Missing Doctor Who? Try time traveling series ‘Life on Mars’
BBC, Life on Mars
It’s no secret that we’re all missing Doctor Who, and with a new era comes an especially long waiting period. So sometimes we have to stray a little to quench our thirst of the time traveling genre, or maybe we just want to see our favorite actors try a different role.
Life on Mars is good for both. It stars John Simm, who many of us know as the Master from David Tennant’s era, who recently made a return to Doctor Who in the season 10 finale. If you expect Simm to be anything like the Master, you’ll be wrong, but not disappointed. This is one of the many shows staring Simm that have shown how great of an actor he is.
For this show, like Who, suspension of disbelief is key. It takes place around DCI Sam Tyler, who gets run over in by a car in 2006. He wakes up in 1973 as DI Sam Tyler, with a team including DCI Gene Hunt, DS Ray Carling, and DC Chris Skelton. With all the knowledge of living in 2006, and not knowing how he ended up back in time.
Reasons to Watch Life on Mars:
- John Simm is a superstar in this show. He takes the role seriously, and despite the fact the show could have ended up “campy”, it’s the cast that makes it a brilliant show.
- It’s a police drama. Besides the time traveling aspect, it’s mostly a police drama. Sam Tyler, Simm’s character, has to deal with the different techniques used in 1973. Let’s just say it’s more liberal than what we’re used to.
- There’s a bit of a love story! Sam meets Annie and is the only one he tells about what’s going on. Of course, she doesn’t believe him, but don’t think that stops him!
- Make sure you’re watching the British version!
I was turned on to this show by James, and it’s probably the best choice I’ve ever had to watch this show. It’s a complete and total confusion of the mind, and many episodes will have you saying what the @#!!?? But trust me, it’s worth it.
Currently, you can watch the show on Britbox.