Life on Mars
Format	Time travel Police procedural Alienation Existentialism
Created by	Matthew Graham Tony Jordan Ashley Pharoah
Starring	John Simm Philip Glenister Liz White Dean Andrews Marshall Lancaster
Country of origin	United Kingdom
No. Time travel is a common theme in Science fiction and is depicted in a variety of media The police procedural is a sub-genre of the mystery story which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a Police force as they investigate Crimes In Sociology and Critical social theory, alienation refers to an individual's estrangement from traditional community and others in general Existentialism is a philosophical doctrine which posits that individuals create the meaning and essence of their lives and that this essence follows from their existence Matthew Graham is a British Television writer and the co-creator of the BBC / Kudos Film and Television science fiction series Life Tony Jordan (born 21 July 1957) is a British Television writer Ashley Pharoah (born September 13 1959) is a British Television writer co-creator of the successful drama series Life on Mars John Ronald Simm (born 10 July 1970 in Leeds, West Yorkshire) is an English Actor and Musician. Philip Heywood Glenister (born February 10, 1963) is a British Actor, known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in British television series Liz White (born 1979 in Rotherham, South Yorkshire) is an English actress, best known for her regular role as WPC/WDC Annie Cartwright Dean Andrews (born 1963 in Rotherham) is a English actor He is most famous for his role as DS Ray Carling in both series of the cult BBC Television drama series Marshall Lancaster (born 5 October 1974 in Macclesfield, Cheshire, England) is a British actor The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located  of episodes	16 (List of episodes)
Production
Producer(s)	Kudos Film & Television
Running time	60 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel	BBC One
Picture format	PAL (576i)
Original run	9 January 2006 – 10 April 2007
Chronology
Followed by	Ashes to Ashes
External links
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Life on Mars is a BAFTA and Emmy-winning British science fiction and police drama television series. Life on Mars is a British television drama series produced by Kudos Film & Television for the BBC in 2006 and 2007 Kudos Film & Television is a UK-based Film and Television production company which has produced Drama series for most of the major Television networks PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is a colour -encoding system used in Broadcast television systems in large parts of the world 576i is a standard-definition video mode used in (former PAL and SECAM countries Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 879 - Louis III becomes King of the Western Franks. 1407 - the lama Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Ashes to Ashes is a British television drama series which serves as a sequel to the 2006 series Life on Mars. The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs &mdash or to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards British television broadcasting started in 1936 and now has a collection of free and subscription services over a variety of distribution media through which there are up to 600 channels It was first broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007.

The programme tells the story of DCI Sam Tyler of the Greater Manchester Police (played by John Simm), who, after being hit by a car in 2006, finds himself in the year 1973. Chief Inspector ( Ch Insp) is a rank used in Police forces which follow the British model Detective Inspector Sam Tyler is a Fictional character in the BBC One Sci-Fi Police procedural drama Life on Mars, and Greater Manchester Police (" GMP " is the Home Office Police force responsible for policing the Metropolitan county of Greater John Ronald Simm (born 10 July 1970 in Leeds, West Yorkshire) is an English Actor and Musician. There, he works for Manchester and Salford Police CID as a DI under DCI Gene Hunt (played by Philip Glenister). Manchester and Salford Police was from June 1 1968 to April 1 1974 a police force in England. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID is the branch of all Territorial police forces within the British Police and many other Commonwealth police This is about the police rank/position For the use in graphical user interfaces see Inspector window. Detective Chief Inspector Gene Hunt is a Fictional character in the BBC One Sci-Fi Police procedural drama Life on Mars Philip Heywood Glenister (born February 10, 1963) is a British Actor, known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in British television series Over the course of the series, Tyler faces various culture clashes, most frequently regarding the differences between his modern approach to policing and the more traditional methods of his colleagues. Mixing the genres of science fiction and police procedural, the series centres around the ambiguity concerning Tyler's predicament: it is unclear whether he is insane, in a coma, or if he really has travelled back in time. The police procedural is a sub-genre of the mystery story which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a Police force as they investigate Crimes In Medicine, a coma (from the Greek koma, meaning deep sleep is a profound state of Unconsciousness. ^[1]

A sequel to the series, Ashes to Ashes, began transmission on BBC One in February 2008. Ashes to Ashes is a British television drama series which serves as a sequel to the 2006 series Life on Mars. Also, a US remake of the show has been commissioned by ABC. Life on Mars is an American television series aired by ABC and co-produced by 20th Century Fox Television and ABC Studios, about a New York The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network.

