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Series 1: Episode 1 (Life on Mars)
Encyclopedia
The first episode of the first series of the British
time travel
police procedural
television
series, Life on Mars
, was first broadcast on 9 January 2006. The episode, known erroneously as "The Crash", was produced by Kudos Film & Television
for BBC One
.
awakens to find himself in 1973. Apparently a DI and assigned to work under rough-around-the-edges DCI Gene Hunt
, Tyler follows a series of murders which have been committed with the same modus operandi
in both 2006 and 1973. The clash-of-cultures between Tyler and others relates mainly to the lack of importance placed on forensic science in 1973. WPC Annie Cartwright
stops Sam jumping off the top of a building after he convinces himself that suicide will take him back to 2006.
's girlfriend and colleague Maya is abducted leaving a bloody item of clothing behind. Sam, stricken with grief, isn't paying attention as he is driving, he stops and gets out of his Cherokee jeep in frustration and is hit by a speeding car. When he wakes up he's now living in the Manchester
of 1973. He is now a detective inspector transferred from C division in Hyde and his new boss DCI Gene Hunt
is a living representation of everything the police force has tried to stop itself being in 2006. Gene is a sexist, pompous and arrogant man who uses his weight in the station to great effect. He takes the attitude of "shoot first, then ask questions." The rest of Sam's colleagues including DC Chris Skelton and DS Ray Carling are of the same vein. They all think the new boy is a little strange because of his frequent outbursts and what appears to them as erratic behaviour. Only one person reaches out to Sam, the young female police officer Annie Cartwright
. She listens to his tale and though unbelieving she befriends him hopeing to help rid him of his delusion. Sam notices a connection between the murder case he is tasked with solving in 1973 and the one he left behind in 2006. The case is of a young girl Susie Tripper garroted with a shoelace, it is found that she went without food for 24 hours before being killed and synthetic fibres are found by Sam under her finger nails, the strange thing is she wasn't gagged, Annie using her knowledge of psychology deduces that the perpetrator wants to see the girls ruby red lips, lips he is too afraid to kiss. When another young girl Dora Keens goes missing Sam believes he can find the serial killer, discovering the synthetic fibres are from a pipe lagging material also used for sound proofing and a forgotten complaint DC Skelton unearths from records made by a Mrs Beryl Raimes about a noisy neighbour. Re-questioning Mrs Raimes they find that after her official complaint the noise stopped, Gene and Sam put two and two together and race to the neighbours address. At the house they find inside that it is blanketted with the lagging material and a record is playing at high volume. They find Dora Keens tied to a chair and arrest the long haired neighbour as he returns to the room. Sam believes that catching the perpetrator in 1973 may save Maya in 2006, he disposes of the doctors report on the mental health of the serial killer which will lead to him serving a life sentence and Gene Hunt welcomes him to the team. However, a second meeting with Annie's ex-boyfriend Neil, in which he claims to be a doctor speaking directly to Sam's subconscious mind who tells Sam he is in a coma
leads him to believe that the whole thing is just a dream — a fantasy. Sam is ready to wake up and so stands atop the high roof of the police station, thinking that when he hits the floor he will wake up back in 2006. Annie stops him, telling him that Neil was just playing a cruel joke, looking down he sees Neil begging him not to jump. Sam is left none the wiser as to whether what's happening to him is real or just a delusion
. Annie convinces him to stay — at least for the time being — in 1973.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
time travel
Time travel in fiction
Time travel is a common theme in science fiction and is depicted in a variety of media. It simply means either going forward in time or backward, to experience the future, or the past.-Literature:...
police procedural
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series, Life on Mars
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
, was first broadcast on 9 January 2006. The episode, known erroneously as "The Crash", was produced by Kudos Film & Television
Kudos (production company)
Kudos Film and Television is a British independent film and television production company. It has produced television series for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, and its productions include Spooks , Hustle, Life on Mars and its spin-off Ashes to Ashes, The Amazing Mrs Pritchard and M.I. High...
for BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
.
