Life on Mars 

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

Creators:

Matthew Graham, Tony Jordan, Ashley Pharoah

Stars:

John Simm, Philip Glenister, Liz White

9 wins & 30 nominations.

Cast

Series cast summary:
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

Storyline

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

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Plot Keywords:

car accident | manchester | surrealism | title based on song | manchester england | 

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Taglines:

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

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

TV-14

Details

Official Sites:

BBC [UK]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 July 2006 (USA)

Also Known As:

Život na Marsu

Filming Locations:

Stockport, Cheshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kudos Film and Television, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Red Planet Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

42 min (16 episodes) (cut) 60 min (16 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Philip Glenister and John Simm have co-starred in three series together - State of Play (2003), Mad Dogs (2011) and Life on Mars (2006). They were also both in Prey (2014), although not in the same season.

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Goofs

The bar scene: No beers cost 22p in 1973. Also, as the UK were still changing the money over, use and handing over of decimals would have been a lot slower than as shown in the film. Beer in Manchester would have been between 10np and 15np (or 2-3 shillings).

It was revealed in Ashes to Ashes that this era inhabited is a kind of police purgatory: Heavy artistic license can be used with these details, as it's not the real living world/ reality being portrayed.

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Quotes

Sam Tyler: [credits introduction] My name is Sam Tyler. I had an accident, and I woke up in 1973. Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever's happened, it's like I've landed on a different planet. Now, maybe if I can work out the reason, I can get home.

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Alternate Versions

The DVD sets of the series have much of the 1970s music replaced with public domain music due to rights issues.

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Connections

Referenced in Scott & Bailey: Episode #3.8 (2013)

User Reviews

Witty, Subtle, and Compelling

Stumbled on this series on BBC America and miss it terribly now that the first season is over.

Great over-arching conflict (Is Sam imagining he's from the future? Is he living inside his coma-induced reality? Or did he really travel back in time?) intermingles well within each episodes crime to solve. Loved when promises a witness complete anonymity if the guy will agree to finger the perpetrator in a line up; handled in a way that recognized the humor without diminishing the seriousness.

Plus, even though it's promoted as Sam's story, the series would suffer greatly without the Guv (DCI Gene Hunt). In the US, Philip Glenister's character would too easily be a cardboard-flat, corrupt, irredeemable cop. Here he's written and played with many shades letting you cheer for him at times, loathe him at others, pity his neanderthal ways, respect his desire to be a "good cop" while shaking your head at his twisted definition of a "good cop." He's a smart and unpredictable foil for Sam. They're each a better man for having to deal with the other even as they resent the complication and will never fully agree on their methods. There's a grudging respect building between them.

It's Sam's and Hunt's push me-pull you relationship that makes this must-see for me.