Origins

The programme was originally conceived in 1998, when writers Matthew Graham, Tony Jordan and Ashley Pharoah were sent on a break to the seaside resort of Blackpool by Kudos Film & Television, later best known as the makers of Spooks and Hustle, to come up with new programme ideas. Matthew Graham is a British Television writer and the co-creator of the BBC / Kudos Film and Television science fiction series Life Tony Jordan (born 21 July 1957) is a British Television writer Ashley Pharoah (born September 13 1959) is a British Television writer co-creator of the successful drama series Life on Mars Blackpool (/ˈblækˌpul is a seaside town in Lancashire, England. Kudos Film & Television is a UK-based Film and Television production company which has produced Drama series for most of the major Television networks Spooks is a BAFTA award-winning British television drama series produced by the independent production company Kudos for BBC One Hustle is a British television comedy-drama series made by Kudos Film & Television for BBC One in the United Kingdom. ^[2] Originally titled Ford Granada,^[3] after the popular car of the 1970s, the series was rejected by the BBC. "Back then, broadcasters just weren't comfortable with something like that, something that wasn't set in the real world and that had a fantasy element to it,"^[2] Graham later told SFX Magazine. SFX is a British Magazine devoted to Science fiction and Fantasy subjects especially media-related topics but not containing fiction The initial idea at this time was for a more humorous, pre-watershed series that overtly mocked the styles and attitudes of the 1970s, with comic actor Neil Morrissey envisaged as the central character. The Watershed is a term used to describe a time in television schedules which divides the period when it is permissible to show television programmes which have ' Adult content' Neil Anthony Morrissey (born 4 July, 1962 in Stoke-on-Trent) is an English Actor. ^[4]

Later, Channel 4 drama executive John Yorke picked up the script and it was substantially redeveloped, with the emergence of the double act between the two main characters, Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt. Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began John Yorke is currently the Controller of BBC Drama Production However, senior management eventually decided not to pursue the idea. "[Channel 4] people just said 'It's going to be silly',"^[5] Graham later told the Radio Times. For the US radio series see WHYY-FM. Radio Times is the BBC 's weekly Television and Radio programme However, the series eventually attracted the attention of the BBC Wales Head of Drama, Julie Gardner, who in turn persuaded the overall Head of Drama at the BBC, Jane Tranter, to commission the programme for BBC One. BBC Wales ( BBC Cymru) is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Julie Gardner (born June 1969 is a Welsh Television producer who is currently both Controller of Drama Commissioning at BBC Television and Head Jane Tranter (born 17 March 1963 is an English television executive who is the "Head of Fiction" at the BBC. ^[2] John Yorke left Channel 4 to rejoin the BBC and together he and Julie Gardner acted as joint commissioning editors on the show for its entire run.

The programme's central character was originally to have been called "Sam Williams", but Kudos felt that this was not striking enough and asked Graham to come up with an alternative surname. (This would later be referenced in the final episode of series two. ) Asking his young daughter for her opinion, she suggested "Sam Tyler", which became the character's name. Graham subsequently discovered that his daughter had named him after Rose Tyler from Doctor Who (another BBC Wales programme, for which he would later write the episode "Fear Her"). Rose Marion Tyler is a fictional character played by Billie Piper in the long-running British science fiction television series Doctor Who Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. " Fear Her " is an episode of the British Science fiction television series Doctor Who. ^[6] The initial geographical setting was to be London; this was then changed to Leeds, and finally to Manchester, as part of a BBC initiative to make more programmes in that city. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. Leeds ( is located on the River Aire in West Yorkshire, England ^[4]

Production and transmission

The eight one-hour episodes of the first series were broadcast on BBC One on Monday nights at 9:00 pm. The series was mostly written by its creators, Jordan, Graham and Pharoah. The fourth writer on the first series was Chris Chibnall. Chris Chibnall is a British Television writer Raised in Lancashire, his initial career in television was as a football archivist and Floor For the second series, Graham, Pharoah and Chibnall returned to write episodes, joined by Julie Rutterford, Guy Jenkin and Mark Greig. Julie Rutterford is a British film and television Screenwriter. Guy Jenkin is a comedy writer who is best known for working on sitcoms and comedies such as Drop the Dead Donkey, Jeffery Archer The Truth and ^[7] The second series transmission day was moved to Tuesday night rather than Monday.

