Science fiction is a genre of speculative fiction that has been called the "literature of ideas". It typically deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts such as advanced science and technology, time travel, parallel universes, fictional worlds, space exploration, and extraterrestrial life. Science fiction often explores the potential consequences of scientific innovations.
The police procedural, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the protagonist(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on a private investigator or amateur detective. Unlike traditional mysteries, which conceal the criminal's identity until the police solve the crime in the narrative climax, police procedurals often reveal the perpetrator's identity to the audience early in the narrative, making it an inverted detective story or "howcatchem". Police procedurals attempt to accurately depict such police-related topics as forensic science, autopsies, gathering evidence, search warrants, interrogation and adherence to legal restrictions and procedure.
The American Broadcasting Company (ABC) is an American commercial broadcast television network that is a flagship property of Walt Disney Television, a subsidiary of the Disney Media Networks division of The Walt Disney Company. The network is headquartered in Burbank, California on Riverside Drive, directly across the street from Walt Disney Studios and adjacent to the Roy E. Disney Animation Building, But the network's second corporate headquarters and News headquarters remains in New York City, New York at their broadcast center on 77 West 66th Street in Lincoln Square in Upper West Side Manhattan.
Jason O'Mara is an Irish-American actor. He has starred in the American television network dramas In Justice, Life on Mars, Terra Nova, Vegas, and Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.. O'Mara won an Irish Film and Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in The Siege of Jadotville.
Genre is any form or type of communication in any mode with socially-agreed-upon conventions developed over time. Genre is most popularly known as a category of literature, music, or other forms of art or entertainment, whether written or spoken, audio or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria, yet genres can be aesthetic, rhetorical, communicative, or functional. Genres form by conventions that change over time as cultures invent new genres and discontinue the use of old ones. Often, works fit into multiple genres by way of borrowing and recombining these conventions. Stand-alone texts, works, or pieces of communication may have individual styles, but genres are amalgams of these texts based on agreed-upon or socially inferred conventions. Some genres may have rigid, strictly adhered-to guidelines, while others may show great flexibility.
Thriller is a broad genre of literature, film and television, having numerous, often overlapping subgenres. Thrillers are characterized and defined by the moods they elicit, giving viewers heightened feelings of suspense, excitement, surprise, anticipation and anxiety. Successful examples of thrillers are the films of Alfred Hitchcock.
Life on Mars garnered critical praise for its premise, acting, and depiction of the 1970s but shortly after its premiere, the show's momentum was interrupted by a two-month hiatus followed by a timeslot change which led to a decline in viewership.[2][3] On March 2, 2009 ABC announced that it would not be ordering a second season. A DVD set of the complete series was released on September 29, 2009.
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, Harry's Law, Big Little Lies, and Mr. Mercedes, as well as several films. Kelley is one of very few screenwriters to have created shows aired on all four top commercial U.S. television networks.
Josh Appelbaum is an American television writer, screenwriter, showrunner and producer.
André Nemec is an American writer, showrunner and producer.
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.[7] 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 City of New York Police Department, more commonly known as the New York Police Department and its initials NYPD, is the primary law enforcement and investigation agency within the City of New York, New York in the United States. Established on May 23, 1845, the NYPD is one of the oldest police departments in the United States, and is the largest police force in the United States. The NYPD headquarters is at 1 Police Plaza, located on Park Row in Lower Manhattan across the street from City Hall. The department's mission is to "enforce the laws, preserve the peace, reduce fear, and provide for a safe environment." The NYPD's regulations are compiled in title 38 of the New York City Rules. The New York City Transit Police and New York City Housing Authority Police Department were fully integrated into the NYPD in 1995 by New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani.
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".[8]
The series premiered in North America on October 9, 2008, on ABC, following Grey's Anatomy.[9] Internationally, it also aired on Global in Canada, on FX in the UK, and on Network Ten in Australia.[10] 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.[11]
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.[12]
Det. Sam Tyler (Jason O'Mara) — 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,[13] Tyler is Hunt's senior ranking detective. He frequently uses pop culture references from his era as undercover aliases, such as "Luke Skywalker" (for dealing with his mother in the era, claiming it is a Navajo name), "Tom Cruise" and "Sam Bono" (when undercover with an Irish brogue). His BBC counterpart is DI (DCI in 2006) Sam Tyler (John Simm).
Det. Ray Carling (Michael Imperioli) — 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 Carling (Dean Andrews).