Synopsis
After a road accident in 2006, DCI Sam TylerSam Tyler
DCI/DI Sam Tyler is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars.In the original British version of Life on Mars, Tyler is played by John Simm and in the American version he is played by Jason O'Mara....
awakens to find himself in 1973. Apparently a DI and assigned to work under rough-around-the-edges DCI Gene Hunt
Gene Hunt
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.The...
, Tyler follows a series of murders which have been committed with the same modus operandi
Modus operandi
Modus operandi is a Latin phrase, approximately translated as "mode of operation". The term is used to describe someone's habits or manner of working, their method of operating or functioning...
in both 2006 and 1973. The clash-of-cultures between Tyler and others relates mainly to the lack of importance placed on forensic science in 1973. WPC Annie Cartwright
Annie Cartwright
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...
stops Sam jumping off the top of a building after he convinces himself that suicide will take him back to 2006.
Plot
In 2006 while investigating suspected serial killer Colin Raimes, DCI Sam TylerSam Tyler
DCI/DI Sam Tyler is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars.In the original British version of Life on Mars, Tyler is played by John Simm and in the American version he is played by Jason O'Mara....
's girlfriend and colleague Maya is abducted leaving a bloody item of clothing behind. Sam, stricken with grief, isn't paying attention as he is driving, he stops and gets out of his Cherokee jeep in frustration and is hit by a speeding car. When he wakes up he's now living in the Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
of 1973. He is now a detective inspector transferred from C division in Hyde and his new boss DCI Gene Hunt
Gene Hunt
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.The...
is a living representation of everything the police force has tried to stop itself being in 2006. Gene is a sexist, pompous and arrogant man who uses his weight in the station to great effect. He takes the attitude of "shoot first, then ask questions." The rest of Sam's colleagues including DC Chris Skelton and DS Ray Carling are of the same vein. They all think the new boy is a little strange because of his frequent outbursts and what appears to them as erratic behaviour. Only one person reaches out to Sam, the young female police officer Annie Cartwright
Annie Cartwright
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...
. She listens to his tale and though unbelieving she befriends him hopeing to help rid him of his delusion. Sam notices a connection between the murder case he is tasked with solving in 1973 and the one he left behind in 2006. The case is of a young girl Susie Tripper garroted with a shoelace, it is found that she went without food for 24 hours before being killed and synthetic fibres are found by Sam under her finger nails, the strange thing is she wasn't gagged, Annie using her knowledge of psychology deduces that the perpetrator wants to see the girls ruby red lips, lips he is too afraid to kiss. When another young girl Dora Keens goes missing Sam believes he can find the serial killer, discovering the synthetic fibres are from a pipe lagging material also used for sound proofing and a forgotten complaint DC Skelton unearths from records made by a Mrs Beryl Raimes about a noisy neighbour. Re-questioning Mrs Raimes they find that after her official complaint the noise stopped, Gene and Sam put two and two together and race to the neighbours address. At the house they find inside that it is blanketted with the lagging material and a record is playing at high volume. They find Dora Keens tied to a chair and arrest the long haired neighbour as he returns to the room. Sam believes that catching the perpetrator in 1973 may save Maya in 2006, he disposes of the doctors report on the mental health of the serial killer which will lead to him serving a life sentence and Gene Hunt welcomes him to the team. However, a second meeting with Annie's ex-boyfriend Neil, in which he claims to be a doctor speaking directly to Sam's subconscious mind who tells Sam he is in a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
leads him to believe that the whole thing is just a dream — a fantasy. Sam is ready to wake up and so stands atop the high roof of the police station, thinking that when he hits the floor he will wake up back in 2006. Annie stops him, telling him that Neil was just playing a cruel joke, looking down he sees Neil begging him not to jump. Sam is left none the wiser as to whether what's happening to him is real or just a delusion
Delusion
A delusion is a false belief held with absolute conviction despite superior evidence. Unlike hallucinations, delusions are always pathological...
. Annie convinces him to stay — at least for the time being — in 1973.
Cast
- Sam TylerSam TylerDCI/DI Sam Tyler is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars.In the original British version of Life on Mars, Tyler is played by John Simm and in the American version he is played by Jason O'Mara....