Filming for a second series for BBC One started in April 2006. ^[8] According to Jane Featherstone, the show's executive producer, speaking in February 2006, a film version of the show was also a possibility: "Life on Mars was a very high concept idea and there was no doubt it would work on the big screen. Motion Pictures An executive producer of a Motion picture is typically a producer who is sometimes involved in creative or technical aspects of production High concept, in Film or art in general is a term used to refer to a succinctly stated premise describing the overall idea of production in just a few sentences or less "^[9]

On 9 October 2006, it was confirmed that the second series of Life on Mars would also be the last. Events 768 - Carloman I and Charlemagne are crowned Kings of The Franks. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Matthew Graham stated, "We decided that Sam's journey should have a finite life span and a clear-cut ending and we feel that we have now reached that point after two series. "^[10] Graham's claim that two separate endings had been filmed was later revealed to be a ruse. ^[11]

The second series had a distinctive style of introduction on BBC One: after a brief collage of momentary images, such as several test cards and the late comedy writer/broadcaster Barry Took, a mock-up version of BBC1's 1970s blue-on-black rotating globe ident (with a blue 'BBC1 Colour' caption underneath) was used, although the design had to be modified to fit widescreen sets. The following is a list of Test cards used by the BBC at various points in Broadcasting. Barry Took ( 19 June 1928 &ndash 31 March 2002) was an English Comedian, Writer A widescreen image is a film computer or television image with a wider and shorter aspect ratio than the standard Academy frame developed during the Classical This was accompanied by a bass-voiced continuity announcer in the style of that era. Viewers in Wales saw an original 'BBC Cymru Wales' mechanical globe with introductions provided by former BBC Wales announcers. Trailers for the show also used the 1970s style, including the rhombus-style BBC logo.

Overseas sales

The first season of Life on Mars was broadcast in the US on BBC America,^[12] to favourable critical reviews,^[13] from July 2006 to August 2007. BBC America is an American Television network owned and operated by BBC Worldwide Americas, and available on both cable and satellite The second season aired from December 2007 to January 2008.

In Canada on BBC Canada from September 2006 to April 2007, on Télé-Québec from 8 January 2008 to 23 April 2008 (French version), and on Showcase. Télé-Québec is equivalent to Ontario 's TVOntario and TFO, British Columbia 's Knowledge and Saskatchewan 's SCN, Events 871 - Battle of Ashdown - Ethelred of Wessex defeats a Danish invasion army 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Showcase is a Canadian English language Cable television Specialty channel owned by CW Media (a division of Canwest and GS Capital Both North American transmissions were slightly edited for commercials and the US version also omits some nudity and language from the programme.

In New Zealand the series was shown from February 2007 on TV ONE, and was described by stuff. New Zealand is an Island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses (the North Island and the South Island For other uses see TV1 disambiguation TV One is a New Zealand national television network owned and operated by state-owned media co. nz as "sensationally well-made. "^[14] In Australia the first series began on 20 May 2007, and the second on 14 February 2008, both on ABC TV. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Australia topics. Events 325 - The First Council of Nicaea &ndash the first Ecumenical Council of the Christian Church is held Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 842 - Charles the Bald and Louis the German swear the Oaths of Strasbourg in the French and German 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common ABC Television is a service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in 1956 In Ireland, RTÉ Two began broadcasting the series in June 2007 in a late-evening slot, following RTÉ News on Two. Ireland ( Irish: Éire, ˈeːrʲə is a country in north-western Europe. RTÉ Two (Irish RTÉ a Dó) (known from 1988 to 2004 as Network 2, RTÉ Network Two, RTÉ2 or N2) is the Republic of Ireland RTÉ News on Two is RTÉ's late evening news programme The program is broadcast Monday - Sunday on the Irish RTÉ Two TV channel

