Series 1: Episode 8 (Life on Mars)
Encyclopedia
The eighth, and final, episode of the first series of the British
time travel
police procedural
television
series, Life on Mars
, was first broadcast on 27 February 2006. It was produced by Kudos Film & Television
for BBC One
.
's father, Vic, is suspected by Gene of being involved in peddling hardcore porn movies, Sam believes he is a mere pawn of the Morton brothers a suspected new gang that have moved in to take over the manor from Steven Warren. Sam tries to persuade his father not to walk out on his family as he believes if he can achieve this he will be returned to life in 2006.
Sam: May the Force be with you
.
The famous quote from the Star Wars
movies. The first of the six Star Wars movies
was released in 1977, four years after Life on Mars is set.
Sam also has a flashback to his father Vic playing with a toy version of Thunderbird 2, from the TV series Thunderbirds
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
time travel
Time travel in fiction
Time travel is a common theme in science fiction and is depicted in a variety of media. It simply means either going forward in time or backward, to experience the future, or the past.-Literature:...
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...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series, Life on Mars
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....
, was first broadcast on 27 February 2006. It was produced by Kudos Film & Television
Kudos (production company)
Kudos Film and Television is a British independent film and television production company. It has produced television series for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, and its productions include Spooks , Hustle, Life on Mars and its spin-off Ashes to Ashes, The Amazing Mrs Pritchard and M.I. High...
for BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
.
Synopsis
SamSam Tyler
DCI/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....
's father, Vic, is suspected by Gene of being involved in peddling hardcore porn movies, Sam believes he is a mere pawn of the Morton brothers a suspected new gang that have moved in to take over the manor from Steven Warren. Sam tries to persuade his father not to walk out on his family as he believes if he can achieve this he will be returned to life in 2006.
Cast
- 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....
— John SimmJohn SimmJohn 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... - 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...
— Philip GlenisterPhilip GlenisterPhilip 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:... - 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 :...
— Marshall LancasterMarshall LancasterMarshall Lancaster is a British actor. He has appeared in many television dramas, including Coronation Street, Holby City, The Lakes and Family Affairs, but is probably best known for playing DC Chris Skelton in the BBC time-travel police dramas, Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes.Lancaster is a... - 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:...
— Dean AndrewsDean AndrewsDean Andrews is a British actor.He is most famous for his role as DS Ray Carling in the BBC Television drama Life on Mars... - 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...
— Liz WhiteLiz White (actress)Liz White is an English actress, best known for her regular role as WPC/WDC Annie Cartwright in the BBC time travel drama Life on Mars, which began in January 2006... - Nelson — Tony Marshall
- Phyllis DobbsPhyllis DobbsWPC Phyllis Dobbs is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars. The character is portrayed by Noreen Kershaw, whereas in the American version the character does not exist except for a very minor capacity....
— Noreen KershawNoreen KershawNoreen Kershaw is an English television actress and director.She trained at the Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre and, at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre, originated the title role of the play Shirley Valentine, later made famous by Pauline Collins... - Voice of Test Card Girl — Rafaella Hutchinson (uncredited)
- Vic Tyler — Lee InglebyLee InglebyLee Ingleby is a British film, television, and stage actor.He is perhaps best known for his roles as Detective Sergeant John Bacchus in the BBC Drama George Gently and as Stan Shunpike in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban...
- Ruth Tyler — Joanne FroggattJoanne Froggatt- Early life, education and early career :Born and raised in the village of Littlebeck, Froggatt left her family home at the age of 13 to attend the Redroofs Theatre School in Maidenhead, Berkshire. In 1996, she made her TV début in the long-running ITV drama, The Bill, and shortly afterwards...
- Jimmy Lipps — Matt CrossMatt CrossMatthew "Matt" Capiccioni is an American professional wrestler, better known by his ring names M-Dogg 20 and Matt Cross. In addition to performing on the independent circuit, Capiccioni has also worked for prominent promotions such as Ring of Honor, Chikara and the short-lived Wrestling Society X...
- Young SamSam 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....
— Alexander O'Loughlin - Manager - Paul Kemp
Cultural references
Chris: They have to we're the ForceForce (law)
In the field of law, the word force has two main meanings: unlawful violence and lawful compulsion. "Forced entry" is an expression falling under the category of unlawful violence; "in force" or "forced sale" would be examples of expressions in the category of lawful compulsion.When something is...
