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Life on Mars (U.S. TV series)
Encyclopedia
Life on Mars was a science fiction
crime drama
television series which originally aired on ABC
from October 9, 2008 to April 1, 2009. It is an adaptation of the BAFTA-winning original UK series of the same name
produced by the BBC
. The series was co-produced by Kudos Film & Television, 20th Century Fox Television
and ABC Studios.
The series tells the story of New York City police detective Sam Tyler (played by Jason O'Mara
), who, after being struck by a car in 2008, regains consciousness in 1973. Fringing between multiple genre
s, including thriller, science fiction
and police procedural
, the series remained ambiguous regarding its central plot, with the character himself unsure about his situation. The series also starred Harvey Keitel
, Jonathan Murphy, Michael Imperioli
, and Gretchen Mol
.
Life on Mars garnered critical praise for its premise, acting, and depiction of the 1970s but suffered from a declining viewership after its premiere and a two-month hiatus. ABC announced on March 2, 2009 that it would not be ordering a second season. A DVD set of the complete series was released on September 29, 2009.
was the initial writer and executive producer of the series pilot, but later handed over production responsibilities to others. The executive producers of the show are Josh Appelbaum
, Andre Nemec
, and Scott Rosenberg
, the producers of the ABC drama October Road
.
After reviewing the pilot episode, ABC
ordered an overhaul. Several members of the cast and crew were replaced, with production moved from Los Angeles to New York to allow producers to take advantage of recently enacted local and state tax credits for shows filmed in that state. The setting of the series was also changed from Los Angeles to New York, taking place at the fictional 125th precinct of the New York City Police Department
(NYPD).
The script was rewritten, with permission of the original creators, to remove the "unsatisfying" ambiguity of Sam's story in favor of a "mythological element" and "deeper mystery".
The series premiered in North America on October 9, 2008, on ABC, following Grey's Anatomy
. Internationally, it also aired on Global
in Canada, on FX
in the UK, and on Network Ten
in Australia. On November 20, 2008, ABC ordered four additional episodes to the show's original thirteen episodes. After its winter hiatus
, the series was shifted to a Wednesday night timeslot on January 28, 2009, following Lost
.
On March 2, 2009, it was announced that ABC would not be ordering a second season. The cancellation decision came early enough to allow producers time to wrap up the show's storyline. The network aired all 17 episodes ordered, with the final episode airing April 1, 2009.
pilot, Rachelle Lefevre
was cast as Annie Cartwright
and Colm Meaney
as Gene Hunt. However, in June 2008, both roles were recast in accordance with an overhaul of the series. After revisions by the producers Jason O'Mara
, in the lead role of Detective Sam Tyler, was the only actor kept from the original ABC pilot. He was joined by Michael Imperioli
, the Emmy Award
-winning actor from The Sopranos
as Detective Ray Carling, and Harvey Keitel
was cast in the role of Lieutenant Gene Hunt. Gretchen Mol
played Tyler's 1973 co-worker, Annie Norris. Lisa Bonet
, formerly of The Cosby Show
, was cast as Tyler's present-day love interest, Maya Daniels, replacing Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen
. Detective Chris Skelton was played by Jonathan Murphy.
Philip Glenister
and John Simm
, stars of the UK version, had been approached for lead roles in the series, but had turned them down, partly due to family commitments, and in Glenister's case partly due to a fear of becoming "a nutter in The Priory
".
At the show's outset in 2008, he cohabits with his girlfriend who is also his NYPD assigned partner, Detective Maya Daniels. Maya, to Tyler’s horror, is kidnapped by a murderer they are investigating. While responding to a lead in Maya's kidnapping, Tyler is distracted and hit by another responding speeding police car. He regains consciousness in the same spot in the year 1973, dressed in period civilian attire, carrying a period-accurate identity card with his badge, and equipped with a vintage automobile, a 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle
— and, astonishingly, he's parked within sight of the World Trade Center
. He returns to his precinct house to find an unfamiliar early-1970s police squad, with contemporary equipment and culture which he likens to finding himself on a different planet. However, the detectives have been expecting him, thinking that he is a transfer from a place called "Hyde". His disorientation and frequent reference to things from the future brand him as eccentric, being labeled with the nickname "Spaceman", but he becomes a valued member of the squad.
Later on in the series, with Sam supposedly in a coma in 2008, Maya decided to end the relationship.
Several of the show's plots involve Sam looking into earlier versions of his cases from 2008, such as in "Out Here in the Fields" where he discovers the sociopath mentor of a future serial killer, and in "The Simple Secret of the Note in Us All" where Sam has the opportunity to stop a serial killer early in his career. Additional storylines are driven by the conflict between Sam's 2008 values and the more corrupt, almost vigilante
-style policing of the era he finds himself in, while others are driven by Sam's discovery of more personal information about his past in this era that radically reshapes his understanding of the life he's left behind. He engages in an ongoing struggle to figure out what has happened to him, torn between his developing relationships in 1973 and his desire to return to 2008.
