One Year On! (The Celebration Week P1)

Greetings Martians, today is a day of celebration. Exactly one year ago today I started this blog, to kill a bit of spare time. Why? Because I love the show of course. In 2006 when Life On Mars began, I got to see the first episode around a week after it aired in Britain. Once I watched it, I was hooked. A friend (which I won't name) sent me a copy of it, thinking that this guy likes Doctor Who so he must like time travel period. The friend was right, I eventually purchased the Series 1 box set. The rest is history.

This week is not only a special week for the site, but for the show in general as well. On the 9th of January 2006, LOM received its premiere screening on BBC1 in the UK. So this website turns 1, and the show officially turns 2. Okay you can get the party balloons and streamers out now, well what are you waiting for? To celebrate the shows second birthday, I'm going to do something you probably thought was forgotten about long ago. What is that, you may ask? Series 1 episode breakdowns, as we like to call them here. The series 2 ones have been up for ages, but with all of the recent repeat treatment LOM has been receiving of late (especially in Australia where I live) I decided that its time to complete it.

2007 was a great year for LOM. We finally got to find out whether or not Sam was mad, in a coma or back in time. Rather confusing statement when we were all watching it for the first time, we thought those were the only options. What a brilliant piece of writing deception that turned out to be. Congratulations are in order for Graham, Pharoah and Jordan. You guys stooged us, good and proper in the most Twilight Zonesque way. Thank You. Other developments in 2007 included, the announcement of the US Remake by David E Kelley and the spinoff Ashes To Ashes (which is about to hit our screens soon).

The year though was not perfect, well not for this site in any case. 2007 saw the first official artwork theft for this site, the announcement made quite a stir throughout the LOM fan world. It also brought with it sympathy from people who been affected in a similar way by the perpetrators, lets hope this stops. But I guess that's wishful thinking. Now I need to offer some thank yous to all of the people who have helped contribute to the site (and A2A.tv) over this last crazy year.

Firstly I would like to thank Fran Davies (from Philip Glenister Index & Dean Andrews Official Site), without your support Fran I probably would have given up a long time ago, cheers. Secondly Mr Mike Bosworth. Mike sent me numerous amounts of pics, info and other items surrounding the spin off Ashes To Ashes. Thirdly Badwolf, BW was one of the original guys visiting the site. He was always quick to report anything he found out to me, thanks dude. BW and I later partnered in the now discontinued site John Simm PR, I also contributed to some of his other sites as well. Other noteworthy people include, Dawn from (Fab Cards), Jack Harkness X2 (the one from Torchwood.tv & the one from DrWho News), Mark from Tardis & Torchwood Treasures, Rhys, Gaz, Cpotey and last but not least George Frangeskakis. George came as quite a surprise, as he hasn't even watched the show!

If I have missed anyone, I am truly sorry. Before I go any further, I'll point out the obvious. The P1 on the end of the post title, its there for a reason. There will be several posts this week to celebrate the occasion, the majority of them will be site related and will include downloads for you all to enjoy. Desktops, avatars and even a jigsaw are some of things set for the next couple of posts. Series 1 breakdowns too, of course.

'Til next time Martians, peace and may the countdown to A2A commence right . . . . . . . . . . . . now!




Cyberman

December Catch Up.

Hello again, over the past month there has been very little (in my opinion) happening within the world of LOM. What has happened though, you are about to be updated on. Firstly some US news, series 2 is finally getting a showing over on BBC America. BBC America's screening began on the 11th of December, and will continue through January. Some interesting news about there site as well, it has recently been given a flash makeover. While it looks great, the designer has made some very interesting and consistent errors with it.

We all know that LOM is set in 1973 in the original British version, we also know that David E Kelley's upcoming US remake is set in 1972. Well now it appears that there is another year to consider, 1974. All of the way through the new site it mentions the year 1974 and not 1973 (well '73 once), I guess confusion somewhere was going to happen soon. Now we know its destination, BBC America.

Now Mr Kelley's remake. Colm Meaney was recently interviewed by RottenTomatoes.com, where he talks about the differences between today and 1972. He also talks about the writers guild strike going on in the US at the moment, and states that everything is pretty much up in the air with US LOM until its over. One curious thing Colm says in the interview is the word film. He refers to the pilot as a film, this could possibly mean that the pilot will be a tele-movie which are usually around 90 minutes. Good news I suppose, if its true.

While we are on the topic of of Mr Kelley's remake, at present in our site poll the amount of people who "won't watch it on principle" and the people who are "Looking forward to new stories" are basically neck and neck. It could end up a tie at this stage, but we'll run it for another week or so before I post results.

