Gene equals Ray? Interesting theory

Life on Mars fans: if you want to get frustrated or have a laugh, have a gander at Mr Paul Heath’s article at The Hollywood News, which Google News says is a British site:

Imperioli will play Detective Ray Carling, a colleague of Sam’s in 1972. He is a rough, tough sexist who has never heard the phrase “politically correct.” The role was made famous by Phillip Glenister in the BBC original, where he played the character named Gene Hunt, now a huge cult figure in the UK.

   What?
   That’s right: according to this, Philip Glenister played Ray, or that Ray and Gene are the same character.
   Unless he knows something the rest of us don’t. Which casts a whole new light on the plot.
   I know not everyone in the UK has seen Life on Mars, but when rewriting someone else’s article, it may pay to not concoct new facts without checking.
   It was an easy mistake to make (I originally assumed, before I read the first article about Mr Imperioli’s casting, that he was playing Gene Hunt), but one that could have been very easily avoided.