His 2008 reality frequently intrudes into 1973 through surreal, anachronistic
visions and cryptic telephone calls. In one episode he sees a man in a nightclub wearing a Nirvana
T-shirt, in several early episodes he sees the face of George W. Bush
on the front page of the newspaper, and he frequently sees Mars rover
robots following him or attempting to enter his body.
At other times, he also hints at his knowledge of the future to his colleagues; in a discussion of then-President Richard Nixon
he confuses them by asserting that Nixon won't be in office much longer, he makes a veiled allusion to the September 11 attacks when advising them against engaging in hate speech
, and he uses then-future cultural references as undercover pseudonyms — sometimes giving his name as "Luke Skywalker
", "Tom Cruise
" or "Sam Bono
", and giving Gene and a female companion the undercover names "George
and Laura Bush
".
At the end of the series, it is revealed that Tyler's 2008 and 1973 realities were both fictitious, created by the onboard computer of a spacecraft that is carrying Tyler, Hunt, Norris, Carling, and Skelton on the first ever manned mission to the planet Mars
, in 2035. The crew he worked with in 1973 were just virtual reality
versions of his fellow spaceship crewmembers. His room number, "2B", is his sleeping unit; his old precinct, "Hyde", and his new precinct, the "125", are based on the name of the spacecraft - "Hyde 125"; his neighbor, Windy, is the name of the computer A.I.
; Frank Morgan, an FBI agent in the series, is the Mission Control flight director; in a reversal from her struggle to be taken seriously as a police officer in 1973, Annie Norris is the ship's commander. To sustain the crew, their minds were routinely kept active while asleep using virtual reality "neural stimulation" programs of their own choosing, but Sam's choice of a scenario where he was a police officer circa 2008 was abruptly changed to a 1973 setting by a computer glitch induced by a meteor
-storm. The identity of Maya in 2035, however, is left unexplained. This conclusion is markedly different from the conclusion of the original UK series
, but is still left ambiguous as the first step on Mars depicts Gene Hunt's signature shoe stepping on to the red Martian sand.
In a twist, Gene Hunt in 1973 turns out to be astronaut 'Major Tom
' Tyler - Sam's father - in the conclusion. Just as Maria was estranged from Gene in 1973, Sam was estranged from his father until the very end of the series, when he reconciles with his dad before they step out onto the bare ground of the Red Planet.
Matthew Graham, was asked his opinion on the US remake. His opinion was "Have you seen it? It beggars belief, doesn’t it?” He goes on to speak of how he discussed future Ashes to Ashes
endings and theories with the US team, stating they thought the UK ending "wasn’t extreme enough". He spoke of how strong endings should be there for the viewer to work out, where as the US ending was like "coming up with something and going ‘Hey-hey, you never knew this, but Gene is a Martian!’”, which he felt was a mistake.
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
crime drama
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
television series which originally aired on ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
from October 9, 2008 to April 1, 2009. It is an adaptation of the BAFTA-winning original UK series of the same name
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
produced by the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
. The series was co-produced by Kudos Film & Television, 20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television
20th Century Fox Television is the television production division of 20th Century Fox Film Corporation, and a production arm of the Fox Broadcasting Company...
and ABC Studios.
The series tells the story of New York City police detective Sam Tyler (played by Jason O'Mara
Jason O'Mara
Jason O'Mara is an Irish actor who starred in the American television network dramas In Justice and Life on Mars. He now appears in the Fox series Terra Nova.- Career :He performed with The Royal Shakespeare Company...
), who, after being struck by a car in 2008, regains consciousness in 1973. Fringing between multiple genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
s, including thriller, science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and police procedural
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
, the series remained ambiguous regarding its central plot, with the character himself unsure about his situation. The series also starred Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel is an American actor. Some of his most notable starring roles were in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Ridley Scott's The Duellists and Thelma and Louise, Ettore Scola's That Night in Varennes, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Jane Campion's The...
, Jonathan Murphy, Michael Imperioli
Michael Imperioli
James Michael Imperioli , commonly known as Michael Imperioli, is an American actor and television writer. He is perhaps best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2004. He also...
, and Gretchen Mol
Gretchen Mol
Gretchen Mol is an American actress and former model. She is known for her roles in films like Rounders, Celebrity, 3:10 to Yuma, The Thirteenth Floor,and The Notorious Bettie Page, where she played the title character...
.
Life on Mars garnered critical praise for its premise, acting, and depiction of the 1970s but suffered from a declining viewership after its premiere and a two-month hiatus. ABC announced on March 2, 2009 that it would not be ordering a second season. A DVD set of the complete series was released on September 29, 2009.
Production
David E. KelleyDavid E. Kelley
David Edward Kelley is an American television writer and producer, known as the creator of Picket Fences, Chicago Hope, The Practice, Ally McBeal, Boston Public, Boston Legal and Harry's Law, as well as several films. Kelley is one of the only screenwriters to have had a show created by him run on...
was the initial writer and executive producer of the series pilot, but later handed over production responsibilities to others. The executive producers of the show are Josh Appelbaum
Josh Appelbaum
Josh Appelbaum is a television writer and producer. He has written for shows such as Life on Mars, October Road, and most recently, the series Happy Town.- Works :This is a partial listing of Appelbaum's work.*Profiler...
