locker_monster | Life on Mars: not just a David Bowie song

Has anyone heard of the British television show Life on Mars? It's getting Americanized by David E. Kelly for the fall T.V. line-up, but I think the original will probably be better. The last episode aired tonight so this is just me rambling, but I highly recommend the show. It is a cop show, but there are great characters and the premise (present day cop gets hit by a car and wakes up in 1973) keeps you guessing in every episode.

And now the rest of the post will be me blabbing about the series finale.

The whole driving force of the show was the mystery of Sam's predicament. Is he in a coma? Has he travelled back in time? Or is he crazy? The finale sort of answered all of these questions but at the same time, not really. At first, Sam's told he's crazy. Then he wakes up from his coma and goes back to his life. And then he jumps off a building after he can't handle being back in present day and reappears in 1973 just after the moment he left. So I guess if you were a fan of any one of the theories you got a resolution. I guessed Sam was going to kill himself because it's that same idea that sci-fi uses all the time, not that LoM is sci-fi; the main character wakes up in a mental institution, is told the world they just came from is fake, main character grapples with this and either ends up finding a way back to their right place or decides to stay in the fake world because it's ultimately better than the place they came from. I like the idea that Sam jumped off the building and basically committed suicide because he was much happier in 1973. I really don't care if he's back in another coma or crazy or a time traveller. After all his frustration and efforts to get back home, he realizes he's made a home for himself in 1973. Plus, Sam finally got to kiss his love interest, Annie, so much fan girl happiness. :-D There was even a fake ending. Apparently Sam jumping off the building was what was shown to the press. The rest of it, Sam arriving back in 1973 at the point of his departure and saving the day, was left out.

And what's even cooler is that LoM is getting a spin-off. Two seasons and 16 episodes. I guess in the UK that makes you a hit. ;-) The spin-off, Ashes to Ashes so it's following the scheme of naming stuff after David Bowie songs, is going to be about Sam's boss, Gene Hunt. Gene should be mentioned at this point because he was my favourite character. Totally bad ass and fond of saying, "You're surrounded by armed bastards!" I haven't found out the premise, except that the show will be set in 1981, moved out of Manchester, and Gene's taking some of his cops with him. According to the creator, the premise was laid during LoM's finale. Sadly, Sam won't be appearing since the actor, John Simm, hasn't signed on. Hopefully they say he's living happily with Annie. :-D

Can't get enough of British television.