"Life on Mars" (2008)TV series

Director:

Thomas Schlamme

Writers:

Josh Appelbaum (writer) (2008)
André Nemec (writer) (2008)

Release Date:

2008 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Back in the nick of time

Plot:

A present-day car accident mysteriously sends a detective back to the 1970s. An American remake of the BBC series.

Plot Keywords:

TV Series Pilot | Based On TV Series

Cast

Rachelle Lefevre	...	Det. Annie Cartwright
Jason O'Mara	...	Sam Tyler
Michael Imperioli	...	Detective Ray Carling (2008)
Colm Meaney	...	Det. Gene Hunt
Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen	...	Maya Robertson
Patrick Wenk-Wolff	...	Colin Raimes

Country:

USA

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

The original BBC series took its name from the David Bowie song, "Life on Mars".

Movie Connections:

Remake of "Life on Mars" (2006)

For the 137th time, If it ain't broke don't fix it America!

I also watched the Americanized "Life on Mars" pilot, in short, it's awful. I saw it as a bland, practically unrecognizable slap in the face to the original series.

The characters are rigid cardboard cutouts of the originals. Colm Meaney was a great choice for Gene Hunt but his performance was as flat as a Swedish pancake. This goes for the entire cast. The show is missing the raw edginess of the original and wouldn't have seen the light of day had it not been a BBC hit. Colm Meaney's off hand "Star Trek" reference (a real cheap shot by the writers) and the production design are the most amusing things about the pilot.

In the 1960s American Networks were willing purchase British programs as is and air them in prime time (e.g. "The Avengers" and "The Prisoner"). Why do they feel the need to remake these shows for American audiences today? "Life on Mars" isn't "the Office", a program with a theme and setting everyone can relate to.

I give it less than 3 episodes before ABC gives it the ax. It'll be gone before you can say "Coupling". If it ain't broke don't fix it.