"I went to a place to eat. It said 'breakfast at any time.' So I ordered french toast during the Renaissance". --Steven Wright ... If you are a devotee of time travel, check out this song...

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Life On Mars Debuts in America

Fine start of Life on Mars on ABC tonight, and you know that I'm going to review this American version of the British series here on Infinite Regress, since I watch everything I can get my hands on regarding time travel, including Journeyman, relevant episodes of Lost and Heroes, and Deja Vu, too.

Here's the story: Det. Sam Tyler is after a kidnapping killer in 2008, who apparently has just grabbed his girlfiend and colleague crime fighter Maya. He steps out of his car with David Bowie's "Life of Mars" playing on his iPod- and gets hit straight on by a car. He wakes up with David Bowie still singing the same song, but now off cassette tape- because Sam is back, in the exact same place, in 1973. David Bowie has thus given this series a perfect acoustic segue along with a memorable name.

As is the case with Journeyman and Quantum Leap (3 series, featuring 2 Sams and a Dan), neither Tyler nor we can be sure at first if he is really in the past, or just dreaming in a coma. In Journeyman and Quantum Leap, that question is resolved by the end of the first episode - the time traveler is really time traveling. Further, we even pretty quickly learn why: to correct some bad event in the past. What we never learn in those two series is who is calling shots - who or what is making the time traveler travel?

Life on Mars provides even fewer resolutions in this first episode. There is a hint that maybe Sam's purpose in the past is to learn and/or do something that can help save Maya in 2008. Possibly, Sam has already done a little in that direction, by talking to the kidnapper as a boy in 1973 at the end of this episode.

But unlike Journeyman and Quantum Leap, Life on Mars will be one continuing, over-arching story, with Sam from 2008 back in 1973. I'm glad to see this, since I thought both Journeyman and Quantum Leap gave too much attention to specific episode story lines, and not enough to the backbone of the plot (Journeyman improved greatly in this respect near the end).

Most of the 1973 touches are authentic and excellent. The music is outstanding - in addition to Bowie, it was great hear the Stones "Out of Time". So was a bit with Cannon - the great Quinn Martin detective - on television in 1973. And the misunderstanding of Sam's saying "cell phone" as his wanting to "sell" something was nice.

The NYPD detectives in 1973, though, are a little bogus in their roughing up of suspects and disregard of their Miranda rights. Miranda v. Arizona was decided by the Supreme Court in 1966. I know, it's tough to get every little historical detail right, but Mad Men has set a pretty high standard, and the culture of 1973 cops is pretty central to this new series.

But Life on Mars gets credit for having the courage to use the Twin Towers as a 1973 backdrop. And the shout-out to Fordham University - Sam's likely romantic interest in 1973, Annie, got a degree at Fordham in psychology - certainly makes me and my students happy.

Looking forward to more time in the past- next week.

See also Life on Mars 2nd Episode in America: Coma, Time Travel, Mars Rover ... Life on Mars Goes On in America: What Happens When a Time Traveler Runs Into His Earlier Self? ... Life on Mars #4: All in the Family ... Life on Mars #5 Meets the Wire ... Life on Mars #6 Meets Itself on Television ... Life on Mars #7: Is Annie Real, Or, Is Life on Mars a False Memory

=== But I just came back - don't say I never give you anything - to post this great video of the Stones' "Out of Time" ... whew, "You're obsolete, my baby, my poor old-fashioned baby..." the original, ragged, Rolling Stone 1966 album performance...



And here, courtesy of ABC TV, is entire premier episode of Life on Mars, for your viewing pleasure...







The Plot to Save Socrates


"challenging fun" - Entertainment Weekly

"a Da Vinci-esque thriller" - New York Daily News

"Sierra Waters is sexy as hell" - curled up with a good book


more about The Plot to Save Socrates...

Get your own at Profile Pitstop.com



Read the first chapter of The Plot to Save Socrates
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9 comments:

Anonymous said...

There might be some inconsistencies with reality, but you have to remember that this is only Sam's perception of 1973.

steph_angel said...

Now I obviously can't comment on the U.S remake, but the U.K version was superb... Great acting, great cast, great storyline, always keeping you guessing right up to the very, very end. And I really hope you guys stick with the U.K storyline & ending

And when all that's done in 2 series time, you can enjoy Ashes to Ashes which I probably enjoyed even more...

Alex B said...

I agree with Steph, the UK version was one of the best things on TV in years, hope the US version stays true to the original plot arc.

Paul Levinson said...

Thanks, Steph and Alex - I'm toying with getting a copy of the UK version. But, I know if I do, I'll watch the whole thing, which will make watching the American version a different experience.... Problems, problems... :)

Unknown said...

I know nothing about the UK version, and to prevent any spoilage, I'll try to keep it that way...

A couple comments-

First, not to be too picky, but I think the David Bowie song was playing on an 8 track, not a cassette, when he approached his car in '73. Could be wrong about that, but I remember an 8 track.

Second, just a general comment - the character of Sam Tyler reminds of me three pretty distinct characters/actors all mingled together. From the actor, I get an overwhelming sense of Mel Gibson for some reason. The character itself reminds me of Jake Gyllenhaal in Donnie Darko meets...someone...that I can't quite place.

Overall I'm really looking forward to the season, it looks like it should be pretty interesting.

Paul Levinson said...

You're probably right about the 8-track - I was lazily using cassette generically (to mean any tape in a car) :)

And you're right also Tyler being reminiscent of other characters - he also reminded me of one of the master-mind criminals on The Closer... (probably because Jason O'Mara plays them both)...

I'm just watching the first three seasons of The Closer, by the way, and it's wonderful.

tvindy said...

"The character itself reminds me of Jake Gyllenhaal in Donnie Darko meets...someone...that I can't quite place."

Might that third person be the sheriff on Eureka?

Barbara K said...

I can only agree with the previous comments about how great the UK version is - while the first season was shown on German TV, they never showed the second one, and so I got both on DVD, watched one or two episodes a day, and I loved it!
The characters are great, the actors are good ones but not the type that you would have seen in too many movies, and you can recognize so many things that you have experienced yourself, if you were a child in the 70s...
And yes, I also do hope the American version stays with the UK plot - although I hate remakes of that sort mostly, and I felt awkward watching the intro on this page, because... "that is not Sam Tyler" I thought, I could see that it would be a good version.
So far most things seem very much like the UK version ("that is not my car... I drive a Jeep..." "you drive a military vehicle?", and the "I need my cell" are simple jokes but very funny), until the twin towers were shown, so I guess this might become a version that could end up with its own story lines but a similar plot and ending as the UK version...
No spoilers, but Paul: you should get the UK version, it's definitely worth it, and there are so many extra bits, makings of certain scenes etc.!

Paul Levinson said...

Thanks, Barbara - I definitely will! And welcome to Infinite Regress!

Tvindy - could be, but, believe it or not, I haven't seen any of Eureka...

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