The show has also been transmitted in Sweden (SVT 2^[15]), Netherlands (Nederland 3), in Germany (Kabel 1^[16]), France (13ème rue^[17]), Spain (Antena.neox) and Israel (Hot). "Sverige" redirects here For other uses see Sweden (disambiguation and Sverige (disambiguation. Sveriges Television AB ( SVT,) is a national Television broadcaster based in Sweden, funded by an obligatory fee payable by all Television -owners The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Nederland 3 ( English: Netherlands 3 is the third and youngest of the Terrestrial television channels operated by the Dutch public-broadcasting organization NPO Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany ( ˈbʊndəsʁepuˌbliːk ˈdɔʏtʃlant is a Country in Central Europe. kabel eins (literally cable one) is a commercial Television channel in Germany. This article is about the country For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic France topics. Antenaneox is a Spanish television channel run by Antena 3. Generally the channel shows children's programming during the morning and late afternoon extreme sports and For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Hot is a Telecommunications and Cable television company in Israel founded on August 18, 2003. Sub began broadcasting Life on Mars in Finland in April 2008. Sub (former TVTV! and Subtv is a popular Finnish TV channel owned by Bonnier. Finland, officially the Republic of Finland ( is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe.

In February 2007, The Guardian's media site reported that producer David E Kelley was to develop an American version of the series for the ABC network. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. guardiancouk, formerly known as Guardian Unlimited, is a British website owned by the Guardian Media Group. David Edward Kelley (born April 4, 1956) is a multi-Emmy award winning American Writer, Executive producer, and creator of the well-known Life on Mars is an American television series aired by ABC and co-produced by 20th Century Fox Television and ABC Studios, about a New York The American Broadcasting Company ( ABC) is an American Television network. Spanish Television network Antena.neox bought the rights from the BBC, and will remake the show and base the first series 5 years later than the U. Antenaneox is a Spanish television channel run by Antena 3. Generally the channel shows children's programming during the morning and late afternoon extreme sports and K version, in 1978 post-Franco Spain. [1] ^[18]

Music

Main article: Life on Mars (soundtrack album)

The programme's soundtrack features many early 1970s songs, as well as an original score composed by Edmund Butt. Life on Mars is the Soundtrack album to the BBC Television drama series of the same name. The show's title is taken from the David Bowie song "Life on Mars?", which features prominently; it is playing on the iPod in Sam's Jeep Grand Cherokee when his accident occurs and on an 8-track tape in a Rover P6 when he awakes in 1973. David Bowie (ˈboʊiː born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947 is an English Musician, actor producer, and arranger. " Life on Mars? " is a song by David Bowie first released in 1971 on the album Hunky Dory. iPod is a popular brand of Portable media players designed and marketed by Apple Inc The Jeep Grand Cherokee is a Mid-size unibody Sport utility vehicle produced by the Jeep division of Chrysler. This is an article about the 8-track cartridge For eight-track multitracking see Multitrack recording. The Rover P6 series (named 2000, 2200, and 3500 for their engine displacement was a group of saloon Cars produced from 1963 to "Life on Mars?" also features in the final episodes of each series, and is played over the end credits of the last installment. The eighth and final episode of the second series of the British time travel Police procedural Television series Life on Mars, Matthew Graham admitted that initially there were some worries over whether the production team would be able to license the song, which, had they been denied it, would have necessitated retitling the series. ^[19] Another Bowie song, "Space Oddity", is used in BBC trailers for the series. This article is about the song For the album which includes this song see Space Oddity (album. In several episodes, DCI Gene Hunt adopts the name "the Gene Genie", referencing another famous David Bowie song, "The Jean Genie". " The Jean Genie " is a single by David Bowie, released in November 1972

The show's creators were initially refused permission to use "Live and Let Die" by Paul McCartney and Wings but, according to Graham in the Radio Times, "We sent the episode direct to Paul McCartney. " Live and Let Die " is a Song originally performed by Paul McCartney and Wings, which was written for the soundtrack of the 1973 James Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942 is an English rock Singer, Bass guitarist songwriter Composer, Wings were a rock supergroup formed in August 1971 after the breakup of the Beatles, by ex-Beatle Paul McCartney. Almost immediately, his assistant phoned back and said, 'Paul loves it. You can go ahead and use it. '"^[20]

Characters

Main article: List of Life on Mars characters

From left to right, the main characters in Life On Mars: Chris Skelton, Gene Hunt, Sam Tyler, Ray Carling and Annie Cartwright