On Australian tv, Life On Mars series 1 is again being screened on ABC (Channel 2) on Wednesdays at 9.30pm. Australian viewers get a double dose of John Simm on Wednesday at the moment, with Sex Traffic screening after it. UKTV in Australia has just finished there screening and has also posted winners to there series 1 DVD competition. Congratulations to those that won, to the people that missed out EZYDVD has just re-released the original series at a a cheaper price. The set can now be picked up for the extra cheap price of (AUD)$39.83, weird price point but much cheaper all the same. The question Australian fans are now wondering, is when will series 2 get a screening? I guess the answer to this is only know by the ABC, I will update you all when more comes to hand.

Happenings on the A2A front are starting to pour in now, but all A2A is covered by by AshesToAshes.tv so head on over there for your fix. 'Til next time Martians, peace and may you all have a happy Christmas or what-ever you chose to celebrate. Hey that was PC, we can't have that can we?




Cyberman

New Merchandise Out, More On The Way!

Greetings Martians, 2 posts back I showed you the Complete Series Box Set which I happened to miss. Oh well it happens, so because of that I decided to make it my mission to find you more as I didn't really have much to say about it. After some "Hunting", I came across the 2008 Calendar which is already too. It came out on the 1st of September, according to Amazon.co.uk. What can I say it looks great, and at the moment is being discounted from £7.99 to £4.99. Good reason to get one, I say.

Another cool thing I came across was some "Guv" tshirts, at DJTees.com. The best part about their site is they deliver for free, world wide. Yay, so even someone like myself down in Australia will be paying the same. I like that idea. They are available in many different colours and styles of tshirts. Short sleeve ones are £17.99 and long sleeve are only an extra £2.00.

Finally coming out just in the nick of time for Christmas, we have the Series Two Companion Book. This is available for pre-order over at Amazon.co.uk. If you order it now, you'll get it for £10.19 when its out. Or wait until the release date and you'll more than likely pay the recommended retail, which is £16.99. So worth the pre-order if you want it. Bellow you can find some pics of the items, and they all look great. I know where my money's going. 'Til next time Martians peace, and may the merchandise be with you. After all we've waited long enough for it.

(LOM 2008 Calendar)


(GUV Tshirt - Available in many colours and styles)



(Series 2 LOM Companion Book)



Cyberman

Complete Series Box Set

I knew it was coming up soon Martians, but it appears I missed something. Tsk, tsk silly me. Whilst reporting this way back of the 25th of April, I mentioned the Complete Series Box Set was due to come out on the 24th of September 2007. Well it was, but obviously due to demand it was pushed forward to the 10th of September so I missed it sneaky Contender Entertainment.

I had various promises made to me by staff there, but unfortunately was lead up the garden path (so to speak). I can provide you with a picture of the box, but technical details at present are not appearing any where. This even includes Contender's own website. This may not be intentional, as from scanning there website they have recently been purchased by a US firm, so a lot of things may be up in the air at the moment.

All I can really do here today, is show you the box. I can also advise you that its a 8 set, other than that zero. A bit disappointing, but you'll get over it. I did, here it is.

Life On Mars - The Complete Series (Box Set 8 DVDs)

More on the set, as it comes to hand. Hopefully that's before I get my copy. 'Til next time Martians, peace and the special features be special because the box itself ain't that special. But that's just me.



Cyberman

Series Two Refresher and Stuff

Greetings Martians once again. Today I bring you news that the Series 2 poll is finally finishing. With Life On Mars currently receiving the old REPEAT treatment in the UK, I thought it a great opportunity for you all to voice your views on your favourite Series 2 episode. The poll has been running here for quite a while, and it is time to bring it to a close. Although this particular poll has been one of the most successful so far, I am still seeking further votes before closing it. At this stage the leader in the poll is Episode 8, with 35% of the vote. Its closely followed by Episode 5, "The Camberwick Green" episode with 25% of vote.

At the time of writing this post, we have had a Mammoth 65 votes. Doesn't sound that impressive when you write it, but compared to previous ones its a great turn out. Even so I will continue it up until the 17th of August, which is this Friday so if you haven't put in your 2p / 2c / 2e or whatever your currency is, now is your chance. If you are finding that it is hard to remember all of the great episodes from Series 2, there is a link below the poll to our episode breakdowns. To make it easier for you though I am going to summarise the episodes for you here and now.

