Customer Reviews

Life On Mars: The Complete Collection (U.K.)

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The COMPLETE set of episodes for the UK variety of 'LIFE ON MARS' is compelling viewing for crime and mystery fans. Now, with the entire series assembled into one package, the difference between this gritty cop in 2 worlds can be fully compared to the US duplication. The debate will forever rage, but you may find that this UK series is bang-on for several reasons.

A young Manchester detective is struck by a car and sent eventually to intensive care in a coma. However, Sam Tyler (John Simm) is hearing, thinking, and seeing regardless of the fact his body is immobile, speechless, and unresponsive. Doctors, wife, cops look for signs of life, continuing life-sustaining machines and measures, as Sam tries to get his message through.

In the meantime, Sam also returns to a police station with an arrogant, brute commander, Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) leading the team. But it's in 1973, complete with perfection in sets, costumes, props, and antiquated police procedures as well as techniques. Sam remembers the modern style of police work and tries putting it to work in this location, this time, with this drinking, hot-head, abusive boss. It leaves both men frustrated at each other on a regular basis. The conflict between the characters is played brilliantly by the 2 stars.

Crime after crime, is investigated through the series, while Sam tries to make contact with the modern world from his comatose-like stage in a hospital bed. The jump from modern to 70s in issues and times is well done, leaving a continuing plot over the episode crime plot always dangling for its own suspenseful end. There is even romance conflict from both ends of Sam's existence. The show seems to have it all, something for everyone. Even the surprise ending that leaves one desiring more of Life On Mars.

Annie Cartwright (Liz White), is the bonny looking policewoman of 1973 who is a "friend" of Sam, often taking his side. You'll love her (how do you say 'hot' in British dialect?). Ah, the British accents. It's no wonder, the US tried to keep it going--but alas, without the UK stars. Worry none about accents: SUBTITLES AVAILABLE.

If you have not tried the UK version of this original version which was recast and rewritten in an American version, it is highly recommended. Then, make your own personal judgment.

"LIFE ON MARS" is unrated, but not for children. If rated, it would likely be PG-21, R, or, in a few fast scene flashes, more. Put the kids to bed first.
....The series cleverly uses period music and recording artists at key spots in the episodes. Included, but not limited to, are artists and songs: David Bowie, "Goodbye Yellow House Road", "The Sweet Hellraiser", Barclay James Harvest, "In the Shining Sun", David Cassidy, Moody Blues, Gilbert O'Sullivan, Elton John, "Rocket Man", Whiskey in the Jar, Traffic, Cream, "Crossroads", The Sweets, "Love Lies Bleeding", Israel Kamakawiwi'de, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow", "Changes", and of course, "LIFE ON MARS."
....16 episodes, about an hour each.
EXTENSIVE BONUS MATERIAL-detailed on this COMPLETE set's listing.

Best time travel tale since "The Wizard of Oz".

If you first saw LIFE ON MARS in the American version then later viewed its original British predecessor, then one thing stands out. The U. S. version was good but the BBC series was compelling. It is not often that any film company can successfully unite two divergent genres, but LIFE ON MARS is a gripping melding of a cops and robbers crime solving series with a cerebral science fiction subtext. In both the American and British versions, the basic plots converge; however, it is the British series that has the far more deft hand at creating and maintaing ongoing interest. John Simm is Detective Sam Tyler of the Manchester Police Force in 2006. He has a car accident and like Hank Morgan in CONNECTICUT YANKEE wakes up some thirty three years earlier, also as a police officer with the same name. He wanders into his reassigned police precinct and wonders whether he is insane, in a coma, or has inexplicably travelled through time. His new comrades seem as if they are little more than brute atavisms, solving crimes the old-fashioned way, mostly through a politically incorrect mishmash of beatings of suspects, violations of every rule of contemporary police procedure, and frequent use of anti-feminist and anti-gay slurs. And to top off matters, no use of personal computers or forensics or DNA technologies. Sam's boss is Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister), a brute of a cop who sees nothing wrong with beating a confession out of a suspect. Hunt drinks constantly, is overweight, and is rude to everyone under his command. When a policewoman Annie Cartwright (Liz White) joins his squad as a detective, Hunt mercilessly taunts her in gross sexual innuendoes. Sam is the modern cop who tries to use his advanced knowledge of police procedure to reform Hunt and his fellow detectives who all too often are hardly differentiated from the scum they manhandle in the interrogation room.

