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Ashley Pharoah, one of the writers and creators of both Ashes To Ashes and Life On Mars, explains how Gene Hunt's journey began and hints at what lies in store for our favourite characters...

"The journey started some 13 years ago in a Blackpool hotel when Matthew Graham, Tony Jordan and I came up with the idea for Life On Mars. The first eight years of this journey consisted of broadcasters telling us how spectacularly rubbish the idea was, so it was something of a pleasant surprise when Life On Mars started on ´óÏó´«Ã½ One in 2007 and almost immediately became a critical and ratings hit. The journey very nearly hit the buffers when John Simm told us he couldn't do a third series of Life On Mars. What should we do? Just end it in a blaze of glory or try and find another existence for our characters, somewhere else for them to live and breathe? In the end we decided that we – and Gene Hunt in particular – had more to say, and thus Ashes To Ashes was born.

"In this third and final series of Ashes to Ashes we open briefly but disturbingly in Alex Drake's 'present', before she finds herself back in London, this time in 1983. The world has moved on from the bright New Romantic colours of the earlier series into a slightly more sombre palette, both literally and emotionally. This is reflected in some of the story-of-the-week areas we chose to explore: a fireman with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder from the Falklands conflict; the ANC in exile in London; a vicious prison riot that ends in the death of one of our team. It's a darker, more bruised palette, a more dangerous place that reminded us of watching Life On Mars. Almost as if Ashes To Ashes was remembering where it came from, those dark Manchester streets of the 1970s.

"Alex Drake shares this interest in Life On Mars. She decides her only way of escaping this world and getting back to her present – and her daughter Molly – is to find out what happened to Sam Tyler. He is the only person she knows who has undergone similar experiences to herself. She starts looking into Sam's disappearance and alleged death but comes up against a very stubborn obstacle – DCI Gene Hunt. It becomes obvious that Gene does not want her to discover the truth about Sam. But why? One shocking answer is provided by a new arrival in Fenchurch East, Discipline and Complaints Officer Jim Keats.

"He tells Alex that Gene murdered Sam Tyler and that his task – and hers, if she has the courage – is to bring Gene Hunt down. So Alex is torn between a burgeoning sexual and emotional attraction to Gene and the terrible fear that he could be a cop killer, that he could be stopping her from getting home.

"By the end of this series we will finally know the truth about Gene Hunt, where he came from and what he knows. Our other regulars – Chris, Ray, Shaz – will also find out some shattering truths about themselves. As, indeed, will Alex Drake.

"We didn't always know the details of how this show would end but we always knew our broad destination. Not many writers get to wrap up their own creations in series television – they're normally just cancelled during the hiatus! – so Matthew and I have been both grateful and excited to pull all the ends together. Not that we will dot every i and cross every t – one of the pleasures of both series is that they retain some ambiguity and can be open to different interpretations. We wouldn't want to spoil anybody's fun! But what isn't ambiguous is that this is the end of the road for Gene and Alex and the others. The last lines have been uttered. The sets are down. The Audi safe in its garage.

"As writers we will miss the show enormously. Where else do you get to write for Gene Hunt? Where else do fantasy and emotion and time travel and cop show and metaphysical head-spin and crocodile shoes and 'uptown Girl' and will-they-won't-they exist in one place? We'll miss it but we're proud of it.

"The journey has reached its conclusion. From initial frustration through immense excitement and now to this rather sad moment when it's time for Gene to walk off into the sunset. It's a journey none of us would have missed for the world. So fill your chunky whisky glass with something blended and let's have one last toast – to Ashes To Ashes and Life On Mars. It's been one hell of a ride. As ever, Gene Hunt will have the last word: 'Oi! You lot! You nasty pinko journalists! Move along. There's nothing left to see here.'