, Andre Nemec
André Nemec
André Nemec is the writer and producer on hit television show Alias. Past credits for writing include episodes of Alias, Fastlane, She Spies, and Profiler. Nemec is the creator, writer and producer of October Road...
, and Scott Rosenberg
Scott Rosenberg
Scott Rosenberg is an American actor, screenwriter and film producer.- Biography :Born in Needham, Massachusetts in 1963, Rosenberg received a Bachelor's Degree from Boston University. He earned his MFA from UCLA...
, the producers of the ABC drama October Road
October Road (TV series)
October Road is an American television drama that debuted on ABC on March 15, 2007 following Grey's Anatomy. It follows Nick Garrett , who after a decade returns to his hometown, the fictional Knights Ridge, Massachusetts.The series is produced by ABC Studios and GroupM Entertainment; the latter is...
.
After reviewing the pilot episode, ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
ordered an overhaul. Several members of the cast and crew were replaced, with production moved from Los Angeles to New York to allow producers to take advantage of recently enacted local and state tax credits for shows filmed in that state. The setting of the series was also changed from Los Angeles to New York, taking place at the fictional 125th precinct of the New York City Police Department
New York City Police Department
The New York City Police Department , established in 1845, is currently the largest municipal police force in the United States, with primary responsibilities in law enforcement and investigation within the five boroughs of New York City...
(NYPD).
The script was rewritten, with permission of the original creators, to remove the "unsatisfying" ambiguity of Sam's story in favor of a "mythological element" and "deeper mystery".
The series premiered in North America on October 9, 2008, on ABC, following Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
. Internationally, it also aired on Global
Global Television Network
Global Television Network is an English language privately owned television network in Canada, owned by Calgary-based Shaw Communications, as part of its Shaw Media division...
in Canada, on FX
FX (UK)
FX is a television channel in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland, owned by Fox, launched in 12 January 2004. It was originally branded as FX289 in reference to its Sky EPG number. It was rebranded to FX in May 2005 as the channel moved in the Sky EPG.FX targets a demographic between 25...
in the UK, and on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
in Australia. On November 20, 2008, ABC ordered four additional episodes to the show's original thirteen episodes. After its winter hiatus
Hiatus (television)
In television scheduling, a hiatus refers to a break of at least several weeks in the normal schedule of a broadcast programming. It can occur during a season of a television program, or can be between television seasons .- Planned hiatus :Many times television stations will implement a hiatus...
, the series was shifted to a Wednesday night timeslot on January 28, 2009, following Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
.
On March 2, 2009, it was announced that ABC would not be ordering a second season. The cancellation decision came early enough to allow producers time to wrap up the show's storyline. The network aired all 17 episodes ordered, with the final episode airing April 1, 2009.
Casting
In the original ABCAmerican Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
pilot, Rachelle Lefevre
Rachelle Lefèvre
Rachelle Lefevre is a Canadian actress. She has starred in the television series Big Wolf on Campus and had recurring roles in What About Brian, Boston Legal, and Swingtown. She played the vampire Victoria in the first two films of the Twilight saga, before being replaced by Bryce Dallas Howard...
was cast as Annie Cartwright
Annie Cartwright
WPC/DC Annie Cartwright is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars. The character is portrayed by Liz White...
and Colm Meaney
Colm Meaney
Colm J. Meaney is an Irish actor widely known for playing Miles O'Brien in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. He is second only to Michael Dorn in most appearances in Star Trek episodes. He has guest-starred on many TV shows from Law & Order to The Simpsons...
as Gene Hunt. However, in June 2008, both roles were recast in accordance with an overhaul of the series. After revisions by the producers Jason O'Mara
Jason O'Mara
Jason O'Mara is an Irish actor who starred in the American television network dramas In Justice and Life on Mars. He now appears in the Fox series Terra Nova.- Career :He performed with The Royal Shakespeare Company...
, in the lead role of Detective Sam Tyler, was the only actor kept from the original ABC pilot. He was joined by Michael Imperioli
Michael Imperioli
James Michael Imperioli , commonly known as Michael Imperioli, is an American actor and television writer. He is perhaps best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2004. He also...
, the Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-winning actor from The Sopranos
The Sopranos
The Sopranos is an American television drama series created by David Chase that revolves around the New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the often conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads...
as Detective Ray Carling, and Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel
Harvey Keitel is an American actor. Some of his most notable starring roles were in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Ridley Scott's The Duellists and Thelma and Louise, Ettore Scola's That Night in Varennes, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Jane Campion's The...
was cast in the role of Lieutenant Gene Hunt. Gretchen Mol
Gretchen Mol
Gretchen Mol is an American actress and former model. She is known for her roles in films like Rounders, Celebrity, 3:10 to Yuma, The Thirteenth Floor,and The Notorious Bettie Page, where she played the title character...
played Tyler's 1973 co-worker, Annie Norris. Lisa Bonet
Lisa Bonet
Lisa Bonet , also known as Lilakoi Moon, is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Denise Huxtable Kendall on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show, and originally starring in its spinoff A Different World.-Early life:Bonet was born in San Francisco, California...