Each episode in centered around a crime which finds Hunt and Sam confronting each other as often as they do the perps they encounter. Hunt is sure that Sam is a wuss who fears getting his hands dirty to protect the citizens of Manchester from the lowlifes of the streets. Sam is conflicted as he sees Hunt brutalize suspects but cannot interfere, but interfere he often does, sometimes with both coming to blows. Sam makes friends with policewoman Cartwright. They spend several episodes deepening their relation. When he tries to tell her that he is from the future, she is sure that he is mad. Part of the joy of watching LIFE ON MARS comes from the interest that is generated by a square peg trying to fit in a round hole. Complicating matters are the frequent nightmares, visions, amd hallucinatory audio episodes that link Sam from his present of 1973 to his future of 2006. Until the closing episode which I shall not here reveal, Sam tries mightily to determine where he belongs. He sees a little blonde girl appear and disappear on a weekly basis as she divulges tantalizing bits and pieces of his "other" life. He sees characters on the television deviate from their script to address him by name. He receives phone calls from an unknown source, telling him to be patient so that the caller may ultimately bring him home. Philosophically though, where is home? As Sam struggles to temporally center himself, the viewer does likewise. Where do we belong? LIFE ON MARS is a magnificent achievement that entertains even as it elucidates.

This series has to be one of the best series I've seen in years. It's superbly written and the lead actors are fantastic. Sam Tyler (played by the absolutely awesome John Simm), a 2006 detective from Manchester has a car accident and awakes to find himself in 1973. He finds that he's on transfer from Hyde (a real town not far from Manchester) to what was then Salford and Manchester Police (now Greater Manchester Police).

Following his car accident, Sam hears everything that's going on around him and adapts it into 1973 as messages in various forms, such as seeing his aunt on the TV, or hearing his girlfriend on a broken radio. He's unsure what's happening to him and frantically tries to respond to the messages and make it known that he's alive. It's brilliantly done, as is the way the series shows Sam despirately trying to cope with the completely non-PC style of policing of the time and a completely different kind of life in 1973. It shows things we take for granted now that didn't exist then. Things like, when Sam first arrives in 1973, he starts to look around for his "mobile" when questioned as to "mobile what", he looks totally baffled as to why the copper doesn't understand that he means his mobile phone. It just makes you think "oh yeah, we didn't have them then".

He's also trying to cope with his brute of a DCI, Gene Hunt (played by Philip Glenister), who's all too keen to go in with his fists and also doesn't seem to care what he says or who he says it to. The difference in attitudes and the conflict it often causes between the two is wonderfully protrayed by John Simm and Philip Glenister.

There are a couple of small inaccuracies in the timeline that I've noticed. For example, when Sam first awakes to find himself in 1973, there's a billboard advertising "the highway in the sky". Because I originally come from the Manchester area, I know that this refers to the Mancunian Way, which was actually long established by 1973 (it was built in the 60s and officially opened in 1967). But, hey, with a series as good as this, who cares?

The soundtrack to the series is brilliant, with some excellent music from the era that I just love listening to, and the fashions just look hillariously funny now. The series is absolutely superb and, I'm sorry guys, but the the US version isn't a patch on this. This is a must have for anyones DVD collection.

The most intelligent, fun BBC series I have ever watched (and then had to buy) this series will charm your socks off then put them back on again. Does it all make sense? Not really. Does it matter? Not a bit! Seriously, this is the most fun I have ever had watching a TV show. And to the person who said the American version is "better," I could not disagree more. After watching the BBC version, I could barely get through the first HOUR of the American one. The acting in the BBC version is infinitely better.

