CBS Orders Adaptation of James Patterson's Zoo Straight to Series
Life on Mars
- Metascore73
- 2008-2009
- 1 season
- Disney-ABC Domestic Television
- Suspense, Drama, Science Fiction
- TV-14
Sam Tyler is a police detective in 2008 when he gets struck by a car and is knocked unconscious. When he comes to and finds himself in 1973 he goes to his precinct and is mistaken for a transfer from another precinct. He finds himself trying to do things a little differently from what he is used to. And he tries to figure out why he is in 1973.
- Metascore73
- 2008-2009
- 1 season
- Disney-ABC Domestic Television
- Suspense, Drama, Science Fiction
- TV-14
Sam Tyler is a police detective in 2008 when he gets struck by a car and is knocked unconscious. When he comes to and finds himself in 1973 he goes to his precinct and is mistaken for a transfer from another precinct. He finds himself trying to do things a little differently from what he is used to. And he tries to figure out why he is in 1973.
The Office: The Sopranos' Michael Imperioli to Go Up Against Dwight
After playing mobster Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos for six seasons, Michael Imperioli has been in his fair share of TV fights. But what will happen when he goes up against Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson)?! Fans will find out when the Emmy winner guest-stars on The Office this spring as...
Pilot Season: Sopranos' Michael Imperioli Checks Into Jason Katims' NBC Medical Drama
The doctor is in! Michael Imperioli has joined the cast of Jason Katims' medical pilot County, TVGuide.com has confirmed. TVLine.com first reported the news. Parenthood's Jason Ritter stars in the drama about a group of young doctors, nurses and administrators in an underfunded and morally compromising Los Angeles hospital. Imperioli, best-known for playing Christopher Moltisanti on The Sopranos, will portray...
Jason O'Mara Returns to Time-Traveling for Terra Nova
Jason O'Mara will headline Fox's upcoming drama Terra Nova, according to Variety. The 37-year-old actor will star as Jim Shannon, a man from 2149 who...
It's a Godawful Small Affair! The Bizarre Life on Mars Finale
p>"Can a series finale make a show jump the shark?" asks my colleague Mickey O'Connor, referring to ABC's wackadoo Life on Mars wrap-up, in which we discover that time-traveling cop Sam Tyler is actually an astronaut from the year 2035 on his way to Mars. Cue the David Bowie; it's going to be a wild ride.You see, in order to make the two-year-long journey more bearable, the astronauts upload a type of virtual-reality vacation for the brain. In Sam's case, he thought it would be cool to be a cop "way back" in 2008. But of all the luck, the ship hit an asteroid field or something, which rejiggered the program's calendar, sending Future Sam even further back into the past — to 1973.Nevertheless, there are some nice touches. Tyler's copilots on the 2035 Mars probe are played by the same actors from the 125, including Michael Imperioli, Gretchen Mol and Harvey Keitel — who, it's revealed, is actually Sam's father. But otherwise, the finale reveals that the entire show as we knew it was a fiction. All those cases and characters and complications never existed. (Poor Lisa Bonet!)What did you think of the Life on Mars finale? Refreshingly original or an idea past its time? Give us your thoughts after the jump.
Ratings: CBS Prank Show Pulls One over the Competition
Wednesday's ratings recap: 8 pm/ETCBS' I Get That a Lot, in which celebs played jokes on us regular peeps, got enough viewers — 10.34 million — to win the hour. Lie to Me placed second with 8.98 mil, dipping 10 percent from its previous outing. A Law & Order: CI repeat (5.06 mil) delivered nearly double what the now-canceled Chopping Block had been getting. ABC's Scrubs scored 5.05 mil, discharging 280K, while Better Off Ted held steady at 4.7 mil. Top Model surged 38 percent, to 3.95 mil. 9 pmAmerican Idol delivered 23.7 million viewers, down 6 percent from last week's results show. Opposite (and yet trailing) a Criminal Minds repeat, Lost found 9.35 million heads, up 6 percent week-to-week. Life, meanwhile, taunted the "bubble" with a 29 percent gain, hitting 5.57 mil. 10 pmAs CSI: NY and Law & Order served leftovers, Life on Mars said goodbye to 5.86 million viewers, adding 190 thou in its last hurrah.
Series Finale Preview: Life on Mars' Sam Runs Out of Time!
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 ...
Canceled: Life on Mars Is Dead
ABC has canceled Life on Mars, but will allow the cop drama to complete its full one-season run. The network has opted not to extend the series beyond 17 episodes, according to Variety.It's not all bad news, though. Rather than wait until May when on-the-bubble shows are typically told whether or not they'll be renewed or canceled, ABC told the producers now, so that they can plan for a proper series finale — a courtesy not extended to the recently unplugged ABC shows Pushing Daisies, Dirty Sexy Money and Eli Stone...