Life on Mars revolves around the experiences of Sam Tyler, a Detective Chief Inspector of police in 2006 who, after being hit by a car, wakes to find himself in 1973. This is a list of characters in the BBC television drama series ''Life on Mars''. Detective Constable Chris Skelton is a Fictional character in the BBC One Sci-Fi Police procedural drama Life on Mars Detective Chief Inspector Gene Hunt is a Fictional character in the BBC One Sci-Fi Police procedural drama Life on Mars Detective Inspector Sam Tyler is a Fictional character in the BBC One Sci-Fi Police procedural drama Life on Mars, and Detective Sergeant Ray Carling is a Fictional character in the BBC One Sci-Fi Police procedural drama Life on Mars Annie Cartwright is a Fictional character in the BBC One Sci-fi Police procedural drama Life on Mars. Unsure whether he is mad, in a coma, or if he has actually gone back in time, he finds he is a Detective Inspector in the contemporary police force, and has just been transferred from 'Hyde' to the Manchester and Salford Police CID to serve under his new DCI, Gene Hunt. Hyde is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. The surreal situation Sam finds himself in causes him immense stress, but he remains a committed, decent police officer who rigorously follows (twenty-first century) police procedure.

Sam's straight-laced and modern manner, however, brings him into constant conflict with Gene and his team, who prefer old-fashioned methods of policing. Gene is an old style cop, not scared of throwing a few punches to get a result. ^[21] He is also happy to frame people regardless of whether the evidence points to them or not, to manufacture or destroy evidence in pursuit of a result and, at least initially, to accept bribes. Sam describes him as "overweight, over-the-hill, nicotine-stained, borderline alcoholic homophobe with a superiority complex and an unhealthy obsession with male bonding" (Gene's reply: "You make that sound like a bad thing. ") Gene is supported by the team of DS Ray Carling and DC Chris Skelton. Ray, although loyal to the force, is portrayed as a misogynistic bully and serves as an antagonist towards Sam throughout the series. ^[22] Chris, in contrast, is a cheeky but likeable character, who finds himself torn between the modern (Sam) and the old-fashioned (Gene). ^[23]

Due to Sam's conflicts with Gene, Ray and Chris, the only person in 1973 who he can truly confide in is WPC Annie Cartwright. Annie serves as a romantic interest for Sam, though is frustrated by his confusion about his situation. According to Liz White, "She gets very tired of his constant talk about how this situation is not real, that they are all figments of his imagination — she can only explain it as psychological trauma from his car crash. "^[24]. The character's presence and eventual promotion provide a way for the show to explore the extent to which female officers of the time were undermined, underused, and harassed.

Themes and storyline

See also: List of Life on Mars episodes

The Test Card Girl, a surreal hallucination repeatedly encountered by Sam Tyler

Each episode begins with a monologue from Sam, in which he asks "Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever's happened, it's like I've landed on a different planet. Life on Mars is a British television drama series produced by Kudos Film & Television for the BBC in 2006 and 2007 This is a list of characters in the BBC television drama series ''Life on Mars''. Detective Inspector Sam Tyler is a Fictional character in the BBC One Sci-Fi Police procedural drama Life on Mars, and Now, maybe if I can work out the reason, I can get home. " Life on Mars centres around this ambiguity: Sam's efforts to understand what has happened to him and to get home.

Sam's uncertainty is reinforced by frequent encounters with seemingly paranormal phenomena. He regularly hears, on radios, television sets and telephones, "voices from the future" discussing his medical condition, apparently from people and machines around his hospital bed, leading him to believe that he is in a coma. But other elements suggest that he is, in fact, insane, such as his frequent — and unexpected — encounters with the Test Card Girl (a manifestation of the young girl from Test Card F), who speaks to him directly: "Do you not like me with my clown? I can see I make you frown. This is a list of characters in the BBC television drama series ''Life on Mars''. Test Card F is a Test card that was created by the BBC and used on Television in the United Kingdom and in countries elsewhere in the world When on Earth will all this end? I'm your friend, your only friend. " Annie Cartwright, on the other hand, strives to convince Sam that the remarkable amount of detail and tangibility in the world in which he finds himself is evidence that he is, in fact, really in 1973.

