Life on Mars (American TV series)

Life on Mars
Genre
Based on
Developed by
Starring
ComposerPeter Nashel
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes17
Production
Executive producers
  • Josh Appelbaum
  • Andre Nemec
  • Scott Rosenberg
  • Jane Featherstone
  • Stephen Garrett
ProducerJane Raab
Running time43 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkABC
ReleaseOctober 9, 2008 (2008-10-09) –
April 1, 2009 (2009-04-01)
Related
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview)

Life on Mars is an American 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 British series of the same title produced for the BBC. The series was co-produced by Kudos Film and Television, 20th Century Fox Television, and ABC Studios.

The series tells the story of New York City police detective Sam Tyler (played by Jason O'Mara), who, after being struck by a car in 2008, regains consciousness in 1973. Fringing between multiple genres, including thriller, science fiction and police procedural, the series remained ambiguous regarding its central plot, with the character himself unsure about his situation.[1] The series also starred Harvey Keitel, Jonathan Murphy, Michael Imperioli, and Gretchen Mol.

Life on Mars garnered critical praise for its premise, acting, and depiction of the 1970s. Shortly after its premiere, the show's momentum was interrupted by a two-month hiatus followed by a timeslot change which led to a decline in viewership.[2][3] On March 2, 2009 ABC decided not to order a second season. A DVD set of the complete series was released on September 29, 2009.

  1. ^ Matthew Gilbert (2008-10-09). "Time warp twists a police procedural". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
  2. ^ Alessandra Stanley (2008-10-08). "Imports Suffering Identity Problems". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
  3. ^ Dorothy Rabinowitz (2008-10-31). "Out in the Past". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2009-02-20.