Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #161 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-05-15
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Aspect ratio: 1.78:1
• Formats: Box set, Closed-captioned, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 4
• Running time: 472 minutes

Amazon.co.uk Review
How would the modern face of policing cope in the land of The Sweeney? That’s the question posed by Life on Mars, as DI Sam Tyler (John Simm) a modern cop transported back to 1973 after a nasty car accident. There, he finds himself dealing with the significantly rougher attitudes and behaviours of "old-school" British policing, as exemplified by his new boss, DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister). It’s a fish-out-of-water story, as Tyler attempts to teach his new colleagues some very modern methods, while attempting to get used to sheepskin jackets, wide lapels and man-made fibres.

This first series of the hugely successful BBC programme sets the scene and introduces the characters that make up Tyler’s new world, but stumbles a bit by trying too hard to explain exactly how he got there (the "coma" subplot just gets in the way). Life on Mars is at its best when Glenister is on screen--he’s bigoted, chauvinistic and aggressive, and goes through each episode alternately bellowing or scowling. But he’s a product of his times, and in his heart, all he wants is to catch the bad guys. For Tyler, it’s all about the means, while for Hunt it’s all about the ends. They may not like each other much, but their on-screen chemistry is undeniable, and just one of the things that make this excellent series so watchable. --Ted Kord

DVD Description
Life On Mars is the smash-hit cop show starring John Simm as a detective who is involved in a car accident and wakes to find himself transported back to 1973 – a world dominated by Ford Cortina’s, sheep-skin jackets and very hard coppers.

Synopsis
LIFE ON MARS is a throwback to the crime-fighting style of the 1970s, drawing its inspiration from such TV series as THE SWEENEY and THE PROFESSIONALS. As was characteristic of classic 60s fantasy, the creators have taken some risks with the show’s politically incorrect references, daring to be slightly subversive. While its creators are quick to brush off comparisons to fellow time-travelling TV series QUANTUM LEAP, there are obvious thematic similarities, however unconscious. John Simm (HUMAN TRAFFIC) ably stars as Sam Tyler, the fish-out-of-water detective who must piece together the mysteries of his own predicament, while solving the crime du jour. The show takes its title from David Bowie’s haunting theme song.

Customer Reviews

must have
I could go on about how good it is , explaining every detail of the show and its characters but i wont .... this is a must have , simple as !

Great stuff
I missed this on TV the first time round, so bought Series 1 to watch on holiday. With great effort we managed to limit ourselves to one episode a day. Aside from the nostalgia (I'd just started college in 1973) it was a sharp reminder of just how much things have changed (technologically and in attitudes) over the past 35 years. (I do agree with the reviewer who said there should have been more muck around).

Although Philip Glenister steals the the show as DCI Gene Hunt, John Simm is also excellent and very subtle as Sam Tyler. The portrayal of the developing relationship between the two is a joy to watch as their initial hostility to each other and their policing methods begins to turn into a (kind of) very grudging respect.
One other thing - in a "time-travelling" (?) scenario its great to have writers who don't get bogged down in the philosophical problems of the main character meeting themselves and changing the course of "history".
Can't wait to see how series 2 turns out...

THE ABSOLUTE BEST MINI-SERIES EVER.
The title says it all.Anyone who,at the end of the series,does not want it to go on and on does not appreciate brilliant drama.If only the rest of the world could get within miles of the Poms when it comes to television drama.I forgive you for borrowing the Ashes in 2005 and putting up such a pathetic fight for them in 2006-2007.But then again,may you forever keep on giving us such brilliant dramatic films,and awful cricket teams.