Sam: May the Force be with you
May the Force be with you
The expression "May the Force be with you" has achieved cult status and is symbolic of the Star Wars legacy. The line has been said by at least one character in each of the Star Wars movies...
.
The famous quote from the Star Wars
Star Wars
Star Wars is an American epic space opera film series created by George Lucas. The first film in the series was originally released on May 25, 1977, under the title Star Wars, by 20th Century Fox, and became a worldwide pop culture phenomenon, followed by two sequels, released at three-year...
movies. The first of the six Star Wars movies
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope
Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope, originally released as Star Wars, is a 1977 American epic space opera film, written and directed by George Lucas. It is the first of six films released in the Star Wars saga: two subsequent films complete the original trilogy, while a prequel trilogy completes the...
was released in 1977, four years after Life on Mars is set.
Sam also has a flashback to his father Vic playing with a toy version of Thunderbird 2, from the TV series Thunderbirds
Thunderbirds (TV series)
Thunderbirds is a British mid-1960s science fiction television show devised by Gerry and Sylvia Anderson and made by AP Films using a form of marionette puppetry dubbed "Supermarionation"...
Music
- Friday 13th - Atomic RoosterAtomic RoosterAtomic Rooster were an English progressive rock band, composed of former members of the The Crazy World of Arthur Brown. Throughout their history, keyboardist Vincent Crane was the only constant member, and wrote the majority of their material. Their history is defined by two periods, in the early...
- The Rock - Atomic Rooster
- Tokoloshe Man - John KongosJohn KongosJohn Kongos is a singer-songwriter. He is best known for his 1971 Top 10 hit single, "He's Gonna Step On You Again".-Career:...
- In the Snow - Atomic Rooster
- Devil's Answer - Atomic Rooster
- See My Baby JiveSee My Baby JiveSee My Baby Jive was a song by the British glam rock band Wizzard.Written and produced by Roy Wood, See My Baby Jive was the second single by Wood's band and their first to reach number one in the UK, spending four weeks at the top of the chart in May 1973...
- WizzardWizzardWizzard was a Birmingham-based band formed by Roy Wood, former member of The Move and co-founder of Electric Light Orchestra. The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits states, "Wizzard was Roy Wood just as much as Wings were Paul McCartney."-Biography:... - 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,...
- David 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... - Meet Me on the Corner - LindisfarneLindisfarne (band)Lindisfarne were a British folk/rock group from Newcastle upon Tyne established in 1970 and fronted by singer/songwriter Alan Hull. Their music combined a strong sense of yearning with an even stronger sense of fun...
- Little Bit of Love - FreeFree (band)Free were an English rock band, formed in London in 1968, best known for their 1970 signature song "All Right Now". They disbanded in 1973 and lead singer Paul Rodgers went on to become a frontman of the band Bad Company along with Simon Kirke on drums; lead guitarist Paul Kossoff died from a...
Analysis
- In the original timeline, during a wedding reception, Sam Tyler as a child witnesses his father, Vic Tyler, beat a woman in a red dress, presumably Annie Cartwright. In the altered timeline, Sam Tyler instructs little Sam Tyler to stay inside, changing history, preventing little Sam from witnessing his father beat Annie. The reason Annie Cartwright was present at the wedding reception in the first place was from Sam Tyler's future knowledge of his father's location. Annie Cartwright being present at the wedding reception in the original timeline presents a grandfather paradoxGrandfather paradoxThe grandfather paradox is a proposed paradox of time travel first described by the science fiction writer René Barjavel in his 1943 book Le Voyageur Imprudent . The paradox is this: suppose a man traveled back in time and killed his biological grandfather before the latter met the traveler's...
since she would not have known Vic Tyler's location without Sam Tyler's future knowledge.
External links
- Episode 8 at bbc.co.ukBbc.co.ukBBC Online is the brand name and home for the BBC's UK online service. It is a large network of websites including such high profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services co-branded BBC iPlayer, the pre-school site Cbeebies, and learning services such as Bitesize...
- Episode 8 at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Episode 8 at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...