My name is Sam Tyler. I had an accident and I woke up in 1973
Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt are the main characters in Life on Mars(Image: Neil Jones/PA)
It has been 19 years since Life on Mars was broadcast by the BBC but the crime drama still has a huge fan base and an incredible score on Rotten Tomatoes. The show has a mightily impressive 100% rating, despite only two series released in the early noughties.
Life on Mars received critical acclaim for its innovative storyline and depiction of the 1970s, although it was actually filmed over three decades later. The gripping police drama broadcast between January 9, 2006 and April 10, 2007, and in the short amount of time it was on TV screens, had a lasting impact with its memorable characters, storylines and soundtrack.
The characters from the show are still widely remembered by fans today. The unique premise of the drama captured the audience immediately, viewers watched as Sam Tyler, played by John Simm, tried to get home to the 21st century after waking up in 1973 when he was hit by a car.
Sam was a police officer in Manchester, who found himself working with Gene Hunt, played by the legendary Philip Glenister, the complete opposite of the modern police man that Sam tried to be. There were only 16 episodes of the show aired across two series.
John Simm’s character met a number of interesting and memorable characters while travelling back in time. Every episode was introduced with a line that summed up his situation: “My name is Sam Tyler. I had an accident and I woke up in 1973. Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever’s happened, it’s like I’ve landed on a different planet.”
The series was the creation of Matthew Graham, Ashley Pharaoh and Southport-born Tony Jordan. After its success, it led to a spin-off titled Ashes to Ashes in 2008. The spin-off ended after three seasons, in 2010.
At the time of Life on Mars’ release, Jane Featherstone, executive producer of the show, said: “Life on Mars is a fantastic idea which takes the cop show genre and gives it a unique, humorous and irresistible twist. By taking a character of our time and throwing him headfirst into our recent past, it gives us a chance to explore what makes us who we are today.”
Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt are the main characters in Life on Mars(Image: Neil Jones/PA)
John Yorke, Controller of Continuing Drama Series and Head of Independent Drama at BBC explained: “The beauty of Life on Mars is that each week it concentrates on catching criminals through two completely opposing styles of policing.
“We put a modern DI bang in the world of the old school copper and so explore two totally foreign worlds. Sam’s both repelled and fascinated by this prehistoric world, and the drama lies in how he tries to accommodate himself to life on a completely different planet.”
Reviews of the highly-rated cop show include: “Life On Mars is more than just a jolly, tongue-in-cheek romp into the past. Once there, in 1973, we find ourselves immersed in a reasonably gripping police drama.”
Another fan said: “The humour is well balanced with the darkness and desperation that frequents the episode, but Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharaoh always knows when to lay on the emotional scenes.”
A further response said: “Life On Mars’ bedrock is its deft, thought-provoking recreation of a very different Britain, an eloquent confirmation of novelist L. P. Hartley’s famous line, “The past is another country”.
One five star response said: “The show and its stars particularly British TV vet John Simm, who effortlessly toggles Sam from his role as principled, cool cop one minute to that of lost soul in anguish the next are top-notch.”
The lead-character performance of John Simm was noted, with one response saying: “Simm easily navigates the gritty cop plotlines and the mystical sci-fi elements, thanks to his distinctly British regular-bloke appeal. And his crackling chemistry with gruff boss Gene Hunt only adds to the series’ charm.”