Life on Mars: The Complete Series
Product Description
From the studio that brought you Lost, comes the groundbreaking series that captured the imaginations of fans from coast to coast. With an irresistible soundtrack and one of the most celebrated casts on television, including Harvey Keitel, Michael Imperioli, Gretchen Mol and Jason O Mara, Life On Mars is a smart, suspenseful drama with a finish that will blow you away. Its 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 insiders view of where the shows concept began, a six million dollar moment in which 1970s legend Lee Majors steps back into the past with the cast and crew, and much more
Amazon.com
Life on Mars wallows in glorious 1970s fashion and music as it follows Sam Tyler (Jason O’Mara), a police detective who gets hit by a car in 2008 and wakes up in the same spot in 1973. The local police precinct, headed by Lieutenant Gene Hunt (Harvey Keitel, who fits seamlessly into the period surroundings), is expecting Tyler, but Tyler doesn’t know why or how he’s there–or why he’s receiving messages from his previous life, as well as mysterious phone calls from the beyond. Life on Mars blends this science-fiction premise with story lines that would fit in some classic ’70s cop show, but Tyler’s future knowledge (and his past life) are essential to solving every case, even if it features a missing rock star groupie or a murdered newspaper columnist. Many episodes focus on the mystery surrounding Sam, including meeting his own mother, father, and childhood self, as well as tiny robots, strange men on TV screens, and a hippie chick who speaks in ambiguous koans. The supporting cast includes Michael Imperioli (rocking a serious ’70s ‘stache) and Gretchen Mol (fetching in Farrah Fawcett wings); guest stars range from Wallace Shawn to Gina Gershon to an uncredited Whoopi Goldberg.
It’s regrettable that, in adapting the original British version of Life on Mars, the producers replaced its understated focus with swagger and overstatement; a fantastical premise is more persuasive if the moment-to-moment story makes sense–regrettably, the narrative logic here owes as much to 1970s cop shows as does the production design. Everyone twinkles to excess, wooing the audience and undercutting any sense of grit. The cast is a charismatic bunch who don’t need to spend so much time with rueful smiles and approving looks. The producers knew they’d been canceled in time to resolve the mysteries in the final episode, which diverges significantly from the British version. Also included are a number of cheerful audio commentaries and featurettes, including a tour of the set with ’70s icon Lee Majors. –Bret Fetzer
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How stupid do the networks think we are? I loved this show little did I know the UK thought if it first. They are going into their 3rd season (if my sources are correct) So we get comfortable with a program, think it’s good, look forward to it week after week, ( I say this carefully) then find out it’s ending. What a big surprise! As proof positive, amazon is releasing season of one of life on mars shortly (The UK version) This I will buy. I already acquired the second season (UK version again) But I want to watch their version from the beginning. If brains were dynamite, this network could not blow it’s nose. What I am saying is that something we know. How about firefly? How about Surface? And recently Moonlight. First they borrow from the past (movie remakes)now we borrow from other countries. God only knows what is next. Of this I am afraid. Now we all have to switch to digital. I bought the “converter box” it has a lovely buzz to go with the audio. The voices are out of sync,and don’t walk in front of your TV, if you do you get a partial image ( I would rather lose signal) then you get every other word, and the image looks like scrambled eggs. Thank you USA Goverment. The Job I had was moved to Mexico, where they pay their workers $1.85 an hour with no benefits. I just love being out work for 18 months. Even the pawn shop turned me down.
Rating: 3 / 5
Life on Mars: The Complete Series
Who is writing these reviews? ABC? This was a VERY GOOD series adaptation of a BBC series. Up until the “finale”. If you plan on buying this set,watch every episode but please for the love of all things,DO NOT watch the last episode. They almost succeeded in destroying a decent show in 10 minutes.
Rating: 1 / 5
Life on Mars: The Complete Series
Before purchasing, I try to do due diligence, but in this case I screwed up and failed to notice that this series was produced by ABC Studios. My chagrin is compounded by my having been poised to buy the British series of the same name and by my knowing of myriad examples of inferior American remakes of foreign movies and TV series.
My dismay at learning ABC was behind this is due to the fact that, while I buy a lot of DVDs of movies and cable TV series, I do not watch a lot of TV, and except for some of their sports programming, I no longer watch the regular offerings of the broadcast networks – ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox. These networks, constrained by FCC regulations, skittish sponsors, and an audience that appears to prefer a sanitized, Disney-like universe, produce programming that, in my opinion, is far inferior to that of cable channels. (The exceptions – Homicide: Life on the Street comes to mind – are few and far between.)
Bottom line: If you find the CSI franchise enthralling, or consider 24 to be thought-provoking, you may find this series to be “groundbreaking.” But compared with The Shield, The Sopranos, or The Wire, the ABC version of Life on Mars is a cartoon.
Rating: 2 / 5
Life on Mars: The Complete Series
Shipping was fast as advertised. have not viewed the DVD yet, but the transaction was easy and I will buy again. Thanks
Rating: 5 / 5
Life on Mars: The Complete Series
i gotta say that i really enjoyed the whole series until the very last few minutes. after 16 episodes and that’s how it ends?! if this was the original ending, then i’m glad that it didn’t last beyond the first year!
i had been planning on buying it but now i think i’ll just wait for the BBC version to come to america (besides i liked the BBC version better)
Rating: 3 / 5
Life on Mars: The Complete Series