A recurring motif throughout the series is the overlapping of past and present. In episode six, for example, Sam hears the voice of his mother (in 2006) saying his life-support machine will be switched off at 2:00 pm. He is immediately called to investigate a hostage-taking where the perpetrator will start killing his victims at precisely the same hour. Sam also occasionally encounters people in 1973 whom he knows in the "real world" of 2006 including suspects, friends and his own parents.

Another major theme in the series is Sam's conflict with the attitudes of the 1970s. In particular, his "timewarped good cop/bad cop odd couple" relationship with DCI Gene Hunt. ^[25] Sam is from a more politically correct era, where suspects' rights and the preservation of forensic evidence are more stringently observed. This frequently leads to clashes with his counterparts in 1973, when sexism, racism, police brutality and institutionalised minor corruption are casually regarded as routine parts of the job.

The series frequently uses dramatic irony, in the form of jokes about a future the audience already knows, but which the historical characters do not. For example, Gene Hunt declares, "There will never be a woman prime minister as long as I have a hole in my arse. Margaret Hilda Thatcher Baroness Thatcher LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925 "

Finale

See also: Series 2: Episode 8 (Life on Mars)

The final episode depicts Sam waking from his coma, only to find the modern world devoid of feeling compared to his life in 1973. The eighth and final episode of the second series of the British time travel Police procedural Television series Life on Mars, He ultimately takes a joyful leap from the top of the police station, returning to the past. Writer Matthew Graham wrote the scene to indicate that Sam is now in the afterlife, but acknowledged that the ending is ambiguous and open to other interpretations, such as lead actor John Simm's belief that Sam may not have returned to the present. ^[11] The first episode of sequel series Ashes to Ashes shows Sam's personnel file, which is stamped "SUICIDE". Ashes to Ashes is a British television drama series which serves as a sequel to the 2006 series Life on Mars.

In the final shot, the team drives off, with Sam and Gene bickering as usual. Children run past, including the girl from Test Card F. Test Card F is a Test card that was created by the BBC and used on Television in the United Kingdom and in countries elsewhere in the world She looks directly into the camera before reaching out and "switching off" the television the viewer is watching, signifying that the story has come to an end. ^[11]

Depiction of 1973

In an interview John Stalker, Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester in the early 1980s, and himself a Detective Inspector in 1973, has stated that the depiction of the police "has got nothing to do with real policing in the 1970s. John Stalker (born 1939 in Manchester) is a former Deputy Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police. It could not be more inaccurate in terms of procedure, the way they talk or the way they dress. In all the time I was in the CID in the 1970s I never saw a copper in a leather bomber jacket and I never heard an officer call anyone 'guv'. . . . Actually, there were a few police officers in London who started to behave like Regan and Carter in The Sweeney, but that was a case of life following art, not the other way round. The Sweeney was a British Television Police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, an elite branch of the Metropolitan "^[26] Journalist Ray King, who interviewed Stalker, notes that this depiction of the police can be defended if we assume that Sam is indeed in a coma, and that we are seeing his imaginary idea of 1973, filtered through 1970s cop shows. ^[26]

When Sam Tyler first finds himself in 1973 he awakes on a building site, beneath a large advertising hoarding, proclaiming the construction of a new motorway, the Mancunian Way. The A57(M, also known as the Mancunian Way, is a 2- Mile (32- Kilometre) long Motorway in Manchester, England. In reality, this motorway was completed in 1967. According to Matthew Graham, writing in the Radio Times, the error was deliberate. "We knew that this road was built in the 1960s, but we took a bit of artistic licence. "^[27] Minor historical anachronisms such as this are apparent throughout Life on Mars. An anachronism (from the Greek "ana" " ανά " "against anti-" and "chronos" " χρόνος " Some, as above, were made out of artistic licence whilst others were deliberately inserted to confuse the issue of whether Sam Tyler was in a dream or had gone back in time. Many anachronistic slips however, such as visible modern street furniture (e. g. cable television cabinets, satellite television dishes, CCTV cameras, and double-glazed uPVC window frames), were unintentional. Satellite television is Television delivered by the means of Communications satellites as compared to conventional Terrestrial television and Cable Closed-circuit television ( CCTV) is the use of Video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place limited set of monitors ^[28] In the DVD commentaries for the series the programme makers acknowledge these as errors but also point out they are in fact perfectly feasible, given Sam's situation. ^[19] As the popularity of the series grew, the hunting of such anachronisms became a favourite pastime among Life on Mars fans. "^[29]

