It’s just another day for Detective Chief Inspector Sam Tyler (John Simm), the Manchester police officer at the centre of the BBC One show. Life on Mars (available via BritBox subscription). Everything is normal until strange circumstances propel Sam into the past. The concept of the logline sounds great on paper, but it’s even better in execution. With more than just a shoddy framework built around a gimmick, Life on Mars is a beefy series that never gets bogged down by clumsy exposition. As Sam tries to figure out what happened to him, his journey takes him through intriguing cases, pits him against his peers, and, yes, ultimately answers his most pertinent questions.
Life on Mars aired for two seasons from 2006 to 2007 before spawning an equally brilliant series of sequels, From ashes to ashes (2008-2010). While many other series based on similar sci-fi plot twists tend to lose the thread (and the audience’s interest) long before a conclusion is reached, Life on Mars makes every interaction, every clue a meal, and is as interested in the process as it is in the grand finale. The success of the series also gave rise to an American remake, the existence of which we will forget for the express purpose of not altering the source materials.
In 2006, Sam investigates the prime suspect in a series of murders. Unfortunately, thanks to a cast-iron alibi, the most likely culprit is released. Sam goes back to the drawing board and discovers synthetic fibers under one of the victim’s fingernails. Meanwhile, Sam’s girlfriend and fellow cop Maya Roy (Archie Panjabi) isn’t ready to give up so quickly, so she tracks down the released Colin Raimes (Sam Hazeldine) in hopes of finding something that will hold him. Moments later, something happens. A bloody blouse is found at Maya’s last known location. Bowie’s “Life on Mars?” plays as Sam heads toward an underpass. Considering the full weight of what may have happened to Maya, Sam gets out of his car to breathe. Then, in a flash, he is hit by a speeding vehicle.
Sam wakes up in 1973, at the exact spot where he was shot. The bridge has not yet been built and the only building nearby appears to have been burned down in one of those real estate scams. A sign reads: “Coming soon! MANCHESTER’S ‘Highway in the Sky’.” Sam’s outfit has also changed to something specific to the era: a shirt with an ostentatiously stretched wing collar and a handsome black leather blazer jacket. It’s a smart outfit, perfectly suited to his role as a detective inspector (one step down from the title he held in 2006).
As Sam tries to figure out what happened to him, he’ll also have to deal with the usual series of cases, made all the more complicated by bigotry, sexism, and the lack of forensic tools at his disposal. Forget what the criminals are up to; the other officers in the precinct pose the most problems for Sam. While forensic science may not be up to par, what is readily available is the courage and determination to make complex decisions in the moment – even if it means bending the law until it breaks. Sam, whose commendable, rigorous approach works wonders, runs up against the instinctive police work that defines the work of his peers (in 1973, that is).
Although released in 2006, Life on Mars is one of the best crime dramas of the ’70s, taken out of time and reworked with a contemporary eye. The show may not offer a nuanced view of the era; its pivotal historical events are entirely avoided. Yet what it lacks in scope, it makes up for in great characters. After all, Life on Mars is a series built around procedural tropes, subverting them slightly. However, it still strictly adheres to a particular narrative style.
As for the shock of modernity, Sam provides the vehicle through which every aspect of policing of the era is scrutinized, questioned and ultimately propelled forward with his prescient perspective. As Sam struggles to make do with the limited tools at his disposal, he also shows that beyond technological assistance, he is a gifted investigator.
Between Sam’s casual and awkward references to the future (it’s understandable that it’s hard enough to be thrown into the past) and the grumpy face he wears like a shield, he naturally ruffles feathers within the department. He mainly irritates Detective Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister), the imposing, iron-clad cop who runs the show. Gene uses a shotgun blast of profanity and period slang, drawing the attention of his subordinates and relishing the odd turns of phrase. Technically, Sam could be Life on Mars” star, but Gene provides the meaty main course and texture needed for Sam to sink his teeth into. In his office, Gene even has a poster for the film starring Gary Cooper Noon (Fred Zinnemann, 1952) If that’s not the mark of an interesting guy, then what is?
Sam and Gene are necessary opposites
While Sam is a rule-abiding legal practitioner, Gene happily does whatever it takes to keep bad guys off the streets.
Essential to the success of Life on Mars That’s the dynamic between Sam and Gene. Both characters represent extreme law enforcement, although throughout the series they’ll discover that they have more in common than they do differences, namely a desire to do good in the world. Where Sam believes that with hard work, evidence will eventually surface, Gene will dive straight into his drawer of confiscated contraband to pin a culprit.
There is also Annie Cartwright (Liz White), the first and only character to attempt to understand Sam. Regardless of the fact that Sam is speaking in what any reasonable person would consider to be the far-fetched fantasies of a delusional individual, Annie finds a connection with another soul who is being prevented from finding peace. Even though she does not fully understand the magnitude of what Sam is going through, she tries to ease his path to understanding. For Annie, her fate is to be a woman living in a man’s world. When the serious business of talking about murder occurs, Annie is shooed out of the room. The complete disrespect she receives is one of the Life on Mars“the most disconcerting aspects. Annie is a character whose kindness holds up among comfortably miserable men.
Revisit Life on Mars In 2024, it’s refreshing to see the characters relying on their wits and daring to use their cell phones and computer databases, including all that entails, like the ability to zoom in and “enhance” images until everything looks just right for the good guys. What’s left, then? Good old-fashioned police work. How Sam, Gene, and the rest of the cops learn to work together and find a methodology that gets results through more legitimate means is crucial to the show’s continued development. The office banter can burn the ears with tasteless commentary, but the growth is genuine and as engaging as the show’s most exciting aspects.
Life on Mars certainly has a fantastic hook
But the series offers much more, with each episode rich in character development and poignant observations about life.
From time to time, Sam will be subject to startling visions; he will hear sounds coming from what may or may not be the hospital bed where his body lies in a coma. As the police (including Sam) tackle various cases, there remains the burning question of what could have happened to send our hero back in time. There will be no spoilers here, but it is worth noting that Life on Mars The series only gets better with each episode, a rarity in any era. With fantastic performances, a gripping central mystery, and several orbiting cases that hold our attention, it’s no wonder an adaptation was attempted. Yet despite the failure of the version starring Harvey Keitel, Michael Imperioli, and Gretchen Mol, we still reserve the right to revisit the original series and revel in its strange beauty.
Life on Mars is available to stream on BritBox, as is its sequel series, Ashes to Ashes.