Topic: Life on Mars Marathon (US Version)

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Life on Mars Marathon

Immerse yourself in the groundbreaking series that captivated fans and critics from coast to coast. With an irresistible soundtrack and one of the most celebrated casts on television, including Jason O'Mara, Michael Imperioli, Gretchen Mol and Harvey Keitel, Life On Mars is smart, suspenseful drama with a finish that will blow you away. "It's one of those endings I believe will make you watch the series again," says Executive Producer Josh Appelbaum.

There's a fine line between delusion and reality. NYPD detective Sam Tyler finds himself walking both sides of that line when he is suddenly hurtled back in time to 1973 after being struck by a car in 2008.

Journey back to the '70s and uncover the secrets of Life On Mars. It's a "strange and exhilarating ride" raves The New York Times. Plus, with unique and exciting bonus features – including an insider's view of where the show's concept began, a six-million dollar moment in which '70s legend Lee Majors steps back into the past with the cast and crew, and much more – Life On Mars is unforgettable on DVD!

Rating Info:
This series is rated TV-14 for some suggestive dialogue (D), infrequent coarse language (L), some sexual situations (S) and moderate violence (V).

Life on Mars Series Trailer

EPISODES:
1. Out Here in the Fields
2. The Real Adventures of the Unreal Sam Tyler
3. My Maharishi is Bigger than Your Maharishi
4. Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadows
5. Things to Do in New York When You Think You're Dead
6. Tuesday's Dead
7. The Man Who Sold the World
8. Take a Look at the Lawmen
9. The Dark Side Of The Mook
10. Let All the Children Boogie
11. Home is Where You Hang Your Holster
12. The Simple Secret of the Note in Us All
13. Revenge of Broken Jaw
14. Coffee, Tea or Annie
15. All the Young Dudes
16. Everyone Knows It's Windy
17. Life is a Rock

Stars:
Jason O'Mara as Det. Sam Tyler
Michael Imperioli as Det. Ray Carling
Gretchen Mol as Off. Annie Norris
Jonathan Murphy as Det. Chris Skelton
Harvey Keitel as Lt. Gene Hunt

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Disc 1:

1. Out Here in the Fields
After an accident, NYPD detective Sam Tyler inexplicably finds himself back in 1973, where he must help solve a murder that is eerily similar to a case he was investigating in 2008.

Guest Stars:
Lisa Bonet as Maya Daniels
Clarke Peters as Captain Fletcher Bellow
Phyllis Somerville as Mrs. Raimes
Mike Starr as Nelson

My Thoughts:
I know this series is an American version of a series from the UK... but I never seen the original UK version so I can not compare this one to that. What I can do is tell you about this show as it stands on it's own. This pilot epiosde is a very good introduction to the characters. It has a very good, entertaining story that keeps your intrest throughout the entire episode. I like that his 2008 partner is played by Lisa Bonet (Denise on The Cosby Show)... and they made it clear how important she is to him. I also like how they do not make it clear if he is crazy, in the hospital in a coma dreaming it all or if he really somehow traveled through time. Even though the evidence points in a certain way you don't know for sure. This is the first time I seen this show since it originally aired in 2008... so it is fun watching this again now... as there is so much I forgotten about this show since then!

My Rating:


2. The Real Adventures of the Unreal Sam Tyler
Sam is in 1973. 2008 only exists as flashes of Sam's memory, assisted by a mysterious robot. A suspect in a series of deadly armed robberies of check cashing stores, Trent, is picked up but let loose for lack of evidence. Trent then attempts another robbery, gets killed by Hunt, but not before Trent shoots June the precinct secretary, at the scene. When a witness states that Trent was escorted by uniformed police going into the store being robbed, it becomes a corruption issue.

Guest Stars:
Lisa Bonet as Maya Daniels
Tanya Fischer as Windy
Heather Matarazzo as June
Sylvia Miles as Mrs. Salvaggio

My Thoughts:
This is another good episode. I really enjoyed the story. Sam is no closer to figuring out how or why he is there. In this episode the actress that played June (Heather Matarazzo) looked very familiar to me but I just couldn't place where I seen her. After the episode I looked her up and it turns out that she played the best friend Lilly on the movie The Princess Diaries. Which I watched not that long ago.

My Rating:


3. My Maharishi is Bigger Than Your Maharishi
When a decorated Vietnam War vet is beaten to death, Sam's precinct is pushed to the brink to find his killers, but not everyone may be happy with the results they find.

