For a list of all the music played on the American series, and a chance to listen to 30-second clips of the songs, click


HERE!


“Life On Mars” was a wonderfully entertaining drama series on BBC in the United Kingdom. Part sci-fi, part cop show, it revolved around 21st century cop Detective Inspector Sam Tyler, who, after being hit by a car, regains consciousness and finds himself somehow transported back in time to 1973.

 

In 2006, he is listening to  David Bowie's 'Life On Mars’ on his car’s iPod, T the time of his accident, and as he comes to, the same song is playing in a 1970s Rover, on a cassette tape, hence the title of the series.

 

Now the American network, ABC, has done an American version. That normally fills me with trepidation, as I have seen so many excellent British series ruined when transported to these shores, but on the evidence of the first episode, I’m prepared to admit that this time ABC may have just got it right.

 

The BBC series lasted two seasons, each of 8 episodes, season one staring January 2006 and season two in January 2007, the final episode being aired on April 10th 2007.

 

Regular main cast characters were

 

Sam Tyler (John Simm)

Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister)

Ray Carling (Dean Andrews)

Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster)

Annie Cartwright (Liz White)

 

The show would probably still be going in the UK but I understand John  Simm did not want to make a third series, fearing being typecast.

 

A follow-up series, “Ashes to Ashes” (another Bowie song) features three of the characters, Gene Hunt, Ray Carling and Chris Skelton, now working in London, in 1981 and another ‘time-traveler’ cop, this time from 2008, Detective Inspector Alex Drake, played by Keeley Hawes (Zoe from Spooks/MI5)