— John SimmJohn SimmJohn Simm is an English stage and screen actor. In recent years he is best known for his roles as Sam Tyler in the detective drama Life on Mars and as The Master in the revival of the science fiction series Doctor Who, but he has also starred in many highly acclaimed award-winning television... - Gene HuntGene HuntDCI 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.The...
— Philip GlenisterPhilip GlenisterPhilip Haywood Glenister is an English actor, known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in British television series Life On Mars and its sequel Ashes To Ashes.-Television and films:... - Chris SkeltonChris SkeltonPC/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.- Life on Mars :...
— Marshall LancasterMarshall LancasterMarshall Lancaster is a British actor. He has appeared in many television dramas, including Coronation Street, Holby City, The Lakes and Family Affairs, but is probably best known for playing DC Chris Skelton in the BBC time-travel police dramas, Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes.Lancaster is a... - Ray CarlingRay CarlingDC/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.-Life on Mars:...
— Dean AndrewsDean AndrewsDean Andrews is a British actor.He is most famous for his role as DS Ray Carling in the BBC Television drama Life on Mars... - Annie CartwrightAnnie CartwrightWPC/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...
— Liz WhiteLiz White (actress)Liz White is an English actress, best known for her regular role as WPC/WDC Annie Cartwright in the BBC time travel drama Life on Mars, which began in January 2006... - Nelson — Tony Marshall
- Maya Roy — Archie Panjabi
- Colin Raimes — Sam Hazeldine
- Young lad - Henry Cox
- Raime's Lawyer - Caroline Harding
- Raime's Psychiatrist - Parvez QadirParvez QadirParvez Qadir is a British actor.He appeared as Jaz in all three series of the BBC television series The Cops and has also appeared in Coronation Street and in the Mike Leigh film All or Nothing. In 2008, he appeared in Spooks: Code 9....
- Raime's Social Worker - Orla Cottingham
- Police Officer - Tom Charnock
- Neil, Annie's ex-boyfriend - Christopher Harper
- Open University Lecturer - Richard SinnottRichard SinnottRichard Sinnott is a professional actor, writer and director based in Manchester.He has played over forty credited roles in British television series such as Coronation Street, Life on Mars and The Street, and in films such as The Parole Officer...
- Dora Keens - Jane Riley
- Sid, records officer - Andy Abrahams
- Mrs Beryl Raimes, Colin's Grandma - Mags Gannon
- June, a cleaner in CID - Rae Kelly
- Edward Kramer (uncredited)
- Susie Tripper (uncredited)
Cultural references
- The shot after Sam runs away from the policeman and sees a billboard that mentions Manchester's "Highway in the Sky"A57(M) motorwayThe Mancunian Way, officially the A57, is a two mile long motorway in Manchester, England. It is part of the A57, which runs east-west through Greater Manchester and links the M602 and M67 motorways.-Route:...
, where he was when he was hit by the car, is lifted straight from Back to the FutureBack to the FutureBack to the Future is a 1985 American science-fiction adventure film. It was directed by Robert Zemeckis, written by Zemeckis and Bob Gale, produced by Steven Spielberg, and starred Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover and Thomas F. Wilson. The film tells the story of...
. In that film, Marty McFlyMarty McFlyMartin Seamus "Marty" McFly, Sr. is the protagonist in the Back to the Future film trilogy, and is portrayed by actor Michael J. Fox. Marty was also the protagonist in the animated series where he was voiced by David Kaufman...
sees a billboard of the Lyons Estate, where he will live in 1985. - In the scene where Sam and Gene realize the room where the victim is kept is soundproof, they take a slow-motion leap onto and over a desk, side-by-side. This is a play on a device frequently used in Starsky and HutchStarsky and HutchStarsky and Hutch is a 1970s American cop thriller television series that consisted of a 90-minute pilot movie and 92 episodes of 60 minutes each; created by William Blinn, produced by Spelling-Goldberg Productions, and broadcast between April 30, 1975 and May 15, 1979 on the ABC...