Guest Stars:
Tanya Fischer as Windy
Susan Misner as Carol Ann Reeves
Timothy Adams as John Philip Fisher
Brian Avers as Sticker

My Thoughts:
Another good episode! Watching this show makes me think we came a long way in the past 30 some odd years. This show makes you think the cops back then didn't think twice about roughing up a suspect with no more reason then they felt like it. And how if they thought less of some people (gays in the case of this episode) they wouldn't try as hard to solve the crimes. But this was turning around by the end of the episode. Of course Sam is still trying to figure out how to get back to his own time.

My Rating:


4. Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadows?
Sam busts a guy for accosting his mother, only to find out he's a loan shark and she's into him for a thousand dollars. When his mother doesn't want to prosecute, she, unknowingly, leads Sam down a road that puts him on the outs with Annie.

Guest Stars:
Jennifer Ferrin as Rose Tyler
Tanya Fischer as Windy
Robert Klein as Elliot Casso
Lenny Venito as Nick Profaci

My Thoughts:
So far this one has to be my least favorited of the series. I just found the episode to be a little too much on the slow side for my taste. Though it did have some good scenes... and the story itself was interesting. It just didn't feel like it kept up with what it could/should have been.

My Rating:

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Disc 2:

5. Things to Do in New York When You Think You're Dead
Sam partners up with Fletcher, his future police mentor, in 1973 to find a Puerto Rican man accused of throwing a black girl off the roof of a building—a case that has the black community up in arms and demanding retribution.

Guest Stars:
Lisa Bonet as Maya Daniels
Chris Bauer as Father Tim
Edi Gathegi as Young Fletcher Bellow
Clarke Peters as Captain Fletcher Bellow

My Thoughts:
An excellent episode! This one has so much. It has a very bad and sad situation that could evolve into a riot. It gives Sam the chance to work with a younger version of his mentor. It even has a special (uncredited) guest appearance of Whoopie Goldberg. This is a very powerful story... definitely one of my favorites of the series.

My Rating:


6. Tuesday's Dead
After a wild birthday party for Ray at the precinct, Sam receives a wild phone call that states he has until two o'clock to pull out of his coma before the doctor will pull the plug, just as his watch commander walks in with a hostage situation at a local hospital where the terrorists demands a dangerous operation be performed on the guy's brother.

Guest Stars:
Lisa Bonet as Maya Daniels
Brad William Henke as Michael H
Bill Irwin as Dr. Schwahn
Carmen Goodine as Erica

My Thoughts:
This is another great episode of this short lived series. The hostage situation at the hospital was well done. And they also hint at a relationship between Sam and Annie... the only female cop at the precienct.

My Rating:


7. The Man Who Sold the World
While investigating a child's kidnapping, Sam discovers some disturbing information about his father, as well as the real reason he disappeared for good on the day of Sam's fourth birthday party.

Guest Stars:
Jennifer Ferrin as Rose Tyler
Lee Tergesen as Lee Crocker
Dean Winters as Vic Tyler
Teddy Coluca as Uncle Butchie

My Thoughts:
This is another episode I have to give the highest rating. This is an excellent episode. Sam learns about the kind of man his father really was. Annie finds herself in trouble in the woods. And the episode has a great ending!

My Rating:


8. The Dark Side of the Mook
A mysterious phone call from a tipster leads Det. Sam Tyler to a headless body. A severed head is delivered to the precinct at the same time, thus leading to the discovery of a series of gruesome decapitations that might involve Det. Carling's brother, Eddie. The detectives are interviewed by someone tied to Aries Project.

Guest Stars:
Eric Balfour as Eddie Carling
Kevin Conway as Donovan Stamp
John Bedford Lloyd as Interrogator
Joel Marsh Garland as Seven Fifty

My Thoughts:
This is a good episode... though not quite as good as the previous few. I got to admit... I didn't like the lieutenant when I first started this series. I thought they made him too much of a hard ass. But you know... he really grows on you. You get to enjoy his tough cop style. I definitely got a laugh out of his International Cover-up drinking game in this episode. Ray's brother in this episode looked very familiar then I look at the credits to see that it is Eric Balfour. He played Milo on 24.

My Rating:


9. Take a Look at the Lawmen
A long standing competition between Lt. Hunt and the 125 and Anthony Nunzio and the 144 heats up as both investigate a bank robbery by the Russian mob. Meanwhile, Sam has a liaison in the file room, unaware of the woman's true identity.

