2006 has been a good year for new drama, whether it be one-offs, potential pilots masquerading as a short series of one-offs, costume dramas or complete new series. One of the best such was Life On Mars. The premise was so weird and original, the execution so accurate and original, that the show was catapulted to the top of everyone's must-see list and became one of the most widely discussed programmes of the year.
DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) and his team of 1973 ne'er-do-wells - DC Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster); DS Ray Carling (Dean Andrews); and WPC Annie Cartwright (Liz White) - render a word perfect realisation of 70s Manchester and evoke strong echoes of The Sweeney in a world that knows nothing of political correctness, correct procedure or human rights.
Into this maelstrom lands DI Sam Tyler (John Simm). Transported 30 years back in time from modern day Manchester through a process never fully explained, he finds by some strange coincidence that he is expected in Hunt's unit. They assume he's transferred from Hyde. Initially horrified by the (to him, Neanderthal) way Hunt and his team go about doing their job, eventually a grudging respect develops between Tyler and Hunt - the one recognising that a no-nonsense approach usually gets results; the other coming to understand the benefits of a more methodical process of dotting Is and crossing Ts.
One of the great strengths of Life On Mars is its many textures. Tyler regularly has flashbacks to the 21st century, where he appears to be in hospital (as a result of the hit and run that launched his journey back in time) so as an audience we're never quite sure if he's really in 1973 or he's dreaming the whole thing. But it's real enough to Sam, who doesn't know if he will ever get back to his former life and so is torn between wanting to stay faithful to the wife who is watching by his bedside, or respond to the clear signals of interest from WPC Cartwright.
The 1970s artefacts: cars; street scenes; clothes; pub furnishings; TV sets - the whole production is wonderfully realised and very believable but it is the social aspects of the show that work best for me, and the realisation of just how much things have changed in 30 years and how imperceptible that change had been until you have it right in front of your eyes.
We already know that Series Two will be the last. Shown in 8 parts at a date in 2007 yet to be fixed, we will finally learn the truth about Sam's situation. Writer and co-creator Matthew Graham says "We decided that Sam's journey should have a finite lifespan and a clear-cut ending [and] we feel that we have now reached that point after two series."
Executive Producer Claire Parker says: "We were blown away by the reaction to the first series and of course it was tempting to go beyond two series. But we felt strongly that Sam's story reaches its natural and explosive climax after two. Hopefully, we will leave the audience wanting more yet having fond memories of Life on Mars for years to come."
Given the reaction to series one, I think it's pretty much a given that once all the loose ends are tied up and the weirdness explained at the end of series two, the whole ensemble piece will enter the national psyche as one of the all-time greats. Get ready for the double-series boxed sets next Christmas!
From: TV Review: Too Poor for Posh School, Channel 4, Thursday, 11 March, 9pm