Life On Mars : Complete BBC Series 1 [2006] [DVD]

With a title borrowed from David Bowie and the presence of John Simm (last seen in the absorbing 'State Of Play'), this wonderfully witty and inventive drama series had me hooked from the moment I saw the advert.

The chemistry between Simm's DI Sam Tyler and Philip Glenister's scene-stealing role as DCI Gene 'The Gene Genie' Hunt (second Bowie reference) is one of the main crux of this show. Their difficult relationship straddles resentment, absolute loathing and complete reliance, resulting in hilarity (such as Glenister's wonderful one-liners) or nail-bitting drama (like Tyler and Hunt's clashes of character).

By blending what could have been just another gritty crime drama with the element of sci-fi and fantasy, the shows creators have made, with the help of a script that's full of wit, warmth and intelligence, a fantastically engaging series. If you missed it when it first aired then I reccommend that you miss out no longer; 'Life On Mars' is proof, along with 'Dr Who', 'Hussle' and 'Cassanova', that the BBC can still make great television when it wants to.

It's also a great DVD package (spanning 4 discs) that shows the producers really care about their series; the two part Making Of documentary (on discs 1 and 2) is insightful and interesting and at about 45mins each, it's not a 15 minute collection of clips and actors telling you who their character is like you don't know. The documentaries about music (disc 3) and production (disc 4) are equally as intriging. I've not experienced the audio commentaries yet but with such a great cast I'm sure they'll be entertaining. Even the imaculately produced packaging shows the care that has gone into this boxed set. Just do yourself a favour and buy it now... my little deputy dawgs.

I never caught this series on BBC1 when it first aired, but having read the reviews of people on here, decided I would buy the first series and take a look at it myself, and see what all the fuss was about.

Having watched almost the whole first series in its entirity, (I am six episodes in) on the sheer basis of the first six episodes alone, I give it five stars. John Simm is proving to be an excellent actor, certainly he plays DI Sam Tyler with the right mixture of confusion, vulnerability, sadness and determination that makes him instantly likeable.

The premise is quite simple. DI Tyler is involved in a horrific car crash, and wakes up in 1973 - the time when man made fibres were the order of the day, Ford Cortinas were hot, and when Mobile Phones were possibly "forgein numbers" and the world was still to be introduced to the concept of a TV in a bar. Tyler is left to unravel the mystery of what is happening to him - is this all a dream? a product of his mind, brought on by the coma from his accident? Is he going mad, or is 2006 a figment of his imagination and 1973 is reality?

It's powerful, gripping television and I watched the first six episodes back to back. Sam is an engaging character, a lost man trying to make sense of the world he is in, and get to grips with brutal methods of policing. Reading a suspect his rights "doesn't go like that" there weren't tape recorders used back then, and Sam finds himself regularly haunted by the girl off the TV test card.

Sam also clashes on a regular basis with the hardline methods of his superior "Gene" played by Phillip Glennister. Glennister ignites the screen in every scene he's in, and though the two rarely see eye to eye, together their screen presence is commanding and an absolute joy to watch.

There's chemistry too between Sam and WPC Annie, which develops over the course of the six episodes i've seen so far, and I look forward to seeing what happens next. Unfortunately, being made aware of the ending in the second series before I have even finished watching series one (I didn't read the spoilers on here) does slightly detract from me enjoying the series, but performances all round are so engaging, its hard to resist.

It could have gone terribly wrong. For so many reasons it should have never worked, but John Simm plays his role so well, he makes it believable, and crucially, makes it work. He conveys the right amount of bewilderment, frustration, determination and anguish to make you care, and make you really believe he is trapped in 1973. Had anyone played the role with less enthusiasm, it could have been a very different story for Life On Mars. Just as importantly, the show manages to blend in enough humour to keep you laughing as well, which I feel is important to the story as it could have become very gloomy, downtrodden and overtly gritty. This adds to the overall charm of the show, and I think is another reason why it became such a smash hit.

If you have never seen this, and are a fan of cop shows - and the paranormal, and anything just plain odd - buy this! I can't recommend it highly enough and will definitely get series 2! I only wish I had brought them together, because now I have to wait for series 2 to arrive through the post!

I live in Los Angeles, California, USA and caught this series when it aired on BBC America here over the past two months. Although it's basically a tried and true setting of a police station, the characters are deep and the acting is spectacular. John Simm is brilliant... Philip Glenister is raw and sensational. It was the one show on any channel (I have 150+) that I not only couldn't wait for the next episode, but that I watched religiously. It's the best show on television... period. It's not perfect, of course, but Sam Tyler and DCI Gene Hunt are pretty close. The writing is solid and witty, the conflicts are realistic, and the juxtaposition between the two worlds is executed more solidly than most anything I've seen. I cannot wait for Season 2.

I purchased the DVD for obvious reasons and as it's not available in the states, I didn't mind paying $50 US for it. It's worth every penny and I would have paid double that.

Writer/Producer David E. Kelley (Ally McBeal, The Practice, Boston Legal) has optioned the rights for a US version and although I believe it would be near impossible to carry over the same world and feel to the States... if anyone can do it, David E. Kelley can. He is developing it for next season (Fall 2007-2008).