One of the best TV series ever, and maybe even the best.
I only watched it because a friend insisted I give it a try - nothing about the series description hooked me. But, after one episode, I WAS hooked.

After it ended, we turned off the TV and ended up discussing and debating it for several hours. Then, watched it again.

I'm not sure I can do justice to describing what makes this series so amazing.
It is funny, well written, and well timed.
The actors have obvious chemistry, and somehow you get the idea that they genuinely enjoy exploring these characters and working together on this project.

The characters will stay with you, too. Other than perhaps Annie, none of the lead characters are genuinely very likable - Sam sulks, Chris blunders, Gene rages, Ray loafs about buffoonishly. Yet, they are multi-dimensional enough that they all have their moments of charm and heart, and moments of brilliance, as well. You end up liking to watch them do their thing.

The show is made even stronger by a short run and a strong, cohesive writing team. Unlike some long-running TV serials, each and every story line stays true to the characters.

Sets, costumes, cars, and music come together flawlessly to recreate 1973 - or at least a version of it. The difference between the two worlds is almost breathtaking, both at the beginning and end of the series.

It is hard to define the genre of this one. Sure, it is a cop show, but with a dash of old Western, sci-fi, comedy, drama... it is like nothing else out there, and it really, really works.

Best of all, it is light, fun viewing, yet it really makes you think. Days later, you'll find yourself considering an event or story line from a new perspective. Your views may be challenged or even changed.

It is not for children, and not for anyone who will be so offended by violence, obscenity, or sexist attitudes that they cannot see the diamonds in the rough, but is must-see viewing for practically everyone else.

Subtitles are there to help if you find the accents hard to decipher, but we didn't have any trouble with that at our house. I did, however, find myself "googling" to look up some unfamiliar cultural references. For example, in the first episode, DCI Hunt tells Sam that he is "having hoops" for dinner. Turns out, that is canned pasta, like Spaghetti-Os. You can enjoy the series without knowing any of that sort of stuff, but I found it fun to look it up anyway.

This one is worth buying because you'll want to watch it more than once and you'll want to share it with friends.
Life on Mars deserves to be a cult classic.

My wife and I have seen every episode of the British series "Life on Mars." It is an example of what TV could be if quality was first and foremost in the minds of those who created it. This is really one of the best and most entertaining series ever done for television. There were one or two episodes we weren't that into, but overall, it's wonderful entertainment. I recommend it without reservation.

I haven't watched the complete collection yet, as I ordered it right after watching the entire series on Netflix. Oh how I love this show! Anyone who is into Brit Drama, this is a MUST have & it is chalk full of amazing 70's music, hilarious characters & some serious arse kicking! Get it!

On the surface, the series resembles a by-the-numbers police procedural from the 1970s. And the series does indeed pay homage to such shows in a way that resembles a Tarantino film's affectionate references to cheesy elements of Hong Kong flicks and 1970s pop culture. But imagine that kind of material refracted through a mind-frack of the David Lynch ilk, and you'll have a fairly good sense of what "Life on Mars" is like.

As with the other big hits from the BBC, the series demonstrates the value of recruiting people who possess strong training in their craft, i.e., people who are serious writers, actors, and directors. In the US, only the best HBO shows compare. John Simm and Liz White are gifted artists who repeatedly show us that "less is more" by skillfully using understatement and nuance to produce strong characters. Really, every creative contributor to this series gives the audience credit for having some intelligence.

But the most memorable is Philip Glenister as the neanderthal Detective Chief Inspector. Glenister throws himself into the outrageously politically incorrect role with a heroic lack of concern for what the result might make people think of him. It's a star-making performance.

Well worth the money. This is a funny well written series that holds your interest by very good character development, interesting plots and a good moral backbone. Two thumbs up!!!

For anyone that appreciates a good mystery, Life on Mars is engrossing, captivating, thought-provoking and always with some glib humor. This is 'worlds away' from the American remake - infinitely better.