Guest Stars:
Michael Aronov as Yuri Demidov
Vincent Curatola as Lt. Anthony Nunzio
Olek Krupa as Vasilli Lukin
Maggie Siff as Maria Belanger

My Thoughts:
This one is a good fun episode. Of course with the time being in the '70s there was no love for the Russians. And I must admit I loved where the cops put down their guns and fought them to take them in. It just added to the fun. Now Sam adds to his problems by (unknowingly) sleeping with the lieutenant's daughter. This man just can't get his crap straight! 

My Rating:

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Disc 3:

10. Let All the Children Boogie
When rock star Sebastian Grace (Cheyenne Jackson) receives a death threat, Sam and Chris are sent to provide him with police protection. Chris later accompanies Sebastian and one of his groupies, Rocket Girl, to wait for UFOs in the New Jersey Meadowlands, but Sebastian is arrested for murder when Rocket Girl disappears. Sam also has to try and cover up his fling with Maria before Gene figures out who his partner in the file room was.

Guest Stars:
Cheyenne Jackson as Sebastian Grace
Wallace Shawn as The Sorcerer
Maggie Siff as Maria Belanger
Robert Clohessy as Frank Wyatt

My Thoughts:
This is one of the ones I didn't care too much for. having to protect a rock star of course means there is music in the episode. And I of course didn't care for that. While the whole idea of them thinking the girl was abducted by a UFO was pretty entertaining for some reason I didn't care for Wallace Shawn in the role of The Sorcerer. I gues because I usually find his characters funny to watch... and this one just wasn't.

My Rating:


11. Home is Where You Hang Your Holster
A city councilman who is arrested and brought into the 125th on prostitution charges privately reveals to Sam that he's from 2009 and knows the way home, but he is murdered in the middle of the precinct house before Sam can find out the secret. Hunt locks down the squad house to investigate the murder. Ray and Annie were both out of the house at the time and are sent out to investigate leads on the outside, but squabble over how much authority a policewoman should be given in investigating a crime.

Guest Stars:
Laura Benanti as Denise Carling
Maggie Siff as Maria Belanger
Jason Kravits as Jerry
Armand Schultz as Councilman Bobby Prince

My Thoughts:
A good episode. I liked how they had the crime happen in the police station itself. The liuetenant finds out that it was his daughter that was in the file room with Sam. I could have wenbt without the whole Wizard of Oz references and background music. But it didn't take away from the episode too much.

My Rating:


12. The Simple Secret of the Note in Us All
The squad tries to solve the murder of a newspaper columnist. After learning that the columnist had visited a gallery owned by Tony Crane, a man whom Sam has arrested in the 2000s for a very similar crime, Sam becomes an advocate for the 1973-style vigilante policing he's usually fighting against, while the media glare has Hunt uncharacteristically insistent on a strictly by-the-book investigation. The rest of the precinct believe the murderer is a restaurant chef.

Guest Stars:
Kerry Bishe as Eve Flannery
Chris Bowers as Tony Crane
Fred Dalton Thompson as Chief Harry Woolf
Peter Appel as Demetri Pantos

My Thoughts:
This is a pretty good episode. It was pretty fun to see the roles reversed a bit... and see Sam being the one to want to rough up the suspect and the lieutenant going strictly by the book. But I think what I really liked is how Annie is the one that came through in the end.

My Rating:


13. Revenge of Broken Jaw
While the squad tries to find a place to watch the Muhammad Ali-Ken Norton rematch, student radicals from the Weather Underground target the police with bomb threats, and it becomes all too personal to Lt. Hunt, who loses several close friends in the incendiary aftermath. As the investigation heats up, Sam, Annie and Hunt uncover mysterious connections to one of the students and a political science professor. The bomb threats continue as Hunt, suspiciously secretive, attempts to discover the professor's possible connection to the Weather Underground's dead leader; is the motivation politics or revenge, and do the Weathermen have the right target? With the 1-2-5 walking a dangerous tightrope to discover the target of the next bomb, the case takes a totally unforeseen but deadly turn.

Guest Stars:
Kevin Kilner as Dr. Richard Olsen
Janel Moloney as Pat Olsen
Arthur Nascarella as Rooney
Austin Pendleton as Dr. Goldman

My Thoughts:
Fun episode. I liked how Sam took advantage of knowing what will happen in the boxing match ahead of time and making a nice sized bet with Ray. And I think Ray said it all when Sam told him some day we won't have to go to a strip club to see the fights... and Ray says I hope that is one day that never comes! I am talking here mostly about a side story... but don't get me wrong. The story of the case was good too!

