Life on Mars

After a car crash, police detective Sam Tyler mysteriously finds himself transported back to 1973 and still working as a detective.

Life on Mars (2008-2009) is an American adaptation of a British series created by Matthew Graham, Tony Jordan and Ashley Pharoah for ABC. Jason O'Mara plays Det. Sam Tyler, a modern-day New York detective who wakes up after a car crash to find himself back in 1973, still working the beat. He is pulled into a station run by the blunt, charismatic Lt. Gene Hunt (Harvey Keitel), whose rough justice clashes with Sam's procedural instincts. Policewoman Annie Norris (Gretchen Mol) and Det. Ray Carling (Michael Imperioli) round out the squad as Sam works through a series of cases while trying to work out whether he is dreaming, mentally unwell, or truly displaced in time. Each episode pairs a self-contained crime with a larger mystery about the past and the present. The single season of seventeen episodes has a gritty, melancholic and occasionally wry tone, with a wistful, nostalgic look at the seventies. Fans of Ashes to Ashes, Quantum Leap and The Wire will find resonance in its blend of crime procedure, time displacement and character-driven mystery.

Audiences rated the single season positively, praising its time-travel premise and the clash of eras between Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt.

• Ashes to Ashes (2008)shared fish out of time premise, 1970s police procedural tone, gritty cop banter
• Quantum Leaptime displaced detective, mystery procedural with supernatural undercurrent
• The Wirecrime procedural with mystery and moral grit in a retro police setting

Created by

Matthew Graham, Tony Jordan, Ashley Pharoah

Release Date

2008-10-09

Episode runtime

42 min

Rating

7.5 / 10 (113)

What is Life on Mars about?

A modern police detective wakes up in 1973, still on the job, and must solve cases in a world run by a hard-edged boss.

What is Life on Mars like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Life on Mars as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.

Is Life on Mars violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Life on Mars as moderate.

What did critics think of Life on Mars?

Audiences rated the single season positively, praising its time-travel premise and the clash of eras between Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt.

Which shows are like Life on Mars?

Shows with a similar feel include Ashes to Ashes (2008), Quantum Leap, and The Wire.

How long is Life on Mars?

Life on Mars: 1 season, 17 episodes.

Is Life on Mars still running?

No, Life on Mars has ended.

Where can I watch Life on Mars?

In United States, Life on Mars is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video.