The BBC One TV show Life on Mars is drama series which stared John Simm as DCI Sam Tyler who after being struck by a car in the year 2006 and reawakens in 1973. The TV show follows the life Sam Tyler working for the Manchester Police alongside Gene Hunt who is played brilliantly by Philip Glenister whilst trying to work out if he is dead, in a coma, travelled back in time or just gone totally mad and is imagining that he’s in 1973.
Life On Mars - TV Show Information
Life on Mars got its title from an old David Bowie song and was a huge hit with viewers on BBC One and with TV critics. It was actually originally proposed as an idea to Channel 4 by John Yorker, but after senior management told him “it was going to be silly” he rejoined the BBC who commissioned the show. The show only lasted 2 series (both are now on BBC DVD) with a total of 16 episodes with the producers and writers saying they didn’t want to drag the show out as it would lose its impact. Life on Mars won both BAFTA and International Emmy awards and is now shown in North America and Europe, ABC in the USA have also brought the rights to remake the show, but both leading actors Philip Glenster and John Simm declined the opportunity to star in the American remake.
After the end of Life on Mars BBC executives confirmed that they were looking into producing a spin off of the TV show which is now known as Ashes to Ashes (another David Bowie song title). The show is similar that the main character wakes up in the past but this time in the 1980′s. The highly popular DCI Gene Hunt will again be in the show and will probably be just as politically incorrect as in Life on Mars. The main character will be called Alex Drake a female police officer played by Keeley Hawes and will be broadcast this year (2008).
Life on Mars Episode Guide:
Life on Mars – Series One
Episode Number – Title – Writer – Director – TV Airdate
1 “Episode One” Matthew Graham – Bharat Nalluri – January 9, 2006, 9-10pm
2 “Episode Two” Matthew Graham – Bharat Nalluri – January 16, 2006, 9-10pm
3 “Episode Three” Matthew Graham – John McKay – January 23, 2006, 9-10pm
4 “Episode Four” Ashley Pharoah – John McKay – January 30, 2006, 9-10pm
5 “Episode Five” Tony Jordan – SJ Clarkson – February 6, 2006, 9-10pm
6 “Episode Six” Matthew Graham & Ashley Pharoah – John Alexander – February 13, 2006, 9-10pm
7 “Episode Seven” Chris Chibnall – SJ Clarkson – February 20, 2006, 9-10pm
8 “Episode Eight” Matthew Graham – John Alexander – February 27, 2006, 9-10pm
Life on Mars – Series Two
Episode Number – Title – Writer – Director – TV Airdate
1 “Episode One” Matthew Graham – SJ Clarkson – February 13, 2007, 9-10pm
2 “Episode Two” Chris Chibnall – SJ Clarkson – February 20, 2007, 9-10pm
3 “Episode Three” Julie Rutterford – Richard Clark – March 6, 2007, 9-10pm
4 “Episode Four” Ashley Pharoah – Richard Clark – March 13, 2007, 9-10pm
5 “Episode Five” Matthew Graham – Andrew Gunn – March 20, 2007, 9-10pm
6 “Episode Six” Guy Jenkin – Andrew Gunn – March 27, 2007, 9-10pm
7 “Episode Seven” Mark Greig – SJ Clarkson – April 3, 2007, 9-10pm
8 “Episode Eight” Matthew Graham – SJ Clarkson – April 10, 2007, 9-10pm
Life on Mars cast
Character / Played by
DCI/DI Sam Tyler / John Simm
DCI Gene Hunt / Philip Glenister
WPC/WDC Annie Cartwright /Liz White
DS Ray Carling / Dean Andrews
DC Chris Skelton / Marshall Lancaster
Nelson / Tony Marshall
WPC Phyllis Dobbs / Noreen Kershaw
