To begin, I'm going to be rational about this. Yes, John Simm may rock my life, but QaF had a life outside of Britain.

I have to say, the producers are pimping this like crazy when it gets leaked prior to airbrushing out things like harnesses to keep Sam and Annie on the roof.

I'm going to start with what they did right.

1) Redressing LA: Seriously, it looks like 1972.

2) Gene Hunt. He may be no Philip Glenister, but Colm Meaney is always a good time. Also, Colm Meaney clearly wasn't intimidated by the part like I think the Sam Tyler is. I just hope the producers don't soften him up much more.

3) Dialogue: Don't mess with what worked

4) Music: They must be paying a shit-load of rights' money.

5) The wardrobe

6) The present. As an opening, they shot it well.

7) The last scene with the little boy. It is very creepy.

8) The television: it's just as eerie as the original.

I am undecided on:
1) Sam Tyler. He's got the WTF-ness down, but emotionally, he's not reaching me. I'm hoping it's just terror of having such shoes to fill. On the other hand, he does sell that last scene on the rooftop.

2) The lack of change. As much as I love the dialogue, there's nothing spectacularly different, other than a softer Gene. Come on, Colm Meaney wants to be meaner. You can tell that he's ready to dig in.

3) Sam's apartment. It's sufficiently scuzzy but it's missing something.

4) As creepy as the TV is, they haven't made the media / contact connection yet. It would confuse someone who didn't know the original show.

What they got spectacularly wrong:
1) Annie Cartwright. OMGWTF SUCKAGE KILL ME NOW IF I HAVE TO WATCH HER AGAIN. A snarky, smarmy and worldly Annie doesn't work, ever. Please, stop the character assassination. It's the 70s, women were different due to socialization, which is part of the WTF-ness Sam goes through. Throwing a 2008 attitude (and even pronounciation to some of her words) is just WRONG. If the tv gods could hear me PLEASE RECAST ASAP.

2) The LA equivalent of Ray Carling. OMG SUCKAGE. First of all, no one on the team should be older than Gene Hunt. The whole hero worship of the squad doesn't work then. On the other hand, he is not as bad as Annie, because nothing could make me weep more than the American Annie. Not even if I had to watch Annie, the musical, 100 times in a row, without sleep

3) The Tan Jacket: Is wrong on so many levels. It doesn't need to be Sam Tyler's iconic black, but a chocolate brown would be good. Go crazy on other wardrobe choices. John Simm once wore red velvet pants.

4) The city choice. Yes, I said they redressed LA very well, but a city like Boston, Philly or Detroit might've provided the better parallel to Manchester.