SERIES TWO

Episode One: Even though Sam continues to have dreams of his old life, he still remains grounded in 1973. This episode sees Sam coming face-to-face with a criminal he put away in 2006, at an earlier stage in his life. The criminal is a corrupt casino owner, by the name of Tony Crane. In the future Crane is responsible for a series of murders, Sam sees this as an opportunity to stop him before he can commit the crimes. At the end of the episode we see Sam puzzled by a phone call from Hyde. Sam dials the operator and gets the phone number for the last call to his phone, this ends up being HYDE 2612. Sam now has an advantage in his situation, he can call them as well but will it do him any good?

Episode Two: This episode sees Sam and Gene, running into their mentors respectively. Genes' boss Harry Wolf and Sam's' boss from 2006 Glen Fletcher. Both of these 2 characters become inter-woven into the story in different ways. Glen Fletcher becomes an assistant to the team, in the investigation of a spate of robberies. Genes old boss Harry Wolf becomes the prime suspect after a tip-off from one of the local crims, who at present is blamed for the robberies.

Episode Three: Bombs are going off around Manchester. Gene suspects the IRA, Sam is not convinced as the bombs used are not their weapon of choice. Because of Sams theories about the situation, he dares Ray to investigate a suspect car which all goes terribly wrong for Ray. This further compounds Rays' feelings about Sam.

Episode Four: The episode starts with the body of a cosmetics sales lady being found in a local tip. When the body is taken to forensics it is discovered that the corpse is clasping a red geranium. This is a call sign from a killer, who has since died. Sam suspects a copycat killer and is subsequently lured into the world of "Swinger Parties", with the aide of Annie. Gene gate-crashes the under-cover investigation in the guise of Gordon Brown.

Episode Five: Sam feels stranger than usual, and at the start of this episode imagines himself and Gene to be puppets from the famous 70's children's program "Camberwick Green". Sam's hallucinations, we find are the result of an overdose in his hospital bed in present day. Sam must over come these visions to help a desperate man, who has attempted suicide in A-Division.

Episode Six: The team investigate a crime involving heroin in the Ugandan-Asian community. Gene is hell bent on putting someone away as soon as possible. Sam wants to ensure that teams investigates this properly, as he has a close attachment to the situation in having gone out with a Ugandan-Asian woman, his girlfriend Maya. Sam has further contact with Maya through his dreams, only to find out that she has left him in 2006-7.

Episode Seven: This episode sees the team investigating Gene, as all the evidence points to Gene having committed a murder. Sam's boss from Hyde DCI Morgan is brought in to oversee the investigation. As the investigation progresses Gene is looking more and more guilty and another murder occurs, but Sam is determined to prove his Guv's innocence.

Episode Eight: In this the final installment of our beloved series, we see many loose ends tied up. Sam discovers his apparent true identity from Morgan (who is still hanging around from the previous episode), and is instructed by Morgan to create a case against Gene. The story revolves around the death of a miner, who it is suspected has been killed by notorious cop-killer Leslie John. The action does not stop in this final episode, and we see Sam return to present day. Is this really what Sam wants though?

Okay Martians now there is no reason not to vote in the poll. I would also like to thank all of the people who either commented on my last post or emailed me about it. The response was amazing, its great to see the site has so much support. I would also like to offer my condolences to the lovely Dawn from Fab Cards, who I have previously promoted here. It appears she too has fallen victim to this merchants copying ways. The best thing to do with this other merchant is to simply boycott his store, I certainly am.

Finally I would like to add, that over at John Simm PR (one of the other sites I contribute to) we will be doing rundowns of the entire series in the near future. If you would like to catch up on all the latest John related news JSPR, is always a good start. 'Til next time Martians peace, and only 3 days to go until the US version of LOM begins. Yay or Nay?



Cyberman

TV Quick And TV Choice Awards

The 2007 TV Quick And TV Choice Awards are on, which gives Martians in the UK the opportunity to vote for their heroes in 3 different categories. It has Philip Glenister up against John Simm for Best Actor. To vote for Phil select 16 or John 31. Liz White is up for Best Actress for playing Annie Cartwright, select 35 to vote for her.

LifeOnMars has also been nominated for Best Loved Drama Series, select 15 to pick it Martians. Voting for the awards closes at midnight on June 15th, 2007 so get your nominations in by heading over to their web site tvchoiceawards.co.uk. The choice will be hard for Best Actor with Phil against John, decisions, decisions. The rest is obvious for fans of the show.

Any way Martians, more opportunities for the show to win gold. What more could you ask for? So who is it going to be, Best Gov or Best Time Traveller?