My Rating:

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Disc 4:

14. Coffee, Tea, or Annie
When a Pan Atlantic air hostess turns up dead, Annie volunteers for a dangerous undercover mission posing as the murdered woman to help solve the second in a possible series of brutal homicides. Then, after an unlikely suspect is uncovered, an invitation to a lurid swingers' party leads to an evening full of sensational surprises—not just for Annie and Sam (who attend as a couple) but Lieutenant Hunt also, who arrives with a special guest to mix it up. Juicy sexual escapades bring the swingers' party to a fever pitch, but will the murderer be revealed? Finally, Annie confronts Hunt with the courage of her convictions about her future at the 1-2-5.

Guest Stars:
Mark Deklin as Ronald Harris
Gina Gershon as Rita
Kelli Giddish as Carol
Mark Linn-Baker as Lincoln James

My Thoughts:
This is a fun episode. Who knew that stewertess' were so much fun back in the day! I liked how this one was such a big episode for Annie. I definitely enjoy that character! Though I do admit it was weird to see her in a long dark wig. And I got to say... I loved the way Annie stood up for herself and the very end of this episode!

My Rating:


15. All the Young Dudes
When Sam poses as a streetwise tough to infiltrate a vicious New York City gang suspected of truck hijackings, he's pushed to the limit not to blow his cover, and he reveals a much darker side. A bare-knuckled fist fight with a gang member, a late-night deal to buy a truckload of stolen VCRs and even time behind bars at his own precinct are all necessary elements of Sam's scam. But can he keep up the ruse when he's told to shoot a bound-and-gagged woman? And his attraction to the gang leader's sister also seems to be part of a recipe for disaster.

Guest Stars:
Jennifer Ferrin as Rose Tyler
Peter Greene as Jimmy McManus
Paige Turco as Colleen McManus
Daniel Stewart Sherman as Big Patrick

My Thoughts:
A decent episode... though not great. I didn't like the way Sam acted in this one. It just didn't seem in character for him. But I must admit this episode has a shocker of a cliffhanger ending. After that ending there is no way I could't watch the next one!

My Rating:


16. Everyone Knows It's Windy
Following the shooting of Ray and Chris, crime fighting gets extremely personal at the 125th Precinct. When the shooter is then murdered outside a neighborhood bar and FBI agent Franklin Morgan is sent to the precinct, both sides of the law suspect Sam of murder, leaving him to question his own innocence. With the evidence stacking up against him, Sam must rely on his friends at the precinct to bend the rules as he tenaciously searches for the real killer.

Guest Stars:
Scott Adsit as Dr. Clifford Dorsett
Tanya Fischer as Windy
Peter Gerety as Agent Frank Morgan
Peter Greene as Jimmy McManus

My Thoughts:
This is a good conclusion to the last episode. Sam has to clear his name. And I must say.. I like how the entire group he works with backed him up... whether they liked him or not. And I thought how Annie talked some sense into him towards the end was good. Enjoyed this one.

My Rating:


17. Life is a Rock
Sam wakes up after dreaming about his 2008 apartment with 1973 characters and is told he is most likely closer to going back and later on a mysterious caller offers Sam a chance to return to 2008; all he needs to do is complete three tasks, but a confusing set of circumstances inside and out of the 1-2-5 makes him think twice about whether he even wants to go back. When love, death, promise, hope, fear and mystery converge, will Sam decide to stay in 1973 or return to the future? At the end of the episode, the final truth about Sam's life is revealed, possibly stranger than anyone expected...

Guest Stars:
Lisa Bonet as Maya Daniels
Jennifer Ferrin as Rose Tyler
Tanya Fischer as Windy
Peter Gerety as Agent Frank Morgan

My Thoughts:
The last episode of the series! The first thing I want to say is I am so glad they knedw about the cancelation far enough in advance that they were able to end it properly. The final story is really good I enjoyed every minute of it. I especially liked how they tied everything together and the answer to what it was that Sam experienced. I also liked that Annie got what she worked so hard and long for. This is definitely one of my favorite series finales that I have in my collection. It is just all so well done and enjoyable.