, formerly of The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show
The Cosby Show is an American television situation comedy starring Bill Cosby, which aired for eight seasons on NBC from September 20, 1984 until April 30, 1992...
, was cast as Tyler's present-day love interest, Maya Daniels, replacing Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen
Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen
Stephanie Jacobsen is an Australian actress.-Personal life:Jacobsen was born in Hong Kong, then a British crown colony...
. Detective Chris Skelton was played by Jonathan Murphy.
Philip Glenister
Philip Glenister
Philip Haywood Glenister is an English actor, known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in British television series Life On Mars and its sequel Ashes To Ashes.-Television and films:...
and John Simm
John Simm
John Simm is an English stage and screen actor. In recent years he is best known for his roles as Sam Tyler in the detective drama Life on Mars and as The Master in the revival of the science fiction series Doctor Who, but he has also starred in many highly acclaimed award-winning television...
, stars of the UK version, had been approached for lead roles in the series, but had turned them down, partly due to family commitments, and in Glenister's case partly due to a fear of becoming "a nutter in The Priory
Priory Group
The Priory Group is an independent provider of mental health care facilities in the United Kingdom. They also manage schools, some for students with Asperger syndrome or high-functioning autism...
".
Main characters
- Det. Sam Tyler (Jason O'MaraJason O'MaraJason O'Mara is an Irish actor who starred in the American television network dramas In Justice and Life on Mars. He now appears in the Fox series Terra Nova.- Career :He performed with The Royal Shakespeare Company...
) - He often finds his 2008 values in conflict with the 1973 values of his colleagues, and is forced to rely on his wits when the commonplace technologies he's used to from modern life aren't available or don't even exist yet. A Detective Second Grade, Tyler is Hunt's senior ranking detective. He frequently uses pop culture references from his era as undercover aliases, such as "Luke SkywalkerLuke SkywalkerLuke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
" (for dealing with his mother in the era, claiming it is a NavajoNavajo peopleThe Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
name), "Tom CruiseTom CruiseThomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
" and "Sam BonoBonoPaul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
" (when undercover with an Irish brogueBrogueA brogue is a strong accent, notably in Irish dialects of English. For example, in the folksong "Finnegan's Wake", the character of the song, Tim Finnegan, was said to have a "beautiful brogue so rich and sweet"....
). His BBC counterpart is DI (DCI in 2006) Sam TylerSam TylerDCI/DI Sam Tyler is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars.In the original British version of Life on Mars, Tyler is played by John Simm and in the American version he is played by Jason O'Mara....
. - Det. Ray Carling (Michael ImperioliMichael ImperioliJames Michael Imperioli , commonly known as Michael Imperioli, is an American actor and television writer. He is perhaps best known for his role as Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos for which he won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series in 2004. He also...
) - An ambitious and bluntly macho detective with the 125th Detective Squad, he is arrogant and condescending to almost everyone but his mentor, Lt. Gene Hunt. Carling resents Tyler's arrival, having expected to be Hunt's senior detective. He is short-tempered with his demure wife. His BBC counterpart is DS Ray CarlingRay CarlingDC/DS/DI Raymond Milton "Ray" Carling is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars and its spin-off Ashes to Ashes.-Life on Mars:...
. - Policewoman [promoted to Detective in the finale] Annie Norris (Gretchen MolGretchen MolGretchen Mol is an American actress and former model. She is known for her roles in films like Rounders, Celebrity, 3:10 to Yuma, The Thirteenth Floor,and The Notorious Bettie Page, where she played the title character...
) - A uniformed policewoman with an undergraduate psychology education who has aspirations of making the detective squad, Norris constantly struggles against sexistSexismSexism, also known as gender discrimination or sex discrimination, is the application of the belief or attitude that there are characteristics implicit to one's gender that indirectly affect one's abilities in unrelated areas...
attitudes about the role of a woman in police work. Owing to her sex, her nickname among the detectives is "No Nuts Norris". She is the only one on the force to whom Sam has revealed that he's from the future — although she doesn't actually believe him, she's the most willing of any of his colleagues to listen to and offer kind advice about his state of mind rather than simply dismissing him as crazy. After Sam's seemingly crazy prophecy results in him saving her life, Annie is less willing to simply dismiss his incredible stories. Annie fervently wishes to become a detective, like her comrades in the 125th; she is promoted to detective in the finale. Her BBC counterpart is WPC Annie CartwrightAnnie CartwrightWPC/DC Annie Cartwright is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars. The character is portrayed by Liz White...
. - Det. Chris Skelton (Jonathan Murphy) - A young junior detective. He is sometimes a bit naïve about the demands of police work, but he's also much gentler, more kindhearted and more likable than Ray. He's also the most willing of the detectives to consider that as crazy as Sam may be, he does have valuable and useful skills from which the others can learn something. Unlike his older and more traditional colleagues, he's also a fan of current pop culture, including contemporary glam rockGlam rockGlam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
music. In the episode "Take a Look at the Lawmen" we learn his middle name is Gordon. His BBC counterpart is DC Chris SkeltonChris SkeltonPC/DC Christopher "Chris" Skelton is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars and its spin-off Ashes to Ashes.- Life on Mars :...