Policewoman [promoted to Detective in the finale] Annie Norris (Gretchen Mol) — A uniformed policewoman with an undergraduate psychology education from Fordham University who has aspirations of making the detective squad, Norris constantly struggles against sexist attitudes about the role of a woman in police work. Owing to her gender, 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 Cartwright (Liz White).
Det. Chris Gordon 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 rock music. In the episode "Take a Look at the Lawmen" we learn his middle name is Gordon. His BBC counterpart is DC Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster).
Lt. Gene Hunt (Harvey Keitel) — 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 Hunt (Philip Glenister).
Minor
Maria Hunt Belanger (Maggie Siff) — 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; she later shows up at 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.
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 Fischer) — A free-spirited hippie 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 (Tony Marshall).
Maya Daniels (Lisa Bonet) — 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 (Archie Panjabi).
Rose Tyler (Jennifer Ferrin) — 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 Skywalker instead of revealing his real last name to her. Her BBC counterpart is Ruth Tyler (Joanne Froggatt in 1973 & Judi Jones in 2006). Changing her name in the American version brought the name full-circle; Sam Tyler's surname was selected by writer Matthew Graham's daughter in homage to Doctor WhocompanionRose Tyler. In the last episode, Sam finally reveals his real name to his mother, who smiles, having suspected all along that he was her son in an older incarnation.
Vic Tyler (Dean Winters) — 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 (Lee Ingleby).
Detective/Captain Fletcher Bellow (Edi Gathegi/Clarke Peters) — 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. Gathegi plays young Bellow in 1973; Peters plays the older man from 2008. His BBC counterpart is DC/DCCGlenn Fletcher, QGM (Ray Emmet Brown).
Agent Franklin Morgan[14] (Peter Gerety) — 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 Oz; Frank Morgan was also the name of the actor who played Professor Marvel, the door-keeper, the carriage driver, the Wizard's squire, and the Wizard in the movie. Morgan is also the director of Mission Control in the last episode of the series; in that context, his British counterpart is Sam's 2005 surgeon, Frank Morgan (Ralph Brown).
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. When in 1973 (during the first episode of the series), Sam meets Raimes as a child and has thoughts of shooting him so he doesn't grow up to be a killer; however a message from Maya over the car radio tells Sam that she's alive and safe; Sam puts his gun away and lets Colin return home. His BBC counterpart is Colin Raimes (Sam Hazeldine).
Jimmy McManus (Peter Greene) — 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. His British counterpart is Sam's 2005 surgeon, Frank Morgan.
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 radio call as he crosses the street, 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 Twin Towers 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 c. 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. 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. However the final shot shows, not an astronaut boot, but Gene Hunt's signature white loafer taking the first step onto the Martian surface, casting doubt once again onto the ending.
Recurring themes
David Bowie — Life on Mars, like the original UK series, was named after one of Bowie's most famous songs, "Life on Mars?". In the series, 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 Weather 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 Oddity". 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"). Episode 7 and 15 are both named after other songs written by Bowie: "The Man Who Sold the World" and "All the Young Dudes", respectively. Lyrics from "Life on Mars?" used in the script only occur in the final episode where Sam's mother says "Look at those cavemen go," as the detectives scurry around the police station, in pursuit of the abductor of her son, the young Sam.
The Wizard of Oz — Like Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, Sam finds himself in a 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 Garland's "Over the Rainbow" is played throughout this series.
After an accident, NYPD detective Sam Tyler inexplicably finds himself back in 1973, where he must help solve a murder that is eerily similar to a case he was investigating in 2008. (Contains elements of Series 1 Episode 1 of UK original)
Sam is in 1973. 2008 only exists as flashes of Sam's memory, assisted by a mysterious robot. A suspect in a series of deadly armed robberies of check cashing stores, Trent, is picked up but let loose for lack of evidence. Trent then attempts another robbery, is killed by Hunt, but not before Trent shoots June the precinct secretary, at the scene. When a witness states that Trent was escorted by uniformed police going into the store being robbed, it becomes a corruption issue. It turns out June was connected to Trent, and this is how the case gets solved. (Contains elements of Series 1 Episode 2 of UK original)
When a decorated Vietnam War vet is beaten to death, Sam's precinct is pushed to the brink to find his killers, but not everyone may be happy with the results they find. (Contains elements of Series 1 Episode 5 of UK original)
4
"Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadows?"