Tonight's TV Hot List for Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009
American Idol8 pm/ET FOXHollywood is turning Hollyweird with this sing-songy crew in town. Colorful real-world characters have dotted the landscape — and angry departures, weepy eliminations and jubilant triumphs have ruled the day. Last week's annual group performances, a usual source of ego conflicts, featured offbeat dramas (bye-bye, Bikini Girl) and catty clashing so suitable for divas-in-training. There will need to be more harmony in tonight's two-hour blast, which unveils the Top 36 semifinalists. Read on for previews of Criminal Minds, Top Chef, Important Things with Demetri Martin and Life on Mars.
Mega Buzz on Grey's, Housewives, CSI: NY, 24 and More!
Senior editors Matt Mitovich, Mickey O'Connor and Tim Molloy answer your questions every Wednesday. Please, feel free to drop us a line at megascoop@tvguide.com. Grey's Anatomy's Derek has got his mother's ring. Now what? — GayleMATT: Dude needs to unload it and quick, I'd say! Instead (sigh), he will hold onto it long enough for virtually every Seattle Gracer — Meredith excluded, of course — to learn of the bauble's being and in turn offer their two cents on when and how he should pop the Q. Will Der stick to his original plan? And if so, does it involve a meticulously crafted arrangement of candles? I love Tom Scavo on Desperate Housewives this season. Any scoop? — MarciaMICKEY: Well, remember how it was Tom's dream to open an Italian restaurant, and how begrudgingly Lynette went along with the idea? Well, apparently now he has a different dream ...
ABC Scrubs in on Tuesdays, Mars and Addison Get Moved
Not all of the scheduling moves ABC made on Thursday carried the taint of gloom and doom. (See: "Dirty Sexy, Daisies and Eli All Goners.") The Alphabet net has announced a Tuesday, Jan. 6, premiere for Scrubs, which until now had aired on NBC. J.D., Turk and the gang will air double-episodes Tuesdays at 9 pm/ET for two weeks, before settling into a Tuesdays-at-9:30 home. In other ABC scheduling news, Life on Mars is getting moved to Wednesdays at 10 — where it will lead out of Lost (starting Jan. 28, Mars' next fresh outing). In doing so, the Thursdays-at-10 slot will be freed up for Private Practice, which will air immediately after its mother show, Grey's Anatomy starting Jan. 8. Life on Mars also has received an order for four additional Season 1 scripts, for a total of 17 thus far.
Michael Imperioli Compares Life on Mars to Life on Sopranos
If one were to compare Life on Mars' Detective Ray Carling to The Sopranos' Christopher, one big diff would be the gents' temperament. "[Ray's] center of gravity is a little different," Michael Imperioli says in this video Q&A. "He's a police officer, so he can't let his emotions run rampant," as his Sopranos alter ego did (often to his own detriment).Watch the video to get much more from Imperiolo, after the jump.
Mars Rookie Jonathan Murphy Learning Tricks of the Trade
"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.
Will Life on Mars Arrest American Audiences?
In Life on Mars (Thursday, Oct. 9, 10 pm/ET), ABC's remake of a BBC series, present-day NYPD officer Sam Tyler (Irish actor Jason O'Mara) gets hit by a car during a particular high-stakes case and wakes up in 1973. Just like that. His journey back to 2008 is hampered by a precinct full of rogue cops, including Harvey Keitel and The Sopranos' Michael Imperioli, and a capable though before-her-time policewoman Annie Norris (Gretchen Mol), who becomes Sam's closest ally. Plus, there's the tricky fact that nobody quite believes him. It's a nutty premise, but Hollywood has shown us that 1970s New York cop stories are rich with dramatic possibility. We talked to O'Mara and executive producer Josh Appelbaum — read on to see why they relocated the show from Manchester, England, how O'Mara mastered the local accent, and, well, what the heck this show is really about.
Life on Mars Marathon: Cheers, Thanks a Lot, BBC America!
Me: I can't wait to see ABC's Life on Mars!Pretentious Friend: The BBC version was better.Me: Wait, have you already seen ABC's remake? (Hint: It premieres Thursday, Oct. 9 at 10 pm/ET on ABC, so obviously he hasn't.)PF: Well, the British one was great.Me: But it hasn't been released on DVD in the States and you've never been to England. How did you see it?PF: Well, I've heard it's better.Me: I heard it was very good, but I just watched the pilot episode of the ABC version, and it's also very good.PF: Scones are better than bagels.Me: What?!PF: Nothing, chap. You Yanks wouldn't understand.Me: You're from New Jersey!PF: Excuse me, I have to go to the loo.If you'd like to compare, BBC America will be running a marathon of BBC's Life on Mars on Sunday, Oct. 5 beginning at 1 pm/ET. Cheerio! — Mickey O'Connor
From Cosby to Cop: Lisa Bonet Joins Life on Mars
Former Cosby kid Lisa Bonet (aka Lilakoi Moon) not only just had a kid with Stargate Atlantis uberhunk Jason Momoa, she's snared a recurring role on the upcoming ABC cop show-with-a-twist, Life on Mars. Bonet will play Maya Daniels, the girlfriend and fellow police officer of Jason O'Mara's Sam Tyler. Unfortunately for Maya, as Mars goes (as least as based on the hit BBC series), Sam is now stranded in 1973 and, like, that was a real swinging time. So we suspect he won't be getting back to Maya anytime soon.Maya was played in the U.K. version of Mars by Archie Panjabi (A Good Year). — Ileane RudolphRelated:• Exclusive: Gretchen Mol Cops Top Life on Mars Role • Scoop! Keitel Lands on Mars as Homicide Boss
Exclusive: Gretchen Mol Cops Top Life on Mars Role
They've cast all the guys, now let's bring on some gals. (After all, shooting on the revamped pilot starts in a week!) Gretchen Mol has joined the cast of ABC's Life on Mars adaptation, playing the lead female role of Annie Norris.When Jason O'Mara's modern-day detective, Sam Tyler, is transported to 1973, Annie is a member of the Police Women's Bureau, making do with menial tasks and combating the sexism of the times, despite being the smartest person in the squad room. Annie's battle for equality on the force will one day pave the way for Sam's contemporary love, Maya Daniels, to herself become a police officer. In the BBC's original Life on Mars, Annie was played by Liz White.Mol's credits include Rounders (opposite Matt Damon), Sweet and Lowdown and, most recently on TV, The Memory Keeper's Daughter. — Matt MitovichRelated:• Harvey Keitel Lands on Mars as Homicide Boss • Ask Matt: "Does Life on Mars have challenges ahead?"• ABC's Life on Mars to Amp Up the M...
