Ameriatch One of the best films i have seen

PlatinumRead Just so...so bad

Manthast Absolutely amazing

Numerootno A story that's too fascinating to pass by...

calum-14-790591 There are few perfect series out there. "Blackadder Goes Fourth" is one. "Broadchurch" is another. These are shows where nit-picking is at a minimal.For me, "Life on Mars" is one of these bulletproof shows.It's not your typical crime drama. While it does pay homage to the 70s detective shows, it also throws in a sci-fi element, too.DCI Sam Tyler is involved in a car accident in 2006, and when he wakes up, it's now 1973. Is he dead? Is he going mad? Or has he somehow travelled back in time? Working now as a DI for the Manchester and Salford Police under the command of DCI Gene Hunt, he tries to figure out what has happened to him, in order to find a way back to the present.It's a phenomenal series. I was never alive in the 1970s, but from what I see here, the depiction of it on screen is very accurate. The characters too are brilliantly performed, especially the breakout star himself, Gene Hunt, as played by Philip Glenister. Hunt is someone you'd hate: He's sexist, he's homophobic, and racist, too. (All being a reflection of the times, back then.) But he's written and performed so well that you end up liking him. And there's also more to him. Despite his hard shell, there is still a good side to him. He still has a sense of right and wrong.The episodes are all well-written and well executed, too. The atmosphere, the set-up, the action... it's all just fantastic. You find yourself being gripped by the crimes, and the overall story, too. Once the episode finishes, you want to move on to the next one. Believe me about that being true, as I rediscovered it earlier today, and watched all 8 episodes of the first series in one day. Really did take a little over 8 hours. This is one of these shows that is just compulsory to watch. But that's a good thing.

Wayne Borean I caught Episode 6 of Season 1, late one night after I'd put my Dad to bed (Dad was dying of cancer, and at the point where he needed a lot of help).It really caught my attention. I recognized the setting immediately. I'm a huge fan of "The Sweeney (1975–1978)", and it was the same. At least at first. Then it wasn't. It was something else. It had a lot of the same feel as The Sweeney, heck they drove the same model of car. But it was obviously different.In fact it was better. Way better. Sam Tyler, the lead character wakes up in 1973. He remembers being hit by a car. He's not sure if he is in a coma, dreaming, or has really traveled back in time. Odd things keep happening. He gets messages from his telly, some of the cases he's working on in 1973 seem to relate to cases he worked on in 2006, he meets people he knows in the future (and meets his own, younger self).The show has a solid cast. John Simm and Philip Glenister are awesome in their roles as Sam Tyler, and Gene Hunt.It has a solid setting, one many older Brits would recognize, and one most younger Brits would also recognize (The Sweeney has been in syndication for years).And it's got solid plots.Doesn't hurt hearing all that classic 70's British Rock and Roll either :)You don't need to be a Brit to watch the show. Some familiarity with The Sweeney will help. This is far, far, better than the American remake, which quite frankly stunk.Wayne Borean

hollispierman Based (obviously) on the David Bowie song named before this, Life On Mars is a completely successful drama that combines the horrors of coping with a past and your present, and coping with a new setting, new faces, and completely different way of life.Basically, in a nutshell, this (in my opinion) would've been one step further than Doctor Who. It was that intriguing and successful, that it has earned my respect from the kind of person who is piqued in interest by these kinds of shows.John Simm and all the other actors really put a stick into the behinds of other great British and American programs, and say, "Here! Have some more!" and sticks it further. This is one show that no one should be able to trifle with, no matter what.

brooke53 It's shows like this that make me realize how awful American television is. There are an abundance of cookie-cutter police dramas, many with a ridiculous number of sequels, but Life on Mars is in a class all its own. And not just because it has a scifi slant to it. It's just exceptionally entertaining.John Simm is a real gem of an actor. What a treat to come across him in this performance. There are a lot of scenes in which he's quite emotional and it fits perfectly with the whole feel of the show. It has a perfect balance between the all-out ballsiness of the crude policing style of the era and the locale and the touches of nostalgia in reverse for the current state of policing.Kudos to the writers for their originality and daring to mix a touch of sci-fi with a gritty and irreverent British police drama.The ending is the most brilliant part. It is even more enigmatic than the finale of Lost. In Life on Mars, the ending lends itself to multiple speculations. Just when you think you've figured out what was really going on you realize, no, that's not possible because...wait a minute...what if...You get the idea. Just watch it and see what theory you come up with.