Cyberman

Promise and Disappointment

Over the weekend we had several events in the world of Life On Mars, the Australian Premiere of Season One and a BAFTA Award for the show (special thanks to Mark from Tardis And Torchwood Treasures for the awards tip-off). The first episode was shown on ABC TV (Channel 2) in Australia on Sunday night at 8.30pm, to some quite favourable reviews.

Australian newspaper The Age had this to say, from its columnist Greg Hassall,"On one hand Life on Mars is critical of the corruption, sexism and racism rampant during the '70s. At the same time, there is obvious nostalgia for the period's less complicated moral landscape."

The article then goes on to add "Time-travel scenarios are notoriously tricky to handle and the writers set themselves a huge task trying to combine this element with a gritty police drama. It's no surprise the show was rejected for years before the BBC finally took a punt on it. It was clearly a punt worth taking, with the show becoming a huge hit in the UK and picking up an international Emmy award." So The Age like it, and so they should.

The ratings for the week in Australia should be interesting with respect to LOM, Channel 2 rarely makes the top 20. So lets keep our fingers crossed for it. I have no doubt it would have done better on a commercial station, but we will have to just wait and see.

Besides the premiere in Australia, Life On Mars had other good news this week where it picked up the illustrious "Pioneer Audience Award" at the BAFTA's on Sunday. It had been nominated in 3 categories, including Best Actor (John Simm) and Best Drama. Sorry John, better luck next time hey?

Oh well the writers now have another award, to add to the growing stash including an International Emmy Award. 'Til next time Martians, Peace.




Cyberman

US Re-Runs

Hello everybody, LifeOnMars returns to everyone's lounge rooms on May 26th in the US. BBC America will be airing a series of repeats from Season One in 4 episode blocks, the first block will include episodes 1, 4, 5 and 8. The screening will commence at 12PM and will go through until 4PM on Saturday the 26th, it will then be repeated again on Sunday the 27th between 2PM and 6PM.

I imagine BBC America are doing this to re-introduce the show again, prior to the premiere of Season Two later in the year. Still no more news on David E Kelley's US re-imagining. Maybe its been canned, I doubt it though. We have been through half this year almost, and only one role has been cast for the show. The role being that of WPC Annie Cartwright (Rachelle LeFevre). Annie's character will more than likely be renamed though, to make her sound more American.

'Til next time, Martains peace.



Cyberman

Life On Mars In Australia.

On Sunday the 20th of May 2007 at 8.30pm, Australia finally gets to see season one of LifeOnMars. I say finally because I actually live there myself, and have been writing this blog since January 2007. That's right folks, with the series completely over now. With fans looking forward to the spin off series Ashes To Ashes, ABC Australia has finally bowed to the pressure and decided to screen it. Three cheers ABC, yay!

You sensed sarcasm there didn't you? Well sorry, I discovered this show over a year ago, what took the ABC so long? Best known to them I suppose, well their programmers at least.

With a title like "Life On Mars In Australia", you would expect that this post would have a bit more to share than simply just the Australian TV premiere date, wouldn't you? Well you would be right then, in addition to this I also have news of the Australian DVD release date for Season One. The DVD is being released through Village Roadshow on the 1st of August 2007, with a (MA15+) rating for "strong sex scene". This is more than likely because of the topless scene in episode four, where Sam meets Mark Warren the Night Club owner and extortionist.

The DVD is currently available on pre-order through EZY DVD's website. If you can't wait that long however, you can always get yourself a copy of the Zone 2 release of either the Season One or Season Two Box sets from Sendit.com via the advertisement at the top of the page. Remember though Australian Martians, we are Zone 4 and the imported discs will only play on a world zone player. Delivery from Sendit.com, usually takes under a week to Australia, provided that the item is in stock.

'Til next time Martians, peace and Australians, is he mad, in a comma or back in time? The puzzle will start to unravel next Sunday night at 8.30pm on ABC.

Cheers,




Cyberman

Martian Merchandise

So far we've seen the release of the season one and season two dvd box sets, as well as a book (1973 Annual) and a soundtrack cd. A lot of you out there are saying that's not enough, I want tshirts, video games, toys, audio books and other stuff. Well part of that wish has come true.

The company "Size Does Matter" has come to the rescue with interesting interpretations of our favourite characters Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt. Currently they are offering online via their ebay.co.uk page, tshirts, mugs and key rings with various different captions. I would personally be hoping that they also offer warmer versions (long sleeve tshirts, windcheaters and jackets) as well, excellent start any way guys.

