Life on Mars (American TV series): Difference between revisions
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The series debuted October 9, 2008 on ABC.<ref name="ABCfall08">{{cite news |url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117985551?categoryId=14&cs=1 |title=ABC announces fall schedule |date=2008-05-13 |last=Schneider |first=Michael |accessdate=2008-05-13 |publisher=Variety}}</ref> It also airs on [[Global Television Network|Global]] in Canada.<ref name="Dose.ca">{{cite web|url=http://www.dose.ca/tv/story.html?id=d260c02b-27c1-490b-b420-699c9f9731e5|title=Global's Fall Schedule: Spies, Time-Travel and Spoiled Teens|work=Dose.ca|accessdate=2008-05-04}}</ref> |
The series debuted October 9, 2008 on ABC.<ref name="ABCfall08">{{cite news |url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117985551?categoryId=14&cs=1 |title=ABC announces fall schedule |date=2008-05-13 |last=Schneider |first=Michael |accessdate=2008-05-13 |publisher=Variety}}</ref> It also airs on [[Global Television Network|Global]] in Canada.<ref name="Dose.ca">{{cite web|url=http://www.dose.ca/tv/story.html?id=d260c02b-27c1-490b-b420-699c9f9731e5|title=Global's Fall Schedule: Spies, Time-Travel and Spoiled Teens|work=Dose.ca|accessdate=2008-05-04}}</ref> |
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==Themes and Storyline== |
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==Theme== |
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Like its British counterpart, each episode begins with a monologue from Sam, in which he asks "Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever's happened, it's like I've landed on a different planet. Now, maybe if I can work out the reason, I can get home." Life on Mars centers around this ambiguity: Sam's efforts to understand what has happened to him and to get home. |
Like its British counterpart, each episode begins with a monologue from Sam, in which he asks "Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever's happened, it's like I've landed on a different planet. Now, maybe if I can work out the reason, I can get home." Life on Mars centers around this ambiguity: Sam's efforts to understand what has happened to him and to get home. |
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Revision as of 22:22, 17 November 2008
| Life on Mars | |
|---|---|
| File:Life on Mars US title.png Life on Mars 's innertitle | |
| Genre | Time travel Police procedural |
| Created by | Original series: Matthew Graham Tony Jordan Ashley Pharoah |
| Developed by | Josh Appelbaum Andre Nemec Scott Rosenberg |
| Starring | Jason O'Mara Harvey Keitel Jonathan Murphy Michael Imperioli Gretchen Mol |
| Country of origin | USA |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 7 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Josh Appelbaum Andre Nemec Scott Rosenberg Jane Featherstone Stephen Garrett |
| Producers | 20th Century Fox Television ABC Studios Jane Raab |
| Running time | 43 minutes |
| Original release | |
| Network | ABC |
| Release | October 9, 2008 – present |
| Related | |
| Life on Mars | |
Life on Mars is an American television series aired by ABC and co-produced by Kudos Film & Television, 20th Century Fox Television and ABC Studios, about a New York City homicide detective who suddenly finds himself inexplicably transported from 2008 to 1973. The series was adapted from the British series of the same name shown by the BBC.
The series debuted October 9, 2008 on ABC.[1] It also airs on Global in Canada.[2]
Themes and Storyline
Like its British counterpart, each episode begins with a monologue from Sam, in which he asks "Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever's happened, it's like I've landed on a different planet. Now, maybe if I can work out the reason, I can get home." Life on Mars centers around this ambiguity: Sam's efforts to understand what has happened to him and to get home.
Sam's uncertainty is reinforced by frequent encounters with seemingly paranormal phenomena. He regularly hears, on radios, television sets and telephones, "voices from the future" discussing his medical condition, apparently from people and machines around his hospital bed, leading him to believe that he is in a coma. But other elements suggest that he is, in fact, insane. Early episodes appear to debate whether Sam is in a coma or is insane. Annie Cartwright, on the other hand, strives to convince Sam that the remarkable amount of detail and tangibility in the world in which he finds himself is evidence that he is, in fact, really in 1973.
A recurring motif throughout the series is the overlapping of past and present. In episode six, for example, Sam hears the voice of his mother (in 2008) saying his life-support machine will be switched off at 2:00 pm. He is immediately called to investigate a hostage-taking where the perpetrator will start killing his victims at precisely the same hour. Sam also occasionally encounters people in 1973 whom he knows in the "real world" of 2006 including suspects, friends and his own parents.
Another major theme in the series is Sam's conflict with the attitudes of the 1970s, in particular, his "timewarped good cop/bad cop odd couple" relationship with DCI Gene Hunt.[26] Sam is from a more politically correct era, where suspects' rights and the preservation of forensic evidence are more stringently observed. This frequently leads to clashes with his counterparts in 1973, when sexism, racism, police brutality and institutionalised minor corruption are casually regarded as routine parts of the job.