Cultural references

There are many references to the famous 1939 MGM production of The Wizard of Oz. The year 1939 in film involved some significant events Events Movie historians and film buffs often look back on the year 1939 as "the The Wizard of Oz is a 1939 American musical - Fantasy film mainly directed by Victor Fleming and based on the 1900 children’s

When Sam Tyler tentatively asks if Gene Hunt is able to send Sam back home, he is mockingly told "The Wizard'll sort it out. It's because of the wonderful things he does". Gene also occasionally refers to Sam as "Dorothy", ostensibly as a reference to what Gene perceives as Sam's effeminacy (the term Friend of Dorothy is a euphemism for a gay man), but also as a nod to Sam's belief that he is living some kind of Oz-like fantasy. Dorothy Gale is a Fictional character, the Protagonist of many of the Oz novels by American author L In Gay slang, a "friend of Dorothy" (occasionally abbreviated FOD) is a term for a Gay man The pivotal character Frank Morgan (played by Ralph Brown) is both Gene's nemesis in 1973 and Sam's surgeon in 2006, echoing the similar dual roles played by actors in the Oz and Kansas sequences of the Judy Garland film. This is a list of characters in the BBC television drama series ''Life on Mars''. Ralph William John Brown His various film roles include Jaye Davidson 's boyfriend Dave in The Crying Game, Great Train Robber Ronnie Biggs Frank Morgan is also the name of the actor who played The Wizard of Oz in the film. Frank Morgan ( June 1, 1890 – September 18, 1949) was an American Character actor best known for his portrayal of the title In the final episode of the series, the song "Over the Rainbow" features prominently upon Sam's return to 2006 and later, when Sam and Annie kiss, a rainbow can be seen in the distant sky. " Over the Rainbow " (sometimes mistakenly known as "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" is a Song with music by Harold Arlen and lyrics by E A rainbow is an optical and meteorological phenomenon that causes a spectrum of Light to appear in the Sky when the Sun

The East Manchester town of Hyde is used as Sam's former police division as a clue that his 1973 self is an alter ego, as in Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Hyde is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Tameside, in Greater Manchester, England. An alter ego ( Latin, "the other I" is a second self, a second Personality or Persona within a Person Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson (13 November 1850–3 December 1894 was a Scottish novelist poet and travel writer, and a representative of Neo-romanticism in Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a Novella written by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson and first published in 1886 ^[19]

Reception

Critical reaction

Critical reaction to the first series of Life on Mars was extremely positive. Steve O'Brien, writing for SFX, declared, "It looks like BBC One has. . . a monster hit on its hands. . . It's funny. . . and dramatic and exciting, and we're really not getting paid for saying this. "^[30] Alison Graham, television editor for the Radio Times, described the series as "a genuinely innovative and imaginative take on an old genre. "^[31] James Walton of The Daily Telegraph commented, "Theoretically, this should add up to a right old mess. For "The Daily Telegraph" in Australia see The Daily Telegraph (Australia. In practice, it makes for a thumpingly enjoyable piece of television — not least because everybody involved was obviously having such a great time. "^[32] And Sam Wollaston of The Guardian wrote: Life on Mars was more than just a jolly, tongue-in-cheek romp into the past. The Guardian (until 1959 The Manchester Guardian) is a British Newspaper owned by the Guardian Media Group. . . Once there, in 1973, we find ourselves immersed in a reasonably gripping police drama — yes, The Sweeney, perhaps, with better production values. The Sweeney was a British Television Police drama focusing on two members of the Flying Squad, an elite branch of the Metropolitan . . Or put another — undeniably laboured — way, as poor Sam Tyler walks through his sunken dream, I'm hooked to the silver screen. "^[33] Although Peter Paterson of the Daily Mail reflected the views of many other commentators on the first episode when he wondered, "Can its intriguing conceit be sustained over eight one-hour episodes?"^[32], critical reaction remained generally positive throughout the programme's run. The Daily Mail is a British newspaper currently published in a tabloid format Of the second series, Alison Graham believed that "Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt are shaping up nicely as one of the great TV detective partnerships. . . It's vastly enjoyable and manages to stay just about believable thanks to some strong writing and, of course, the two marvellous central performances. "^[34] Although Nancy Banks-Smith, in The Guardian, felt that the time-paradox aspect of the programme had become somewhat confusing. Nancy Banks-Smith is a British Television Critic; she began writing for The Guardian in 1969 ^[35]