You can find all of the cool gear they have available at SizeDoes' Ebay Store. Lets hope the merchandise doesn't stop here. I am personally hoping for a second soundtrack cd and some of the "Hot Animation" characters, from the Camberwick Green sequence to be produced as figurines. They rock, come BBC people want 'em!

Whilst I speculate about merchandise, one thing for certain is the release of the complete series (seasons one and two) on dvd on the 24th of September 2007. It will be interesting to see if the dvd set includes additional special features over the individual season releases. Maybe it will have a sneak peek at Ashes To Ashes, while we all wait eagerly for its broadcast.



'Til next time, Martians peace. "Does anyone have any Garibaldies?"



Cyberman

Award Glory For Our Heroes?

Nominations for 2007's illustrious B.A.F.T.A Awards, are now out. With no surprise at all, our favourite time-travelling cop drama has secured nominations in three different categories. The nominations include, Best Actor, Best Drama Series and the Pioneer Audience Award.

The awards will be very close, as the programs and actors nominated are all of an extremely high calibre. Lets keep our fingers crossed for John Simm, the production team (KUDOS) and the show in general. The contenders for each category, are listed below.

BEST ACTOR:

JIM BROADBENT - Longford (Channel 4)
ANDY SERKIS - Longford (Channel 4)
MICHAEL SHEEN - Kenneth Williams: Fantabulosa! (BBC4)
JOHN SIMM - Life On Mars (BBC1)

BEST DRAMA SERIES:

LIFE ON MARS - Production Team (BBC1/Kudos Film & Television)
SHAMELESS - Production Team (C4/Company Pictures)
SUGAR RUSH - Production Team (C4/Shine Productions)
THE STREET - Jimmy McGovern, Sita Williams, David Blair, Ken Horn (BBC1/Granada Productions)

PIONEER AUDIENCE AWARD:

LIFE ON MARS
THE ROYLE FAMILY: QUEEN OF SHEBA
DRAGONS' DEN
THE VICAR OF DIBLEY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL
PLANET EARTH
CELEBRITY BIG BROTHER

Last November, the Americans thought it appropriate to award Season One with an International Emmy. Will the show continue with its awards success? Lets hope so, I know everyone at JOHN SIMM ADMIRERS will be praying for a victory for John. But lets not stop it there. Matthew Graham, Ashley Pharoah and Tony Jordan have put together, one of the most riveting pieces of television in years. All I can say is, "Go for Gold, Life On Mars. You deserve the glory!"

'Til my next post, rears its head on the web. Peace Martians / Lifers and don't go jumping off buildings or having car accidents, because who knows where you could end up.


Cyberman

"42" or Season Two Episode Eight - Part One (The Breakdown)

Why has he added the 42 in front of the post title, you might be asking yourself. The answer is, this is the 42nd post on the site. Now you're saying to yourself, "so what, why is he celebrating such an odd numbered post?". Well Lifers / Martians besides being the title of an upcoming Doctor Who episode, the number is famous for another reason. If you are familiar with the writings of the late Douglas Adams, you will know the relevance it has to this post.

Besides just simply being the 42nd post, in the book, the film and mini-series of "The Hitch-Hikers Guide To The Galaxy" 42 is the answer to life, the universe and everything. So Douglas Adams wrote any way. As this is the final episode of the show, all yours and Sam Tyler's questions are answered. So once again, if you are from Canada, and you don't want the episode spoiled for yourself. Don't read on, you'll get to see it on the 18th of April in your country any way.

Now that all of that is explained, the episode in question. If you have already watched it, take the opportunity to look back at what fans thought may have been the outcome before it actually aired. Some are close, some are way off track, but all in all an entertaining read. You can find the guess work located at the BroadcastNow.co.uk website, right here. Thanks Pop, for the tip off.

The episode starts with the team investigating a murder of a miner. Gene deduces that it is the work of a famed cop-killer, and is intent on getting him before DCI Morgan (introduced in the previous episode) does. Sam gets more visions from 2006, as well as the usual "Hyde" banter. It is decided by Gene that he should go under cover and infiltrate the gang, to get to the cop-killer.

We learn Sam's mission (which was only disclosed to him this season) is to bring Gene down and that Sam is an agent for Morgan. Sam is told by Morgan, that his real name is Sam Williams. This was a very sneaky and curious move by the writers, as that was what Sams name originally was in the drafts for the pilot. The name was changed to Sam Tyler, at the request of the BBC.