, the seminal buddy-cop drama of the mid 1970s. Frequently, Starsky and Hutch would be seen leaping over furniture, cars, or any other obstruction in a similar manner to get to the bad guys or the victim. - The title of the show is a reference to the David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
song of the same nameLife on Mars?"Life on Mars?" is a song by David Bowie first released in 1971 on the album Hunky Dory. The song—which BBC Radio 2 later called "a cross between a Broadway musical and a Salvador Dalí painting"—featured guest piano work by keyboardist Rick Wakeman. When released as a single in 1973,...
, which is also playing on an iPodIPodiPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
when Sam is hit by the car. The song continues playing when he arrives in 1973, now on an eight-track tape8-track cartridgeStereo 8, commonly known as the eight-track cartridge, eight-track tape, or simply eight-track, is a magnetic tape sound recording technology. It was popular in the United States from the mid-1960s through the late 1970s, but was relatively unknown in many European countries...
player.
Production
- The initial geographical setting of the series was to be LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
; this was then changed to LeedsLeedsLeeds is a city and metropolitan borough in West Yorkshire, England. In 2001 Leeds' main urban subdivision had a population of 443,247, while the entire city has a population of 798,800 , making it the 30th-most populous city in the European Union.Leeds is the cultural, financial and commercial...
, and finally to ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, as part of a BBC initiative to make more programmes in the city. - This episode's script was very closely adapted for the U.S. versionLife on Mars (U.S. TV series)Life on Mars was a science fiction crime drama television series which originally aired on ABC from October 9, 2008 to April 1, 2009. It is an adaptation of the BAFTA-winning original UK series of the same name produced by the BBC...
's first episode, "Out Here in the Fields".
Music
- "Life on Mars?Life on Mars?"Life on Mars?" is a song by David Bowie first released in 1971 on the album Hunky Dory. The song—which BBC Radio 2 later called "a cross between a Broadway musical and a Salvador Dalí painting"—featured guest piano work by keyboardist Rick Wakeman. When released as a single in 1973,...
" - David BowieDavid BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s... - "Stairway to the Stars" - Blue Öyster CultBlue Öyster CultBlue Öyster Cult, often abbreviated BÖC, is an American rock band, most of whose members first came together in Long Island, NY in 1967 as the band Soft White Underbelly...
- "I'm So Free" - Lou ReedLou ReedLewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
- "Baba O'RileyBaba O'Riley"Baba O'Riley" is a song written by Pete Townshend for the English rock band The Who. Roger Daltrey sings most of the song, with Pete Townshend singing the middle eight: "Don't cry/don't raise your eye/it's only teenaged wasteland"...
" - The WhoThe WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction... - "Rat Bat Blue" - Deep PurpleDeep PurpleDeep Purple are an English rock band formed in Hertford in 1968. Along with Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath, they are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal and modern hard rock, although some band members believe that their music cannot be categorised as belonging to any one genre...
- "FireballFireball (song)"Fireball" is the opening song of the album of the same name by the English hard rock band Deep Purple. It was Deep Purple's second single release in 1971....
" - Deep Purple - "White RoomWhite Room"White Room" is a song by British "supergroup" Cream. The song was a psychedelic rock number written by bassist Jack Bruce and poet Pete Brown. It originally appeared on the US release of their double album, Wheels of Fire, by Atco Records in July 1968 and was released as a single in September 1968...
" by CreamCream (band)Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker... - "Easy Livin'" - Uriah HeepUriah Heep (band)Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals...
- "Look at Yourself" - Uriah HeepUriah Heep (band)Uriah Heep are an English rock band formed in London in 1969 and regarded as a seminal classic hard rock act of the 1970s. Uriah Heep's progressive/art rock/heavy metal fusion's distinctive features have always been massive keyboards sound, strong vocal harmonies and David Byron's operatic vocals...
External links
- Episode 1 at bbc.co.ukBbc.co.ukBBC Online is the brand name and home for the BBC's UK online service. It is a large network of websites including such high profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services co-branded BBC iPlayer, the pre-school site Cbeebies, and learning services such as Bitesize...
- Episode 1 at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Episode 1 at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...