SITTING back to enjoy Ashes to Ashes last week I suddenly realised I was watching it in much the same way I do Inspector Morse or Midsomer Murders - for the scenery.

Well maybe not just the scenery (it was pretty grim in 1981 after all) but the music as well. In all honesty, the 1981 backdrop in general was too good to miss. I mean any show that ends playing Roxy Music's The Same Old Scene - come on, that's got to keep you tuned in.

In fact, I was more fascinated to remember back to how things were at the start of the 80s - and consquently realise how much things have changed - than follow the actual plot of the BBC1 drama.

Which was just as well really - since the plot was a bit confusing to say the least.

What with several hallucinogenic moments involving Rainbow's Zippy and George and a Pierrot clown which left me thinking what was all that about?' - the forgotten but at once familiar scenery of 1981 was about the only comforting thing.

It was the year we were all in love with Lady Di (well quite a lot of us) - a fact of which I was reminded as DI Alex Drake (Keeley Hawes) stumbled off a boat named Lady Di' straight into 1981 after being shot in 2008. If you can swallow that obscure bit of time travel, then I'm sure you can swallow the rest of the plot, but really I would have felt a lot happier if there had been a DeLorean and Michael J Fox involved in there somewhere.

Instead, we got DCI Gene Hunt (Phillip Glenister) and an Audi Quattro. Oh well, it could have been worse I suppose, but one thing that really puzzles me about the series is how someone who spends his time acting all hard as nails and non-PC (when PC just meant a copper of course) can be named Gene'. I mean it hardly sets the right tone does it? I keep expecting him to break out into dance.

That aside, there are certainly some nice touches to this programme.

The spaghetti western' music that accompanied Gene's arrival made me smile, along with some of the police station banter - prostitutes being called prossies' that type of thing.

Of course, after a while all the sexism and smoky rooms become a bit wearing - making you glad we left some of that stuff in the 80s, along with record players.

Actually, come to think of it, if I really wanted to watch 1980s cop shows I could always just buy Cagney and Lacey on DVD.

Although Ashes to Ashes did make me think we should resurrect the practice of playing the national anthem when the BBC closes for the night (another 80s throwback) - before realising that wouldn't be possible as the BBC never shuts down now.

Those were the days, when TV actually switched off for a while.