. - Lt. Gene Hunt (Harvey KeitelHarvey KeitelHarvey Keitel is an American actor. Some of his most notable starring roles were in Martin Scorsese's Mean Streets and Taxi Driver, Ridley Scott's The Duellists and Thelma and Louise, Ettore Scola's That Night in Varennes, Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs and Pulp Fiction, Jane Campion's The...
) - Commander of the 125th Detective Squad, Hunt is a hardened older cop who's largely set in his ways. He accepts and even encourages the casual corruption and physical abuse rampant in the police force, although he lives by a very strict code of loyalty toward fellow officers and honor toward law-abiding citizens even if he personally dislikes them. He is often exasperated by Sam's outspoken insistence on doing things differently, but seems to have a grudging respect for Sam's crime-solving ability nonetheless. He has a long standing rivalry with a fellow police officer, Lt. Anthony Nunzio of the 144th Precinct. His BBC counterpart is DCI Gene HuntGene HuntDCI Gene Hunt is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama Life on Mars and its sequel, Ashes to Ashes. The character is portrayed by Philip Glenister in both Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, whereas in the American version he is portrayed by Harvey Keitel.The...
.
Minor characters
- Maria Hunt Belanger (Maggie SiffMaggie SiffMargaret "Maggie" Siff is an American actress best known for her television roles, notably department-store heiress Rachel Menken Katz on the AMC drama Mad Men and Dr. Tara Knowles on the FX drama Sons of Anarchy...
) - A youth social worker who assists when a young child is a witness to a crime. Although she's Gene's daughter, they have a strictly professional relationship and are largely estranged from each other on a personal level. She and Sam are immediately attracted to each other, and end up having sex in the precinct house's file room and later shows up to his address wearing nothing but a trench coat. However, Sam only later learns that she's the boss' daughter, and desperately tries to keep Gene from finding out what happened. She has no counterpart in the original BBC series. - Sizable Ted (John Cenatiempo) - A fellow detective, known for his strong physical appearance. He is part of Gene Hunt's 125th Detective Squad.
- Windy (Tanya FischerTanya FischerTanya Fischer is an American actress best known for her role as Zoey Waters on the crime-lawyer series The Defenders.- Career :...
) - A free-spirited hippieHippieThe hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
neighbor of Sam's in three early episodes, who encourages him to embrace higher consciousness and makes him pot-laced lasagne. It is revealed in the final episode of the series that she is the voice of the onboard computer of the HYDE 1-2-5. Her cryptic statements often have double-meanings that can be interpreted as applying to both an issue at hand, and to Sam's confusing journey back in time; in this regard, she is the counterpart to the BBC series' barman character, Nelson. - Maya Daniels (Lisa BonetLisa BonetLisa Bonet , also known as Lilakoi Moon, is an American actress. She is best known for her role as Denise Huxtable Kendall on the long-running NBC sitcom The Cosby Show, and originally starring in its spinoff A Different World.-Early life:Bonet was born in San Francisco, California...
) - Sam's professional and personal partner in 2008. She plays a prominent role in the first episode, when her apparent abduction leads to Sam's car accident, but in subsequent episodes she appears only occasionally in visions Sam sees of a future that may or may not be happening. Her BBC counterpart is Maya Roy. - Rose Tyler (Jennifer FerrinJennifer Ferrin-Early life:Ferrin was born in Lawrenceville, Georgia. She attended Brookwood High where she was the lead in many high school plays and was a member of the choir...
) - Sam's mother. Struggling to make ends meet, she takes out a loan from a gangster, forcing Adult Sam to step in and protect her. Due to the situation, Sam uses the pseudonym Luke SkywalkerLuke SkywalkerLuke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
instead of revealing his real last name to her. Her BBC counterpart is Ruth Tyler. - Vic Tyler (Dean WintersDean WintersDean Winters is an American actor, who has portrayed Ryan O'Reily on HBO's Oz, Johnny Gavin on FX Network's Rescue Me, and Dennis Duffy on NBC's 30 Rock...
) - Sam's father in 1973. Sam discovers some disturbing information about Vic, as well as the real reason he disappeared on Sam's fourth birthday. His BBC counterpart is Vic Tyler. - Detective/Captain Fletcher Bellow (Edi GathegiEdi GathegiEdi Mue Gathegi is a Kenyan-American film, stage and television actor. He is best known for his recurring character Dr. Jeffrey Cole in the television series House, as Cheese in the 2007 film Gone Baby Gone and as Laurent in the films Twilight, its sequel The Twilight Saga: New Moon and Darwin in...
) - A young, African-American detective in another squad, who will be Sam's mentor and captain in the future and Sam looks up to him as the father he never had. He and Sam cooperate on an investigation into Black militants. He is referred to by his nickname, "Clams," in both 2008 and 1973. His BBC counterpart is DC Glenn Fletcher. - Agent Franklin Morgan (Peter GeretyPeter GeretyPeter Gerety is an American actor.Gerety began acting while a student at Boston University, participating in productions at the Charles Playhouse. In 1965, he joined the Trinity Square Repertory Company, a resident theater company in Providence, Rhode Island where he appeared in over 125...
