In a rare instance of mutual forethought and cooperation between producers and a network, ABC's Life on Mars will wrap up its abbreviated freshman run this Wednesday at 10 pm/ET with a proper series finale, bringing to a close Detective Sam Tyler's time-tripping odyssey. Here, executive producers Scott Rosenberg and Josh Appelbaum reflect on their Mars journey, reveal the one song that done them wrong, preview the "straight-out scary" follow-up they have planned, and promise closure for fans of their previous project, October Road.
TVGuide.com: The episode airing this Wednesday, is it more or less what you had envisioned the series finale as being? Or is it slightly different, if only because you had less time to build up to it?
Josh Appelbaum: We always knew that the season finale was going to be this episode, and we always knew what our series finale would be. Basically we went to [ABC] and said, "Our ratings are grim. We want to ...
read more
New releases announced today, January 27:
8 Simple Rules... - Season 2 will be coming out April 21
October Road - The Complete 2nd Season will be coming out May 5
Wolverine & the X-Men - Volume 1: Heroes Return Trilogy will be coming out April 21
Visit TVShowsOnDVD.com for the complete stories on these and other news items.
read more
"October" has always been good to Jonathan Murphy. The actor got his big break on the now-defunct October Road, and his latest TV foray, Life on Mars (Thursdays at 10 pm/ET, ABC), debuted Oct. 9 and showed, well, life. Murphy plays clean-cut newbie Det. Chris Skelton on the decade-warping BBC remake and took time out of the busy New York '70s streets to chat with TVGuide.com about the show forging its own path, how he prepared for the role and why Luke Perry better watch out. Oh, and for all you Roadies out there, get an update on the series' mini-epilogue.
TVGuide.com: The show is based on a British series. How would you describe it to American viewers?
Jonathan Murphy: I would describe it as ...
See Murphy's answer and full interview after the jump.
read more
The tinkering over at ABC's port of the Brit hit Life on Mars continues.Recently, it was announced that The Sopranos' Michael Imperioli was coming on board as a trustworthy colleague of Jason O'Mara's transplanted-in-time lawman. Now, I have learned exclusively, the trio of exec producers (Josh Applebaum, Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg) who claimed the Life on Mars reins from David E. Kelley — and each of whom hail from October Road — have tapped a cast member of that ABC serial to join their new venture. Jonathan Murphy, aka OR's Ronnie, will play Detective Chris Skelton, a jittery young arrival to the department. (The role was filled by Marshall Lancaster on the BBC original.)Thus far, the female lead for ABC's Life on Mars has yet to be cast. — Matt MitovichRelated:• October Road Bosses to Wrap Up "Epic Love" Story
read more
When October Road reached its end last spring, fans weren't the only ones who had a hard time letting go. Co-creator Scott Rosenberg was determined to conclude the series the right way. "We had a small audience, but they genuinely fell in love with these characters, and I feel we owe it not only to them, but also to the cast [to tie up loose ends]," Rosenberg tells TV Guide. So he and co-creators Josh Appelbaum and André Nemec wrote a 15-minute finale called "Don't Look Back: An Epilogue for an Epic Love." The story will start at the wedding of Hannah (Laura Prepon) and Big Cat (Warren Christie), and then flash forward seven years, where fans will receive answers to most of their remaining questions. The plan is to include the epilogue on the second-season DVD and possibly online. After two seasons on the Road, even the cast wants closure. "I don't know who Sam's father is, so I am just as excited to find out as the fans are," says Bryan Greenberg (Nick). And although the shoot...
read more
