poring over. Alex is ripped from her current world of sexual equality and respect in 2008, and finds herself opposite an arrogant DCI, in a two-tone, "New Romantic" '80s London with a soundtrack of Adam Ant, Roxy Music, and the Human League ringing in her ears. Alex finds that some of Gene's team has dispersed, yet others, loyal as ever, are still in tow. Now a technological whiz kid in the squad's surveillance team, DC Chris Skelton has clearly moved with the times, along with a tight-permed DS Ray Carling, who's keen to experience London's nightlife. Frustrated by each other's stubbornness, the friction between Alex and Gene heats up. However, as the two titans collide, it becomes apparent that there is more than just a professional tension emerging.

Loading. Please wait...

Content not available in your region? ExpressVPN can help you stay connected wherever you are. Get 4 extra months FREE with TV Guide's exclusive offer.

Cast & Crew See All

Philip Glenister
DCI Gene Hunt
Keeley Hawes
DI Alex Drake
Dean Andrews
DS Ray Carling

Season 3 Episode Guide See All

Episode 1

Episode #3.1

58 mins

Alex wakes up to find herself back in 1983 where Gene Hunt is on the run after shooting her, three months previously. His unit is being run by none other than Ray! Meanwhile the rest of the unit in involved with the abduction of Dorothy, a young girl, on her way to school. To make matters worse a ransom is demanded by the kidnappers, and it's up to the team to find the culprits - fast.

Where to Watch
Ashes to Ashes, Season 3 Episode 1 image

Awards

  • 2008 - TV Quick Award - Best Actress - nominated
  • 2009 - TV Quick Award - Best Actress - nominated
  • 2008 - National Television Award - Outstanding Drama Performance - nominated
  • 2010 - National Television Award - Most Popular Drama Performance - nominated

You May Also Like See All

The Office
Homicide: Life on the Street
The Staircase
The Sopranos

Popular Shows See all shows

Mayor of Kingstown

5 Seasons
From Academy Award nominee Taylor Sheridan, co-creator of Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown follows the McLusky family - power brokers in Kingstown, Michigan where the business of incarceration is the only thriving industry. Tackling themes of systemic racism, corruption and inequality, the series provides a stark look at their attempt to bring order and justice to a town that has neither.
55   Metascore
2021 Suspense, Drama

FBI

9 Seasons
From Emmy Award winner Dick Wolf and the team behind the Law and Order franchise, "FBI" is a fast-paced drama about the inner workings of the New York office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This elite unit brings to bear all their talents, intellect, and technical expertise on major cases in order to keep New York and the country safe. Born into a multigenerational law-enforcement family, Special Agent Maggie Bell commits deeply to the people she works with as well as those she protects. Her partner is Special Agent Omar Adom "OA" Zidan, a West Point graduate via Bushwick who spent two years undercover for the DEA before being cherry-picked by the FBI. Overseeing them is Special Agent in Charge Isobel Castille who operates under intense pressure and has undeniable command authority. The team also includes Assistant Special Agent in Charge Jubal Valentine, the nerve center of the office, whose ability to easily relate to and engage with both superiors and subordinates makes him a master motivator. Kristen Chazal is the team's most valued resource, a brilliant analyst recruited straight out of university who can piece together the big picture more quickly than anyone. These first-class agents tenaciously investigate cases of tremendous magnitude, including terrorism, organized crime, and counterintelligence.
57   Metascore
2018 Action & Adventure, Suspense, Drama

The Lincoln Lawyer

5 Seasons
An iconoclastic idealist runs his law practice out of the back of his Lincoln Town Car in this series based on Michael Connelly's bestselling novels.
64   Metascore
2022 Suspense, Drama

The Closer

7 Seasons
Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson, formerly Atlanta police officer and CIA-trained interrogator, is given the opportunity to run her own division of elite officers of the Los Angeles Police Department. Her unusual procedure for obtaining confessions, blatant disregard for politics, and southern accent make her a marked woman. However, with all the bluster and bravado, she still maintains her title, The Closer.
68   Metascore
2005 Suspense, Drama

The Rookie

8 Seasons
Six months into his career as a cop, John Nolan will be put to the test as he looks to figure out what kind of cop he ultimately wants to be.
64   Metascore
2018 Action & Adventure, Suspense, Drama

Memory of a Killer

1 Season
A hitman leading a dangerous double life develops early onset Alzheimer's.
52   Metascore
2026 Action & Adventure, Suspense, Drama