) - Sent to the 125th Precinct from FBI headquarters when Sam's infiltration of an Irish-American gang ends disastrously, Agent Morgan hints that he knows that Sam has been displaced in time, but Morgan has secrets of his own. His BBC counterpart is DCI Frank Morgan. While not mentioned, his line to Sam, "You weren't supposed to peek behind the curtain," in the 16th episode is a reference to The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz (1939 film)The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
; Frank Morgan was also the name of the actor who played the Wizard in the movie. Morgan is also the director of Mission Control in the last episode of the series. - Colin Raimes (Michael Bertolini) - Suspected serial killer. Sam and Maya are hunting down Raimes for kidnapping and murdering young women. After a chase and a fight scene, he is apprehended, but released because of a seemingly solid alibi. Maya trails him in the park and she is abducted. Sam races to Raimes' apartment, and as he crosses the street, he is hit by a car and wakes up in 1973.
- Jimmy McManus (Peter GreenePeter GreenePeter Greene is an American character actor.A native of Montclair, New Jersey, Greene did not pursue a career in acting until his mid 20s...
) - Irish gang leader in New York. McManus has a "beef" with officers in the 125 precinct, is involved with various criminal activities during three of the later episodes. Sam joins McManus' gang undercover, and McManus shoots Ray and Chris during a pullover, almost killing Chris and injuring Ray. In the end, FBI Agent Frank Morgan kills McManus in a rival shooting, since both were competing in illegal smuggling. - Mysterious caller on the phone - At the end of "The Man Who Sold the World", Sam went to a house to look for a way home to 2008. When he arrived, a man rang him on the house telephone and led him to a headless body. This man is a member of Aries Project, and in the series finale offered Sam a chance to go home.
Synopsis
The series centers around Detective Sam Tyler, assigned to the 125th Precinct Detective Squad of the New York City Police Department.At the show's outset in 2008, he cohabits with his girlfriend who is also his NYPD assigned partner, Detective Maya Daniels. Maya, to Tyler’s horror, is kidnapped by a murderer they are investigating. While responding to a lead in Maya's kidnapping, Tyler is distracted and hit by another responding speeding police car. He regains consciousness in the same spot in the year 1973, dressed in period civilian attire, carrying a period-accurate identity card with his badge, and equipped with a vintage automobile, a 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle
Chevrolet Chevelle
The Chevrolet Chevelle is a mid-sized automobile produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors in three generations for the 1964 through 1977 model years. Part of the GM A-Body platform, the Chevelle was one of Chevrolet's most successful nameplates. Body styles include coupes, sedans,...
— and, astonishingly, he's parked within sight of the World Trade Center
World Trade Center
The original World Trade Center was a complex with seven buildings featuring landmark twin towers in Lower Manhattan, New York City, United States. The complex opened on April 4, 1973, and was destroyed in 2001 during the September 11 attacks. The site is currently being rebuilt with five new...
. He returns to his precinct house to find an unfamiliar early-1970s police squad, with contemporary equipment and culture which he likens to finding himself on a different planet. However, the detectives have been expecting him, thinking that he is a transfer from a place called "Hyde". His disorientation and frequent reference to things from the future brand him as eccentric, being labeled with the nickname "Spaceman", but he becomes a valued member of the squad.
Later on in the series, with Sam supposedly in a coma in 2008, Maya decided to end the relationship.
Several of the show's plots involve Sam looking into earlier versions of his cases from 2008, such as in "Out Here in the Fields" where he discovers the sociopath mentor of a future serial killer, and in "The Simple Secret of the Note in Us All" where Sam has the opportunity to stop a serial killer early in his career. Additional storylines are driven by the conflict between Sam's 2008 values and the more corrupt, almost vigilante
Vigilante
A vigilante is a private individual who legally or illegally punishes an alleged lawbreaker, or participates in a group which metes out extralegal punishment to an alleged lawbreaker....
-style policing of the era he finds himself in, while others are driven by Sam's discovery of more personal information about his past in this era that radically reshapes his understanding of the life he's left behind. He engages in an ongoing struggle to figure out what has happened to him, torn between his developing relationships in 1973 and his desire to return to 2008.
His 2008 reality frequently intrudes into 1973 through surreal, anachronistic
Anachronism
An anachronism—from the Greek ανά and χρόνος — is an inconsistency in some chronological arrangement, especially a chronological misplacing of persons, events, objects, or customs in regard to each other...
visions and cryptic telephone calls. In one episode he sees a man in a nightclub wearing a Nirvana
Nirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
T-shirt, in several early episodes he sees the face of George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on the front page of the newspaper, and he frequently sees Mars rover
Mars Rover
A Mars rover is an automated motor vehicle which propels itself across the surface of the planet Mars after landing.Rovers have several advantages over stationary landers: they examine more territory, they can be directed to interesting features, they can place themselves in sunny positions to...
robots following him or attempting to enter his body.