Sam ends up not believing anything. With out spoiling it, all I will say is awesome piece of work guys. The ending turned fans expectations, inside out and twisted them. If you have not seen the episode yet, and you've read this far don't think its ruined for you. There are many other revelations I haven't mentioned, so watch it. You won't be sorry you did, you'll be in awe. 'Til next time Martians / Lifers, peace to all,


Cybernan

WOW!! plus poll reminder

Hi folks, just a few quick words to say thanks for visiting. I don't know how you you made it here, but thanks any way. In January this year I started this blog, with the main intention of simply just trying to get all the news I could find (about LOM) in the one place.

From slow beginnings, being the first 1000 visits to the site, took around 7 weeks. Since then however, it has gone from strength to strength. This week and yesterday especially, it has gone through the roof. So this post is really just to say, thank you. In the space of 6 days, this site has attained over 900 visits. Obviously this is due to the season finale this week, the breakdown for that will be posted as soon as I get home from work tonight.

For the time being though, I'll just say wow again. The episode was everything you could have possibly wanted for the series, and more. I am still on a natural high from it. A quick reminder also, the poll next to this post, it is for Season ONE not TWO. A Season TWO poll, will be next. 'Til I get home tonight, peace Lifers / Martians you all rock!



Cyberman

Easter On Mars

Happy Easter Martians / Lifers, from LifeOnMars.tv. Instead of getting us all chocolate Sam Tyler's, the BBC have decided to give us the final episode of Life On Mars on Tuesday 10th of April 2007. After this and my final episode breakdown, the direction of the site will start to change focus.

A few posts back, I put up brief episode synopses of Season One to help you remember the series as a whole. I did this for two reasons, to refresh your memories of Sam's journey and also to help you vote in the poll. Well, I'm going to expand on them so as they end up like the Second Series ones.

In addition to this, I will start bringing you more news about the proposed spin off Ashes To Ashes. When or if it appears. I will also continue to bring you news about David E Kelly's US Re-imagining, as it comes to hand. Merchandise will no doubt continue to be released, and I will report on this to you as well.

All our questions about Sam will soon be answered. Will this be the end of Sam's adventures though? There are many stories about Sam, that could still be told. Perhaps novels bridging the gaps between episodes will appear. This has been the case with Doctor Who, why not Life On Mars? The count down now commences, 'til Sam's fate is known, Hyde is coming to get you . . . . . . . .


Cyberman

Season Two Episode Seven - Part One (The Breakdown)

I usually don't do this, but this time around I'm going to start this "Breakdown" with a warning. To all our Canadian visitors, read the previous post not this one. Why because you'll otherwise partly spoil this weeks episode. That's right folks, Canada is only trailing the UK by one episode. This week you find out what ultimately happens to Sam Tyler, our Canadian friends will find out next week. Life On Mars screens Wednesdays at 10.00pm, on BBC Canada.

Now that's out of the way, the "Breakdown". We start in a courtroom for a change, instead of Sam's dreams where Gene is acting as a witness for the prosecution. The case in court, centres on an assault. The victim feels intimidated in court and ends up denying the beating, the case is then thrown out.

Gene is majorly pissed, and that's in both senses of the word. Angry and drunk. He decides to stumble over to the perpetrators house and starts screaming abuse at him. Sam arrives on the scene to pick up Gene, but in the confusion Genes gun goes missing. After leaving with Sam, Gene decides to go back to retrieve his gun. Falls asleep at the perpetrators house, only to wake up and find him murdered.

Of course Gene is then suspected, he had motive, may be. All of this sets the scene for the episode. It was interesting to see a Gene-centric episode, I quite liked it. Perhaps it was a taste that the BBC was giving us, of what to expect from Ashes to Ashes. The clothes will obviously be different, but you know what I mean. Hmmm, here's hoping.

Some interesting moments in the episode are when at different stages, we get to see both Annie, then Gene wearing a "Safety Squirrel" costume. Sam is also given an indication that he will be going home soon, this comes from DCI Morgan. Morgan is an overseer put on from Hyde because of Genes' predicament.

As the episode progresses, we find Gene becoming the prime suspect in another murder. Of course Gene is proven innocent in the end, but I'm not going to explain to you how it happens. You should know already. If you don't, remember the dvd box set of Season Two is released on April the 16th.

Right now, if you pre-order it from Sendit.com, you get it for only £25.89 when its released. A saving of £14.10, now that's worth it. I got my order in, I can just see it next to my copy of Season One right now. 'Til next time Lifers / Martians, may peace and memories of '73 be with you.




