Living In The '70s

I must admit that my relationship with the telly got killed off during Year 12. Even now, there are still relatively few shows that I feel as though I absolutely cannot miss. The problem is that as soon as I miss one episode in a series, I’ll rarely come back to it. A couple of weeks ago, I was reading through The Age Green Guide and a new 8-part series, Life On Mars, was highly recommended. I’m a sucker for crime drama and the British do crime really well – just check out the likes of Wire In The Blood, Cracker, or older episodes of The Bill.


Life On Mars is based on a fairly unusual premise. The first episode begins in 2006, with cop Sam Tyler, run down by a car. When he wakes up, he discovers that he’s now in 1973. It turns out that Sam is still a detective and has been transferred, where he encounters a motley bunch – from his hard-nosed boss, DCI Hunt, to the junior, good-natured, but slightly dense DC Skelton. As he says himself, Sam isn’t sure whether he’s dead or in a coma, and has no idea how to get back to the present. The only person who makes any attempt to understand his situation is Annie, a uniformed cop, who convinces him to try and make the best of his predicament.


The weedy Sam, with his wide-collared polyester shirts, black leather jacket and flares, is clearly conflicted, but very endearing. He’s desperate to get back to 2006, but also trying to work effectively as a cop with relatively limited resources. It’s hard to believe that 1973 was over 30 years ago, and how much policing and forensic technology have each changed. These days, policing is as much a science as it is an art. Back then – or at least the way it’s portrayed in the show – policing was as much about gut feeling, instinct and outright thuggery to get results.


The thing about this show is that you become quite attached to each of the characters. Like Deadwood (does anyone know if the third series is out on DVD yet????), there’s no one to whom you’re indifferent. And if you look closely, you might spot some blasts from the past popping up during the show. For instance, keep your eyes peeled for a moustachioed and rather smug Lee Ross (aka Kenny from Press Gang). Also, being set in the ‘70s, the soundtrack is superb, featuring the likes of Cream, Deep Purple, Blue Oyster Cult and David Bowie (it’s his song that gives the series its title). I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad thing, but it turns out the show does have a website via the BBC containing info from full scripts to what music was featured in each episode. I’m not going to look ahead, but three episodes in, all I know is that I really want Sam to stay stuck in the past.