At other times, he also hints at his knowledge of the future to his colleagues; in a discussion of then-President Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
he confuses them by asserting that Nixon won't be in office much longer, he makes a veiled allusion to the September 11 attacks when advising them against engaging in hate speech
Hate speech
Hate speech is, outside the law, any communication that disparages a person or a group on the basis of some characteristic such as race, color, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, or other characteristic....
, and he uses then-future cultural references as undercover pseudonyms — sometimes giving his name as "Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker
Luke Skywalker is a fictional character and the main protagonist of the original film trilogy of the Star Wars franchise, where he is portrayed by Mark Hamill. He is introduced in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, in which he is forced to leave home, and finds himself apprenticed to the Jedi master...
", "Tom Cruise
Tom Cruise
Thomas Cruise Mapother IV , better known as Tom Cruise, is an American film actor and producer. He has been nominated for three Academy Awards and he has won three Golden Globe Awards....
" or "Sam Bono
Bono
Paul David Hewson , most commonly known by his stage name Bono , is an Irish singer, musician, and humanitarian best known for being the main vocalist of the Dublin-based rock band U2. Bono was born and raised in Dublin, Ireland, and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School where he met his...
", and giving Gene and a female companion the undercover names "George
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
and Laura Bush
Laura Bush
Laura Lane Welch Bush is the wife of the 43rd President of the United States, George W. Bush. She was the First Lady of the United States from January 20, 2001, to January 20, 2009. She has held a love of books and reading since childhood and her life and education have reflected that interest...
".
At the end of the series, it is revealed that Tyler's 2008 and 1973 realities were both fictitious, created by the onboard computer of a spacecraft that is carrying Tyler, Hunt, Norris, Carling, and Skelton on the first ever manned mission to the planet Mars
Manned mission to Mars
A manned mission to Mars has been the subject of science fiction, engineering, and scientific proposals throughout the 20th century and into the 21st century...
, in 2035. The crew he worked with in 1973 were just virtual reality
Virtual reality
Virtual reality , also known as virtuality, is a term that applies to computer-simulated environments that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world, as well as in imaginary worlds...
versions of his fellow spaceship crewmembers. His room number, "2B", is his sleeping unit; his old precinct, "Hyde", and his new precinct, the "125", are based on the name of the spacecraft - "Hyde 125"; his neighbor, Windy, is the name of the computer A.I.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
; Frank Morgan, an FBI agent in the series, is the Mission Control flight director; in a reversal from her struggle to be taken seriously as a police officer in 1973, Annie Norris is the ship's commander. To sustain the crew, their minds were routinely kept active while asleep using virtual reality "neural stimulation" programs of their own choosing, but Sam's choice of a scenario where he was a police officer circa 2008 was abruptly changed to a 1973 setting by a computer glitch induced by a meteor
METEOR
METEOR is a metric for the evaluation of machine translation output. The metric is based on the harmonic mean of unigram precision and recall, with recall weighted higher than precision...
-storm. The identity of Maya in 2035, however, is left unexplained. This conclusion is markedly different from the conclusion of the original UK series
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
, but is still left ambiguous as the first step on Mars depicts Gene Hunt's signature shoe stepping on to the red Martian sand.
In a twist, Gene Hunt in 1973 turns out to be astronaut 'Major Tom
Major Tom
Major Tom is a fictional astronaut created by David Bowie, heard in his songs "Space Oddity," "Ashes to Ashes," and "Hallo Spaceboy." Bowie's own interpretation of the character evolved throughout his career. 1969's "Space Oddity" depicts an astronaut who casually slips the bonds of a crass and...
' Tyler - Sam's father - in the conclusion. Just as Maria was estranged from Gene in 1973, Sam was estranged from his father until the very end of the series, when he reconciles with his dad before they step out onto the bare ground of the Red Planet.
Recurring themes
- David Bowie - Named for one of BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
's most famous songs, "Life on Mars?Life on Mars?"Life on Mars?" is a song by David Bowie first released in 1971 on the album Hunky Dory. The song—which BBC Radio 2 later called "a cross between a Broadway musical and a Salvador Dalí painting"—featured guest piano work by keyboardist Rick Wakeman. When released as a single in 1973,...
", Sam's journey back in time to 1973 is accompanied by this single. Bowie is referenced in a number of episodes besides the first one, including Episode 13, where a deceased activist from the Weathermen Underground and his illicit daughter have Bowie's eyes (of different colors). In Episode 17, Gene Hunt's 2035 character is Major Tom Tyler, a reference to Bowie's song "Space OdditySpace Oddity"Space Oddity" is a song written and performed by David Bowie and released as a music single in 1969. It is about the launch of Major Tom, a fictional astronaut; its title alludes to the film 2001: A Space Odyssey, released the previous year. The lyrics have also been seen to lampoon the failed...
". He is also referenced by Windy in the last episode of the series ("David Bowie asked me to move to Spain with him and raise praying mantises"). - The Wizard of Oz - Like Dorothy in the The Wizard of OzThe Wizard of Oz (1939 film)The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical fantasy film produced by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was directed primarily by Victor Fleming. Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson and Edgar Allan Woolf received credit for the screenplay, but there were uncredited contributions by others. The lyrics for the songs...