Cyberman

Season Two Episode Six - Part One (The Breakdown)

Episode Six opens with Sam having vivid dreams of Maya, his girlfriend back in 2006. We then jump back to 1973, to find the team at the scene of a 'supposed' homicide. I say supposed because the victim was actually still alive, this was only noticed by Annie. The victim though was in dire need of medical attention, as he had a large gunshot wound in the chest.

The victim was found to be in possession of heroin, so the team decide to investigate the possibility of it being drug related. Deepak was the name of the Ugandan-Asian victim, he was record shop owner who shared his business with his brother Ravi. Sam and Gene interview a local drug dealer "Rocky", after Rocky is persuaded to co-operate by a local vigilante by the name of "Toolbox".

Rocky tells Sam and Gene, Ravi had his brother sorted out because he was getting too greedy. The body count from overdoses reaches 7, and the team decides they must act quick before any more occur. They capture and interview Ravi, while this is going on Deepak gets stabbed in hospital and dies. Basically clearing Ravi of the attack on Deepak, as it turns out Rocky was simply providing a diversion and was actually in league with Toolbox.

All in all a very strange episode, with Sam having visions of Maya in even weirder places than his usual visions. This eventually leads Sam into finally letting go of Maya, and allowing her to get on with her life. We also have another odd connection between 1973 and 2006, Maya's mother is actually the girlfriend of Deepak. Whats totally strange is the fact that Sam is ultimately responsible for naming Maya.

Well, it was late again the next review being for Episode Seven will be up in a couple of hours, I won't break my promise this time. Then we'll finally be back up to date. 'Til the next post, see ya later Martians.


Cyberman

Series One Refresher and Stuff

Hello everyone, a lot of you out there are probably thinking has he gone nuts? Me, that is. Why? Well I've just posted a new poll about your favourite Series One episode, with only one episode left to screen of Season Two. The answer to that is, no I haven't. I have done this now, because I can't do one for Season Two until its finished. I will be doing one for Season Two after the series has finished.

Anyway to refresh your memories of Season One, if it all now seems a bit vague here is a brief run down of each episode. After all how can you vote in the poll, if you can't remember what they were about. Before I get into them however, I would like to send a big thank you out to the girls over at PHILIP GLENISTER INDEX.

The lovely Fran and Paula, have kindly just linked to LifeOnMars.tv. The two of them together run an awesome site, totally dedicated to our Phil. Phil is now "officially" cool, thanks to a recent online poll. But we always knew that anyway.

Now, the brief rundowns of each Season One episode. I will at a later date, do some much more extensive ones. That will be after after Season Two has ended, however. For the time being though, here are the cut down ones.

SERIES ONE

Episode One: We meet DCI Sam Tyler in 2006, he has a car accident whilst in pursuit of a kidnapper. When Sam awakes, its 1973 and he's only a DI. We meet his new boss DCI Gene Hunt, Ray and the "agreeable" Chris, also the lovely WPC Annie Cartwright. Sam amazingly enough, finds a connection between a murder in 1973 and the kidnapping of his girlfriend in 2006.

Episode Two: Sam and Gene butt heads over a criminal. Gene wants to plant evidence to convict the criminal, Sam thinks otherwise. A woman gets caught in crossfire, as a result of Trent (the criminal) being released. Sam mops her blood off the street with his jacket, at Genes request.

Episode Three: Sam goes to a textile factory with the team, to investigate a murder. The factory eventually gets turned into apartments, which is where Sam lives in 2006. Genes method of catching the crook, is the first to speak did it. Sam has other ideas, eventually discovering that it is not a murder at all, but a cover-up instead for an industrial accident.

Episode Four: A local nightclub owner and police informant "Stephen Warren", is using stand over tactics and extortion across the city. Gene permits this because Warren keeps the streets clean. Sam won't stand for it and sets out to put Warren away. He is distracted when he runs into his mother as a young woman.

Episode Five: Sam, Gene and Annie go under cover as bartenders to solve a soccer related murder. The team are under very tight time restraints, to solve the crime. There is a big game on Saturday, which they believe will turn into a bloodbath if they don't.

Episode Six: In 2006 Sam's life support is about to be switched off, whilst in 1973 a local newspaper is under siege. Sam's flashbacks / daydreams, lead him to believe if he saves the hostages he will save himself. He has to save the hostages by 2.00pm or the hostages will be shot.

Episode Seven: Sam leads an investigation into a death in custody, with alarming results. He discovers after digging through a web of deceit, that Ray is the cause. When Sam gives his findings to Gene, Ray gets demoted and Sam finds corruption is deep within the station.

