Life On Mars - Time Travel with a Twist

Ranked #23,136 in Entertainment, #281,527 overall

Period TV Drama with a New Edge

Life on Mars was an unconventional hit TV drama serial. It introduced a fascinating concept, which had never been explored before.

Police Detective Sam Tyler was hit by a car in 2006, and awoke in 1973. He described this world as being like another planet. Was he mad, in a coma or did he really travel in time?

Here's how it all began

In 2006, Sam's girlfriend has just been kidnapped by the murder suspect she was following...
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Introduction to the story...

Life On Mars was set in Manchester in both 2006 and 1973. In 2006, Detective Chief Inspector Sam Tyler was involved in a murder investigation when his girlfriend Mia (also a police detective) decided to follow a suspect, and went missing. In his search for her, Sam was hit by a car. When he awoke, his whole world had changed.

Suddenly he was stuck in 1973. His surroundings, car and his clothes had changed. The road he was on in 2006 had not even been built yet! He arrived back at the police station to discover that he was no longer a Chief Inspector, and his new boss Gene Hunt, ran the department somewhat differently. Sam was also thrown staight into another murder investigation which echoed the case he was working on in 2006. Sam believed that if he could stop this killer in 1973, maybe this would stop him killing again in 2006. Mia would then be safe, and perhaps Sam could return home...

Life On Mars Series 1 and 2 Available on DVD and Blu-ray

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Some Classic Clips from the Series

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Readers: Did you like or loathe this series?

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sandyspider says:

I loved the American version. I seen the YouTube of the British one and I think I would of enjoyed that one as well.

 

More Great Moments from Series One and Two

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The Music that Inspired the Show

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A Deeper Meaning?

Life on Mars ran for two series, and worked on several levels.

On the first, and most superficial level, this was a great police drama. All of the characters were well thought out and worked well together. Whilst this type of drama has a wide appeal, the deeper levels provide much more meaning to the story of Sam Tyler in particular.

The series used a lot of the music from the time, which gave it a nostalgic feeling. This would then have a particular appeal to those who remembered the era.

The series also showed a stark contrast between the two worlds of 1973 and 2006. It showed the viewer how much has changed in 33 years. In 2006, Sam was very much bound by procedure and red tape. However, in 1973, Gene Hunt was able to solve crimes without these restrictions. It was a much more brutal era, and sexism and racism were rife. Women in the police force were very much kept in the background, and the police had no access to modern day technology, such as DNA profiles or even computers.

The final, and possibly most interesting level was the time travel concept. It becomes a strong possibility early on that Sam Tyler is in a coma, and his mind has created this imaginary world and all of the characters in it. He frequently sees and hears things that link him back to the present, and the situation he is in. For example, people talking to him in the hospital, which he can hear via the radio or TV. However, he can't make them hear him. Is this really possible?

The Greatest TV Ending

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The Story Continues...

Following the conclusion of Life on Mars, this show was so popular that it was remade by ABC in America.

It also spawned a sequel in the UK. This was entitled Ashes to Ashes (still running in the UK at the time of writing). The setting of this was 1981 for the first series and 1982 for the second, and was again named after a popular David Bowie song of the time.

This series brought back all of the main supporting characters except Annie, along with another police time traveller. This time it was a woman, Detective Inspector Alex Drake.

Music from the Soundtrack to Life on Mars and it's sucessor Ashes to Ashes

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Trailer for the US Version of Life on Mars

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Reader Feedback

  • sandyspider May 9, 2009 @ 5:40 pm | delete
    Thanks for visiting my Life on Mars TV Show As you know mine is the American version. I will lensroll this into mine. Nice lens! 5*

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