Sam busts a guy for accosting his mother, only to find out he's a loan shark and she's into him for a thousand dollars. When his mother doesn't want to prosecute, she, unknowingly, leads Sam down a road that puts him on the outs with Annie. (Contains elements of Series 1 Episode 4 of UK original)
5
"Things to Do in New York When You Think You're Dead"
Michael Katleman
Sonny Postiglione
November6,2008(2008-11-06)
1ANY05
Sam partners up with Fletcher, his future police mentor, in 1973 to find a Puerto Rican man accused of throwing a black girl off the roof of a building — a case that has the black community up in arms and demanding retribution. Guest stars Whoopi Goldberg. (Contains elements of Series 2 Episode 2 of UK original)
After a wild birthday party for Ray at the precinct house, Sam receives a phone call from his mother saying he has until two o'clock to pull out of his coma before the doctor will pull the plug, just as Lt. Hunt walks in with news of a hostage situation at a local hospital, they have until two o'clock before the man claims he will kill the hostage. Sam believes he must intervene to save his own life in 2008 and vows that no one will die today. (Contains elements of Series 1 Episode 6 of UK original)
While investigating a child's kidnapping, Sam discovers some disturbing information about his father, as well as the real reason he disappeared for good on the day of Sam's fourth birthday party. (Contains elements of Series 1 Episode 8 of UK original)
A long standing competition between Lt. Hunt and Anthony Nunzio of the 144th precinct, heats up as both investigate a bank robbery by the Russian mob. Meanwhile, Sam has a liaison in the file room, unaware of the woman (Maggie Siff)'s true identity. This episode was originally broadcast before "The Dark Side of the Mook." (Contains elements of Series 2 Episode 5 of UK original)
A mysterious phone call from a tipster leads Det. Sam Tyler to a headless body. A severed head is delivered to the precinct at the same time, thus leading to the discovery of a series of gruesome decapitations that might involve Det. Carling's brother, Eddie. The detectives are interviewed by someone tied to Aries Project. (Contains elements of Series 1 Episode 3 of UK original)
10
"Let All the Children Boogie"
Michael Katleman
Phil M. Rosenberg
February11,2009(2009-02-11)
1ANY12
When rock star Sebastian Grace (Cheyenne Jackson) receives a death threat, Sam and Chris are sent to provide him with police protection. Chris later accompanies Sebastian and one of his groupies, Rocket Girl, to wait for UFOs in the New Jersey Meadowlands, but Sebastian is arrested for murder when Rocket Girl disappears. Sam also has to try and cover up his fling with Maria before Gene figures out who his partner in the file room was.
A city councilman who is arrested and brought into the 125th on prostitution charges privately reveals to Sam that he's from 2009 and knows the way home, but he is murdered in the middle of the precinct house before Sam can find out the secret. Hunt locks down the squad house to investigate the murder. Ray and Annie were both out of the house at the time and are sent out to investigate leads on the outside, but squabble over how much authority a policewoman should be given in investigating a crime. (Contains elements of Series 1 Episode 7 of UK original)
The squad tries to solve the murder of newspaper columnist Joey Conway. After learning that Conway had visited a gallery owned by Tony Crane, a man whom Sam has arrested in the 2000s for a very similar crime, Sam becomes an advocate for the 1973-style vigilante policing he's usually fighting against, while the media glare has Hunt uncharacteristically insistent on a strictly by-the-book investigation. The rest of the precinct believe the murderer is a restaurant owner whose business was failing because of a bad review in Conway's column.
