Life on Mars
Seen it?2006 | 2 seasons | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Saturday SpecialWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It won an Emmy and it's still drawing plenty of interest, despite a short run with a modest audience. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime-drama fans, anyone who likes to be kept guessing and sci-fi fans. If you loved Continuum or Grimm, start here.
- The mood
- Tense, dark and gritty.
- The pace
- 2 seasons: a few weeks of evenings, hour-long episodes, about 16 hours in all.
- What might put you off
- Rated TV-14. Probably too much for younger kids.
A detective chief inspector from 2006 is investigating a serial killer when he is knocked over by a speeding car. Waking up, he finds himself mysteriously transported back in time to 1973. Initially struggling to come to terms with his situation, he has to come to terms with the old-fashioned technology and attitude of the day, while figuring out how he came to be trapped in the past.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsNot counted
Not enough reviews on record yet
- AudiencesSolid
7.7 out of 10
- AwardsStrong
Nominated for 7 BAFTAs.
- Reach & staying powerBelow par
Ran for 2 seasons and reached a modest audience; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactStrong
About 252K people sought it out in the past year
Season by season
The show overall is a Saturday Special. Here's how each season stacks up; Series 2 is the high point.
- Series 12006 · 8 episodes · 7.7 out of 10Saturday
- Series 22007 · 8 episodes · 7.8 out of 10Saturday
Trailer
More like this
Bodies
Sunday Safe BetAnother time-travel crime story, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Continuum Saturday SpecialAnother time-travel sci-fi series, and a Saturday Special.
Grimm Saturday SpecialAnother detective drama, and a Saturday Special.
21 Jump Street Sunday Safe BetAnother detective crime drama, and a safe bet for a quiet night.
Strike Saturday SpecialAnother detective crime drama, and a Saturday Special.
Want more like this, picked just for you? Get my picks
Cast & crew
Created by Matthew Graham, Ashley Pharoah, Tony Jordan
- John SimmSam Tyler
- Philip GlenisterGene Hunt
- Liz WhiteAnnie Cartwright
- Dean AndrewsRay Carling
- Marshall LancasterChris Skelton
- Noreen KershawPhyllis Dobbs