My Rating:

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Over-All Thoughts:
I have been told several times this series doesn't hold a candle to the original UK version. But since I never seen the UK version I have no way to compare the two. All I can do is judge this set on it's own merits. And on it's own merits I enjoyed this series very much. I really enjoyed how they had little hints through-out the series that made so much sense when they revealed what was truly happening to Sam. But at the time of watching it you didn't know what to expect from all the craziness. After watching all 17 episodes I wish it lasted a little longer. Even if it was only a full season of 22 to 24 episodes.

Extras:
- Commentary tracks for Out Here in the Fields, The Man Who Sold the World, Things to Do in New York When You Think You're Dead, and the series finale Life is a Rock.
I didn't listen to any of the commentary tracks. Though there is a couple commentaries I would like to check out at a later time.
- To Mars and Back
15 minute behind-the-scenes look at the show
- Sunrise to Sunset with Jason O'Mara
This is a 9min featurette showing what the star of the show goes through on a typical day.
- Flashback: Lee Majors Goes to Mars
Jason O'Mara gives a '70s TV star a tour of the set. The only thing I can say is.... why? Sure I get it this show takes place in the '70s. Basically this is a waste of 8min. They also had a lot of pop-ups with little facts about The Six Million Dollar Man and about this show and it's stars.
- Deleted Scenes
Consists of 10 deleted scenes through-out the series.
- Gag Reel
Gag reels are normally my favorite extra. But in this case... not so much. This rather short (under 3min.) gag reel offered a couple chuckles but no more then that.

[Najemikon]

Pete, out of interest, and use spoiler tags if necessary, exactly how did the US Life On Mars end? What was the secret to Sam's situation?

I ask because our Life On Mars ended without answering. Then there were three series of a spin off called Ashes To Ashes. The final episode aired last week and it was stunning. I'm convinced the writers knew what they were doing from scene 1, episode 1, Life On Mars, because everything seems to have tied in so well.

I'm curious if the US version was privy to the secret.

[addicted2dvd]

I really liked how they put everything together at the end. Caution for anyone that wants to see this series... the below spoiler gives away the main plot of the entire series.

(click to show/hide)

The end scene showed how the whole thing tied together with the title of the series. As it turns out all the main charactes of the series are astronauts on their way to colonize Mars. Of course the astronauts were put into suspended animation for the very long trip. But they would dream... and each person was able to choose what to dream about. Sam Tyler... the main character of the series wanted to dream of being a detective in the '70s. But unfortunately there was a glitch in the programming for his dream and that is what caused him to remember and see things he shouldn't have been able to.

[Najemikon]

 

Well! At least it is literally nothing like the British show at all. Sorry, Pete, but that sounds like the US writers were backed into a corner.

In fact, how did it start? If it started like ours, Sam was a modern day detective who had an accident that put him in a coma. He wakes up in 197-whatever. I thought the US version started the same way.

[addicted2dvd]

It did start the same way.

[Najemikon]

Weird. That can't really make sense, it's one twist too many. Actually, I've just found an interview with the creator and he refers to the remake. Note that within the spoiler, I've edited the bit I'm quoting so if anyone is interested in the British version, you're safe to read it.

(click to show/hide)

Did you keep your ending secret from the people making that American version?

“Yes, we did! We talked generally with them about what we were trying to do, and what we felt the world was. [EDIT] They thought that wasn’t extreme enough. It tickled their fancy, but they said ‘Oh guys, we’ve got something more extreme than that – we’ve got something that will blow you away! You’ll never see it coming!’ So we thought ‘How exciting, but just to sound a note of caution, endings that you never see coming are not necessarily good endings.’ I think the point about the ending of Ashes is that you should be able to see it coming. If you don’t, that’s fine, but it’s not out of nowhere – everything is building to this, rather than us coming up with something and going ‘Hey-hey, you never knew this, but Gene is a Martian!’ And that was their mistake, I think.”

In the same article, he mentions how they were a bit cheeky with a couple of lines in Ashes to Ashes to make fans who were aware of the US version crap themselves it was going to be the same!

[Alien Redrum]

I kind of envy you, Pete.

After watching the original Life on Mars, I welcomed the American remake, but, man, I couldn't sit through more than 3 episodes. I probably would have enjoyed it having never seen the original.

If you haven't, you should check out the British version if you get a chance. It's written so much better.

[addicted2dvd]

I been wanting to check it out... haven't had the chance to yet though. But it is kind of expensive around here at over $40 per Season/Series. Especially considering there seems to only be 16 episodes in the entire run.