Episode Eight: Sam runs into his father during a murder investigation. It turns out Vic Tyler is involved with the porn industry, which he does behind Sam's mothers' back to pay the bills. Sam unravels what some of his flashbacks / daydreams mean. One of them involves Annie.

So now there's no reason why you can't enter the poll. So what you waiting for, the polls under the site counter. You can do it, you know you want to. The site counter incidentally, has just past 3100 visits. Not bad for fan site, in three short months. 'Til next time Lifers / Martians, or whatever you would like to be called, peace.


Cyberman

First LOM Poll Results

Well Lifers / Martians, results are in. Not a very promising turnout, with a total of only 58 votes. The people who did bother to vote, thank you for your input. The end result to this poll, could have been given on the fourth day the poll was up. As, it didn't really change from that point onwards.

the breakdown of the poll went as follows . . . . . . . . . . .


A resounding win for the "No" voters. Of the people that voted "other", which was only 3, the responses went as follows.

a) Poo!
b) Have you seen Boston Legal?!?
c) The US might need it because it might not all make sense over there.

Obviously (a) was offended by the question, completely. (b) thinks I don't like David E Kelley's work and (c) feels Americans wont understand it. Well as I have said earlier I am Australian, this means I speak English but have a different accent. The same also applies for Americans, the UK version is shown in the US anyway. As for David E Kelley, I adore his original material, it truly is great viewing. The "Poo", well that belongs in the toilet.

My whole view on the idea, is the old idiom "if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it!". Doctor Who is not re-made in the US, nor is it re-made in Australia, New Zealand or Canada. At best it is sometimes subtitled or re-voiced in a foreign language. It is this way for a reason, people appreciate the original.

People appreciate the subtlety, humor, drama and everything else that Life On Mars exudes. The show is loved everywhere, it does't need to be re-made. It is going to be though, well, at least a pilot at this stage. All I can say is, I'll be curious to see it. More on the US Re-make soon.

The Poll has now been replaced by a new one, asking you your favorite Series One episode. I encourage you all to participate in this one also, once this has closed we'll ask the same of Season Two. That's planning for you. The closing date for the new poll is the 30th of April. 'Til next time Martians, peace . . . . . . .


Cyberman

Season Two Episode Five - Part One (The Breakdown)

Yeah, late again sorry. You'll be surprised by the next post after this though. Any way episode five, here it is.

The episode starts off with Sam asleep again, nothing new there. This time though his hallucinations / dreams, step up to a new level. Sam imagines he is a puppet or a jack-in-the-box, fans of the show will remember getting glimpses of this in the trailers leading up to the season two launch. I am still praying that these stylized versions of Sam and Gene, end up as figurines (as they are damn cool).

The condition Sam is in, is apparently due to an accidental overdose of medication whilst in his comatose state in hospital in 2006. Sam sees himself as speeding, and because of this decides to take a back seat in their present investigation. Both Annie and Chris get some further character development in the episode. Annie stands up to Gene, while Chris develops a spine and actually stands up for himself for a change.

The plot of the story revolves around a kidnapping of two women, and a failed suicide attempt by another police officer who also happens to have the name Sam. When "Suicidal Sam" decides to try and hang himself from a light fitting, Sam Tyler barges into the room grabs Gene by the scruff of the neck, and starts paying out on Gene. The scene in itself is almost like a complete role reversal for the two, with Gene being threatened by Sam just to be different.

The kidnapper makes his demands to "Suicidal Sam", over the return of his wife and daughter. This for a change is not money as expected, but the release of a prisoner who is currently serving time for murder. The murderer was responsible for killing his own girlfriend, and the age of "Suicidal Sam's" daughter coincidentally happens to be the same as the dead girlfriend.

Annie goes over the old case involving the murderer. She realizes that mistakes had been made, and informs Gene. Gene doesn't want to hear he's wrong, and Annie imagines she'll get demoted over it. Without destroying the end for those who haven't seen it, Sam (the suicidal one) gets his wife and daughter back. The episode will surprise you, as its ending suggests something else is going on as well which Sam and Gene only pick up on then.


Cyberman

A Post, For The Sake Of Having A Post!

Yes as you guessed it, this one wont tell you much. Well it will if you listen and watch it, maybe. This trailer I am sure all you devout fans out there, have already seen. It was on tv, in the lead up to the launch of the second season. I wanted an excuse to post it on the site, some reason full of meaning. That reason however, has eluded me. All I can say is, I like it and here it is . . . . .



"You know, 'Starsky & Hutch' have a lot to answer for . . . . ."
DI Sam Tyler 1973

Cyberman