Banks-Smith summed up the programme's success as "an inspired take on the usual formula of Gruff Copper of the old school, who solves cases by examining the entrails of a chicken, and Sensitive Sidekick, who has a degree in detection. "^[36]

Two days after the final episode's transmission, Life on Mars was attacked in the British press by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers, who claimed that Gene Hunt's use of homophobic insults in the programme could encourage copycat bullying in schools. The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT is a Trade union representing Teachers including Headteachers throughout the ^[37] The BBC stated that Life on Mars was targeted at an adult audience, and argued that Hunt's characterisation was "extreme and tongue-in-cheek". Tongue-in-cheek is a term used to refer to humor in which a statement or an entire fictional work is not meant to be taken seriously but its lack of seriousness is subtle ^[37]

Viewing figures

Life on Mars was also a success in terms of viewing figures. The first series achieved an average audience figure of 6. 8 million viewers^[38] and regularly won its timeslot, despite competition from ITV1's comedy-drama series Northern Lights. Northern Lights is a 2006 Comedy-drama broadcast on ITV starring Mark Benton and Robson Green. ^{[39][39][40][41][42]} The first series' finale gained 7. The eighth and final episode of the first series of the British time travel Police procedural Television series Life on Mars, was 1 million viewers and a 28% audience share. ^[43]

A selection of the magazine coverage surrounding the launch of the second series of Life on Mars in 2007, including the Radio Times with a mocked-up 1973 version of the cover, included on page three of the magazine. For the US radio series see WHYY-FM. Radio Times is the BBC 's weekly Television and Radio programme

Viewing figures for the second series disappointed at first, with the first episode only attracting 5. The first episode of the second series of the British time travel Police procedural Television series Life on Mars, was first broadcast 7 million viewers, slumping to 4. 8 million viewers by episode three, despite being heavily trailed and publicised^[38]. The third episode of the second series of the British time travel Police procedural Television series Life on Mars, was first broadcast These figures were blamed by The Stage on "poor scheduling and unfortunate sporting fixtures, possibly combined with high expectation". The Stage is a weekly British Newspaper founded in 1880 available nationally and published on Thursdays ^[44] Audience figures picked up during the second series' run, however, with the final episode gaining an average of seven million viewers (a 28% audience share), ^[45] despite competition from UEFA Champions League football on ITV1. The second episode of the second series of the British time travel Police procedural Television series Life on Mars, was first broadcast See also List of European Cup and UEFA Champions League winners The UEFA Champions League, which evolved from the European Champion Clubs' Cup is a seasonal club ^[46]

Awards

In November 2006, the first series of Life on Mars won the International Emmy Award for Best Drama Series. ^[47] In January 2007 it won the Best New Programme category at the Broadcast Magazine awards. Broadcast is a weekly Magazine for the United Kingdom Television and Radio industry ^[48] In March 2007 it won two categories, Best Drama Series and the Writers' Award, at the Broadcasting Press Guild Awards. The Broadcasting Press Guild is a British association of Journalists who specialise in writing and Broadcasting about Television, Radio ^[49]

Series one was nominated for a British Academy Television Award (BAFTA) in the Best Drama Series category. The British Academy Television Awards, also known as the BAFTAs &mdash or to differentiate them from the BAFTA Film Awards, the BAFTA Television Awards The British Academy Television Award for Best Drama Series is one of the major categories of the British Academy Television Awards (BAFTAs the primary awards ceremony of the John Simm was also nominated as Best Actor for his work on the show. ^[50] The programme won the audience-voted Pioneer Award. ^[51]

In October 2007, series two was nominated as the Most Popular Drama at the 2007 National Television Awards. The National Television Awards is a British Television awards ceremony sponsored by the ITV network and initiated in 1995. ^[52]

References

External links

• Life on Mars at bbc.co.uk
• Life on Mars: The Album
• Life on Mars at Digital Spy
• Life on Mars at the Internet Movie Database