, Sam finds himself in strange world, always trying to find the way home. In Episode 11, Sam finds another man who says he is from 2009 and has suddenly found himself back in 1973, and "finds the way back home." Judy GarlandJudy GarlandJudy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
's "Over the RainbowOver the Rainbow"Over the Rainbow" is a classic Academy Award-winning ballad song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E.Y. Harburg. It was written for the movie The Wizard of Oz, and was sung by Judy Garland in the movie...
" is played throughout this episode. - Presidency of the United States - Sam's initial reality was depicted as contemporary with the show's real world debut, which coincided with the 2008 presidential election campaignUnited States presidential election, 2008The United States presidential election of 2008 was the 56th quadrennial presidential election. It was held on November 4, 2008. Democrat Barack Obama, then the junior United States Senator from Illinois, defeated Republican John McCain, the senior U.S. Senator from Arizona. Obama received 365...
; in several early episodes, Sam's temporal disjunction was depicted in part by his seeing photos of, or hearing the voice of, George W. BushGeorge W. BushGeorge Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. In an early 2009 episode, Sam meets a New York city councillor who reveals that he's also from the future, and informs him of the election of Barack ObamaBarack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
; he later has a vision of part of Obama's election night victory speech. In the final episode's 2035 reality, it is implied that Malia Obama is the incumbent president.
British reception
In a UK interview with SFX, original creator of Life on MarsLife on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
Matthew Graham, was asked his opinion on the US remake. His opinion was "Have you seen it? It beggars belief, doesn’t it?” He goes on to speak of how he discussed future Ashes to Ashes
Ashes to Ashes (TV series)
Ashes to Ashes is a British science fiction and police procedural drama television series, serving as the sequel to Life on Mars.The series began airing on BBC One in February 2008. A second series began broadcasting in April 2009...
endings and theories with the US team, stating they thought the UK ending "wasn’t extreme enough". He spoke of how strong endings should be there for the viewer to work out, where as the US ending was like "coming up with something and going ‘Hey-hey, you never knew this, but Gene is a Martian!’”, which he felt was a mistake.
US ratings
| # | Episode | Rating | Share | Rating/Share Nielsen Ratings Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States... (18-49) |
Viewers (millions) |
Rank (night) |
Rank (week) |
Air date (m/d/y) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Out Here in the Fields" | 8.2 | 14 | 3.8/10 | 11.33 | #3 | #15 (tied) | 10/9/2008 |
| 2 | "The Real Adventures of the Unreal Sam Tyler" | 5.7 | 10 | 2.7/7 | 8.47 | #8 | TBD | 10/16/2008 |
| 3 | "My Maharishi is Bigger Than Your Maharishi" | TBD | 9 | 2.5/7 | 8.06 | #11 | TBD | 10/23/2008 |
| 4 | "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing In the Shadows?" | 5.7 | 10 | 2.7/8 | 8.41 | #8 | TBD | 10/30/2008 |
| 5 | "Things to Do in New York When You Think You're Dead" | 6.0 | 10 | 3.0/8 | 9.62 | #8 | TBD | 11/6/2008 |
| 6 | "Tuesday's Dead" | 6.0 | 10 | 2.9/8 | 8.94 | #8 | TBD | 11/13/2008 |
| 7 | "The Man Who Sold the World" | 5.3 | 9 | 2.6/7 | 7.97 | #9 | TBD | 11/20/2008 |
| 8 | "Take a Look at the Lawmen" | 4.0 | 7 | 2.3/6 | 8.89 | #7 | TBD | 1/28/2009 |
| 9 | "The Dark Side of the Mook" | 3.7 | 6 | 2.3/5 | 6.02 | #5 | TBD | 2/4/2009 |
| 10 | "Let All the Children Boogie" | 3.0 | 5 | 2.0/6 | 5.14 | TBD | TBD | 2/11/2009 |
| 11 | "Home is Where You Hang Your Holster" | 3.5 | 6 | 2.1/6 | 5.78 | #7 | TBD | 2/18/2009 |
| 12 | "The Simple Secret of The Note In Us All" | 3.2 | 5 | 2.0/6 | 5.55 | #8 | TBD | 2/25/2009 |
| 13 | "Revenge of Broken Jaw" | 3.5 | 6 | 2.1/6 | 5.66 | #6 | TBD | 3/4/2009 |
| 14 | "Coffee, Tea, or Annie" | 3.0 | 4 | 1.5/4 | 4.58 | #13 | TBD | 3/11/2009 |
| 15 | "All the Young Dudes" | 3.3 | 6 | 2.0/6 | 5.27 | #11 | TBD | 3/18/2009 |
| 16 | "Everyone Knows It's Windy" | 3.5 | 6 | 2.1/6 | 5.67 | #8 | TBD | 3/25/2009 |
| 17 | "Life Is a Rock" | 3.6 | 6 | 2.1/6 | 5.86 | #7 | TBD | 4/1/2009 |