Life On Mars

In modern-day Manchester, DCI Sam Tyler (John Simm) is in the middle of a murder investigation when he is involved in a roadside accident and mysteriously wakes up in 1973. Struggling to comprehend what has happened to him, Sam is told that he has transferred from the Hyde division as a DI to begin working under DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) and finds that every case he investigates is connected to his life in 2006. Deciding to do the best he can, Sam struggles to inspire the officers below him; Ray Carling (Dean Andrews) and Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster), continually clashes with Hunt’s prehistoric policing practices and makes a friend out of PC Annie Cartwright (Liz White). Unsure if he is insane, somehow travelled in time or is actually in a coma, Sam reasons that if he can find out what has happened to him, he can get home…

Originally conceived in 1998, when Kudos television gave co-creators Matthew Graham, Tony Jordan and Ashley Pharoah a big wad of cash to spend in Blackpool while they came up with new TV ideas (which they blew on booze and arcades game), the initial pitch for the show was simply “let’s just redo The Sweeney”. After years in development, where it was temporarily called ‘Ford Granada’ and briefly changed to be more humorous, with Neil Morrissey in the lead, Life On Mars was rejected by broadcasters who thought audiences would deem it too silly. Having finally found a home on the BBC, would it be worth the wait?

You better believe your David Bowie greatest hits album it is. With cinematic production values, fantastic writing and a cast that all hit their notes perfectly, Life On Mars is one of the most groundbreaking television shows in years. Cleverly mixing the ‘hero out of his time trying to get home’ angle of Quantum Leap with the policing of The Sweeney and mood of Get Carter, it manages to be dramatic, funny, smart and moving. Yes, that sound you can hear is me applauding.

While the episodes are all self-contained in terms of plot (a sign that would usually have me switching off), the ‘crimes of the week’ work well as they are cleverly written with some nice twists, decent villains and interesting links to Sam’s present-day life. However, what elevates the show to greatness is the ambiguous mystery that is woven through and has the audience head-scratchingly unsure if Sam is in a coma, insane or has travelled through time. One thing is for sure, that test-card girl is bloody scary.

Though the whole concept could have come across as unbelievable and daft, the show crucially takes itself seriously and never strays from credible realism. There are plenty of era in-jokes and ironic 'we know what happens in the future' gags (Gene's "there will never be a woman Prime Minister as long as I have a hole in my arse", for example) but it’s never overdone and serves as a well-balanced relief to the finely-crafted drama. As for the Seventies, they are painted as warm place full of oranges and browns, where funky fashion and even funkier tunes (Blockbuster by the Sweet anyone?) make you feel cool just because this was probably how your parents rolled back in the day.

For anyone that wants to look a bit deeper, Life on Mars has plenty of existentialism as Sam contemplates what actually makes your life real or meaningful. Full of powerful moments such as meeting his parents, Annie's "we all feel like jumping sometimes" advice or finding an eerie mill where his flat will soon be, Sam's alienation is genuinely heartbreaking at times ("please don't leave me" as he clings to his telly) and makes for compelling viewing. Lacing all this up perfectly is a deeply atmospheric score by Edmund Butt that wouldn't feel out of place in a Christopher Nolan thriller.

Aside from a serious approach and some brilliant writing, the main reason this works so well is Simm. In one of the finest and most moving screen performances I have ever seen (and probably will see), Simm perfectly portrays a man right on the edge ("GET ME OUT OF 'EEEEEEEEEERE!") while impressively appearing in every scene so that we are along for the ride in that we only know what he does. He might run a bit funny, but Simm's voice is so articulate that I can see why Hyundai and Vodaphone got him to narrate their commercials.

However, what most people will probably take away is Philip Glenister's turn as the wonderfully-created old-school DCI Gene Hunt. Though his sexism, racism and any other 'ism' you can think of makes for hysterical viewing, the male-bonding obsessed Gene is more than a simple caricature as he surprises you with how much he cares for 'his' city. As the ying to Sam's yang, the Gene Jenie and his team provide priceless contrasts with modern policing and turn the usual cop premise on its head, so that our hero is the by-the-book stickler and it’s the others who are rule-breaking loose-cannons. Can't see Lethal Weapon's Martin Riggs complaining about lack of evidence, can you?

Quite simply, Life On Mars is great stuff. Top-notch writing, career-defining performances from Simm and Glenister, a dilemma that packs an emotional punch and a soundtrack that demands downloading, it actually makes you sad that more programmes aren't like this.