Note: This is the last episode to air before the shows's cancellation. (Contains elements of Series 2 Episode 1 of UK original)
While the squad tries to find a place to watch the Muhammad Ali-Ken Norton rematch, student radicals from the Weather Underground target the police with bomb threats, and it becomes all too personal to Lt. Hunt, who loses several close friends in the incendiary aftermath. As the investigation heats up, Sam, Annie and Hunt uncover mysterious connections to one of the students and a political science professor. The bomb threats continue as Hunt, suspiciously secretive, attempts to discover the professor's possible connection to the Weather Underground's dead leader; is the motivation politics or revenge, and do the Weathermen have the right target? With the 1-2-5 walking a dangerous tightrope to discover the target of the next bomb, the case takes a totally unforeseen but deadly turn. (Contains elements of Series 2 Episode 3 of UK original and Series 1 Episode 8 of "Ashes to Ashes")
When a Pan Atlantic air hostess turns up dead, Annie volunteers for a dangerous undercover mission posing as the murdered woman to help solve the second in a possible series of brutal homicides. Then, after an unlikely suspect is uncovered, an invitation to a lurid swingers' party leads to an evening full of sensational surprises — not just for Annie and Sam (who attend as a couple) but Lieutenant Hunt also, who arrives with a special guest to mix it up. Juicy sexual escapades bring the swingers' party to a fever pitch, but will the murderer be revealed? Finally, Annie confronts Hunt with the courage of her convictions about her future at the 1-2-5. (Contains elements of Series 2 Episode 4 of UK original)
When Sam poses as a streetwise tough to infiltrate a vicious New York City gang led by Irishman Jimmy McManus who is suspected of truck hijackings, he’s pushed to the limit not to blow his cover, and he reveals a much darker side. A bare-knuckled fist fight with a gang member, a late-night deal to buy a truckload of stolen VCRs and even time behind bars at his own precinct are all necessary elements of Sam’s scam. But can he keep up the ruse when he’s told to shoot a bound-and-gagged woman? And his attraction to McManus' sister also seems to be part of a recipe for disaster. Jason O'Mara's real life wife, Paige Turco, plays his romantic interest. (Contains elements of Series 2 Episode 8 of UK original)
16
"Everyone Knows It's Windy"
Alex Zakrzewski
Mike Flynn
March25,2009(2009-03-25)
1ANY16
Following Irish gangster Jimmy McManus' shooting of Ray and Chris, crime fighting gets extremely personal at the 125th Precinct. When McManus is subsequently murdered outside a neighborhood bar and FBI agent Franklin Morgan is sent to the precinct, both sides of the law suspect Sam of murder, leaving him to question his own innocence. With the evidence stacking up against him, Sam must rely on his friends at the precinct to bend the rules as he tenaciously searches for the real killer. (Contains elements of Series 2 Episode 7 of UK original)
17
"Life Is a Rock"
Michael Katleman
Scott Rosenberg
April1,2009(2009-04-01)
1ANY17
Sam wakes up after dreaming about his 2008 apartment with 1973 characters and is told by his hippie neighbor Windy that he's most likely closer to going back; later on a mysterious caller offers Sam a chance to return to 2008; all he needs to do is complete three tasks, but a confusing set of circumstances inside and out of the 1-2-5 makes him think twice about whether he even wants to go back. At the end of the episode, the final truth about Sam's life is revealed.
Reception
Commentary
In a UK interview with SFX, Matthew Graham—co-creator of the original Life on Mars—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, whereas 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.[15]
"The Jean Genie" is a song by David Bowie, originally released as a single in November 1972. According to Bowie, it was "a smorgasbord of imagined Americana", with a protagonist inspired by Iggy Pop, and the title being an allusion to author Jean Genet. One of Bowie's most famous tracks, it was the lead single for the album Aladdin Sane (1973). Promoted with a film clip featuring Andy Warhol associate Cyrinda Foxe, it peaked at No. 2 on the UK Singles chart.
Baretta is an American detective television series which ran on ABC from 1975–78.
Jacob "Jack" Kruschen was a Canadian character actor who worked primarily in American film, television and radio. Kruschen was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as Dr. Dreyfuss in the 1960 comedy-drama The Apartment.
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between 9 January 2006 and 10 April 2007. The series combines elements of speculative fiction and police procedural, featuring a present-day police officer from the Greater Manchester Police who wakes up in 1973 after being involved in a road accident. The title is a reference to David Bowie's 1973 single Life on Mars?, with its lyrics "Take a look at the law man, beating up the wrong guy".
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. In the American version the character's surname is changed to 'Norris' and she is portrayed by Gretchen Mol.
DCI 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. His younger self, also known as the ghost of Gene Hunt, is portrayed by Mason Kayne.
DCI/DI Sam Tyler is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars.
Ashes to Ashes is a British crime drama and police procedural drama television series, serving as the sequel to Life on Mars.
DC/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.
PC/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.
DI Alexandra "Alex" Drake is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Ashes to Ashes. The character is portrayed by Keeley Hawes and as a child by Lucy Cole.
WPC/DC Sharon "Shaz" Granger is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Ashes to Ashes. The character is portrayed by Montserrat Lombard. The character's look and style are based on Joanne Catherall of The Human League in 1981.
Russ Conway was a Canadian-American character actor who appeared on film and television between 1947 and 1975.
Episode 1 is the first episode of series 1 of the British science fiction/police procedural/drama television series Ashes to Ashes, which is the sequel to Life on Mars. It began broadcasting on BBC One on 7 February 2008.
Chief inspector is a rank used in police forces which follow the British model. In countries outside Britain, it is sometimes referred to as chief inspector of police (CIP).
Rodolfo Hoyos Jr. was a Mexican actor who appeared in American film and television from the mid-1940s to 1982.
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