Production
David E. Kelley was the initial writer and executive producer of the series pilot, [3] but later handed over production responsibilities to others.[4] The executive producers of the show are Josh Appelbaum, Andre Nemec, and Scott Rosenberg, the producers of the ABC drama October Road.[5]
After reviewing the pilot episode, ABC ordered an overhaul. Several members of the cast and crew were replaced, with production (and the setting) moved to New York from Los Angeles, "to allow producers to take advantage of recently enacted local and state tax credits for shows filmed in that state."[6]
The script was rewritten, with permission of the original creators, to remove the "unsatisfying" ambiguity of Sam's story in favor of a "mythological element" and "deeper mystery".[7]
The show takes place at the 125th precinct of the New York City Police Department (NYPD). In reality, there is no such precinct as the 125th. According to the official NYPD website, the highest number precinct in the NYPD is the 123rd, which is in Staten Island.
Casting
In the original ABC pilot, Rachelle Lefèvre was cast as Annie Cartwright and Colm Meaney as Gene Hunt.[8] However, in June 2008, the two roles (Cartwright and Hunt) began recasting in accordance with an overhaul of the series.[9] After revisions by the producers, Irish actor Jason O'Mara, being the only actor kept on from the original ABC pilot, is still in the lead role of Detective Sam Tyler.[10] He is joined by Michael Imperioli, the Emmy Award-winning actor from The Sopranos who plays Detective Ray Carling,[11] and Harvey Keitel was cast in the role of Lieutenant Gene Hunt.[12] Gretchen Mol plays Tyler's 1973 girlfriend, Annie Norris, replacing the Cartwright character. Lisa Bonet, formerly of The Cosby Show, has been cast as Tyler's present-day love interest, Maya Daniels.[13] Detective Chris Skelton is played by Jonathan Murphy.[14]
Philip Glenister and John Simm, stars of the UK version, had been approached for lead roles in the series, but had turned them down, partly due to family commitments, and partly due, in Glenister's case, to a fear of becoming "a nutter in The Priory".[15]
Episodes broadcast
| # | Episode | Air date | Timeslot (EST) | Season | Rating | Share | 18–49 (rating/share) | Viewers (m) | Weekly Rank (#) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Out Here in the Fields" | October 9, 2008 | Thursday 10:00PM |
2008–2009 | 8.2 | 14 | 3.8/10 [16] | 11.33 [16] | 15 (tied) |
| 2 | "The Real Adventures of the Unreal Sam Tyler" | October 16, 2008 | 5.7 | 10 | 2.7/7 | 8.47 | TBA | ||
| 3 | "My Maharishi is Bigger Than Your Maharishi" | October 23, 2008 | 5.5 | 9 | 2.5/7 | 8.06 | TBA | ||
| 4 | "Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadows?" | October 30, 2008 | 5.7 | 10 | 2.7/8 | 8.41 | TBA | ||
| 5 | "Things to Do in New York When You Think You're Dead" | November 6, 2008 | 6.0 | 10 | 3.0/8 | 8.92 | TBA | ||
| 6 | "Tuesday's Dead" | November 13, 2008 | 6.0 | 10 | 2.9/8 | 8.94 | TBA | ||
| 7 | "The Man Who Sold the World" | November 20, 2008 | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
References
- ^ Schneider, Michael (2008-05-13). "ABC announces fall schedule". Variety. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
- ^ "Global's Fall Schedule: Spies, Time-Travel and Spoiled Teens". Dose.ca. Retrieved 2008-05-04.
- ^ Deans, Jason (2006-03-28). "Life on Mars goes stateside" (Requires free registration). Guardian Unlimited. Retrieved 2006-03-28.
- ^ Steinberg, Jacques (2008-05-13). "ABC Fall Roster Is Heavy on the Already Proven". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-05-13.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "Life on Mars - Fall Schedule". ABC.com. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- ^ "Hollywood Productions Moving East". IMDb News. 2008-06-03. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- ^ "Life on Mars remake changes Tyler's story". Digital Spy. 2008-07-19. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- ^ "Irish actors set for Mars remake". BBC News. 2007-08-16. Retrieved 2007-08-16.
- ^ Dos Santos, Kristin (June 23, 2008). "Spoiler Chat: Heroes, Daisies, Gossip and More". E! Online. Retrieved 2008-06-28.
- ^ "Irish actor to star in Life on Mars in US". RTÉ News. 29 June 2007.
- ^ O'Neil, Tom (July 7, 2008). "Michael Imperioli boosts Emmy hopes of U.S. version of Brit hit 'Life on Mars'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-07-07.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Mitovich, Matt (2008-07-24). "Scoop! Keitel Lands on Mars as Homicide Boss". TV Guide.
- ^ Ausiello, Michael (August 1, 2008). "Exclusive: Lisa Bonet Sentenced to 'Life on Mars'". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "About the Show". ABC Official Website.
- ^ Duncan, Andrew (31 March 2007). "Phillip Glenister interview". Radio Times.
- ^ a b UPDATED Thursday: CSI Opens Large, Life on Mars & Eleventh Hour Battle, TV by the Numbers, October 10, 2008