Scoop! Keitel Lands on Mars as Homicide Boss
Last week at press tour, the producers of ABC's Life on Mars revealed they were after a "name" to top off their tweaked cast. Well, they got one. Harvey Keitel — an Academy Award nominee for his work in Bugsy and familiar from such films as Reservoir Dogs and (nudity alert!) The Piano — has been tapped to fill the pivotal role of Det. Gene Hunt, the gruff head of the homicide department for which Jason O'Mara's Sam Tyler toils. Hunt, the last major male character to be cast on ABC's port of the BBC series, was played across the pond by Philip Glenister.Interestingly, exactly a year ago Keitel was being eyeballed to replace Mandy Patinkin on Criminal Minds. Joe Mantegna ultimately was cast instead.Other announced casting for Life on Mars includes The Sopranos' Michael Imperioli (as Det. Ray Carling) and October Road's Jonathan Murphy (as upstart Det. Chris Skelton).Life on Mars concerns a modern-day cop (O'Mara) mysteriously transported back to the 1970s. Filming on the ser...
Fall TV Press Tour: ABC's Life on Mars to Amp Up the Mystery
There was a brief pause, but soon enough The Big Question led off the Life on Mars TCA press tour session: "Why all the retooling of the pilot?"Josh Appelbaum, who with Andre Nemec and Scott Rosenberg succeeded David E. Kelley as executive producer, spoke first of the change-of-setting — from the City of Angels to the Big Apple. He said that while they are "huge fans" of the British Life on Mars — in which a police detective is mysteriously transported three decades into the past — they feel that an early-'70s cop drama is best married to New York City. Added Nemec, "Our goal was to honor the BBC series, and we're excited to bring the spirit of that show to 1973 New York."ABC's Mars has undergone several cast changes since the pilot was shot, including the addition of Michael Imperioli and Jonathan Murphy as series lead Jason O'Mara's fellow cops. "I'm the only survivor — call it Irish luck," quipped O'Mara. "It can be a little weird [enduring such an upheaval]...
Sopranos' Imperioli Gives Life on Mars a Try
Casting/recasting news is beginning to trickle in as ABC tweaks its rumored-to-be-in-trouble just fine adaptation of the British series Life on Mars.Jason O'Mara is still the lead — and dagnabit, he better remain the lead! — but now Michael Imperioli has joined the cast.The Sopranos' former Christofuh! will fill the role of Det. Ray Carling, a colleague of Sam's who is mysteriously transplanted from the present into 1972.Imperioli's lawman is described as a rule-bending tough guy who, when the chips are down, is handy to have in your corner. He was played by Dean Andrews in the BBC edition. — Matt MitovichRelated:• ABC Entertainment Boss: Life on Mars Is "Fine"• Mega Buzz: "Is ABC's Life on Mars in trouble already?"• Fall TV: Mars Lands on ABC's Official Schedule
ABC Entertainment Boss: Life on Mars Is "Fine"
The rumor mill has it floating in space, but ABC entertainment president Stephen McPherson tells Media Week that Life on Mars, scheduled to premiere this fall, "is moving along fine."McPherson was responding to reports (including this New York Post item) which claim that the UK series-inspired drama about a cop transported back to the 1970s following an accident "may be left for dead."Although the show's production and its on-screen setting have moved from Los Angeles to New York, some cast members are being replaced, and David E. Kelley recently vacated the role of show runner, McPherson sees no obstacles. "We are actually ahead of schedule with new scripts in hand and production is set to go," he counters. "We wouldn't be promoting the show so heavily if it weren't going to air. The reports to the contrary are false." — J.R. WhalenRelated:• Mega Buzz: "Is Life on Mars in trouble already?"• Fall TV: Mars Lands on ABC's Official Schedule • Life on Mars to End for...
Advertisement