"Life on Mars" (2006) TV series 2006-2007

User Rating:

9.0/10   

Creators:

Mathew Graham
Tony Jordan
Ashley Pharoah

Seasons:

1 | 2

Release Date:

9 January 2006 (UK)

Genre:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Two cops in the same town at the same time... 33 years apart

Plot:

After being involved in a car accident in 2006, DCI Sam Tyler (Simm) wakes up to find himself in 1973, the era of 'Sweeney' type policing, Mark III Cortinas, and flared trousers.

Plot Keywords:

Car Accident | Hospital | British TV | Hallucination | Gender Issues

Awards:

8 wins & 17 nominations

Cast

John Simm	...	Sam Tyler (16 episodes, 2006-2007)
Philip Glenister	...	Gene Hunt (16 episodes, 2006-2007)
Liz White	...	Annie Cartwright (16 episodes, 2006-2007)
Dean Andrews	...	Ray Carling (16 episodes, 2006-2007)
Marshall Lancaster	...	Chris Skelton (16 episodes, 2006-2007)
Noreen Kershaw	...	Phyllis Dobbs (16 episodes, 2006-2007)
Tony Marshall	...	Nelson (12 episodes, 2006-2007)

Also Known As:

Ford Granada (UK) (working title)

Runtime:

USA:42 min (16 episodes) (cut) | 60 min (16 episodes)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Australia:MA (some episodes) | USA:TV-14 (most episodes) | UK:12 (most episodes) | Netherlands:12 | UK:15 (some episode) | Australia:M (some episodes)

Filming Locations:

Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, UK

Company:

Kudos Film and Television

Trivia:

'Matthew Graham' and Ashley Pharoah, the writers of Life on Mars, took the original script to the BBC who initially rejected it. Then it nearly got made by Channel Four. By the time the BBC made it, the show had taken 8 years to reach the screen.

Quotes:

Gene Hunt: You great... soft... sissy... girlie... nancy... french... bender... Man-United supporting POOF!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Take a Look at the Lawman: The Making of 'Life on Mars' (2006) (V)

A great find from other side of the pond

This British series, which made it's trek to the States, Has proved to me to be one of the best series on BBC America this year (the other being Hex).

The commercials for the series don't do the justice of what the series entails. The commercial make you think that the show is basically your run of the mill Sci-fi series working with a weak plot. I have always said that marketing is just as....if not more...important than the actual subject.

You have probably already read the synopsis from other comments presented here, so I won't bore you with the background too much. However, as I watch this series (currently have watched the first 2 episodes) I can't help but be reminded of another British export from many years ago...The Prisoner.

During each case that our hero is involved in, things come into play about where he actually is. He has no idea whether he's delusional, transported in time, or in a coma. This twist, put into the plot line, is what sets this show apart from the others in a very refreshing way.

Overall, I was quite pleased with how this series has turned out and I hope to see much more of it as well as being able to buy the DVDs if they released here in the U.S.