I had an accident and woke up in 1973.
Am I mad, in a coma, or back in time?
Whatevers happened, its like Ive landed on a different planet.
Now maybe if I can work out the reason, I can get home.
I remember very distinctly whenLife On Marsfirst came out.
My mum told me about it with an air of can you believe how weird that is?
He wakes up in 1973 and has to work out why hes there!
Like so many others, I was sold onLife On Marsbased on the implications of the premise alone.
Its not a puzzle box mystery or a time travel thriller; its very much a straightforward police procedural.
Sure, theres a lot more that brings it to life.
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Does this sound like Im damning it with faint praise?
Theres not a tonne of complexity toLife On Mars major players.
Sam Tyler, even with a brilliant performance from John Simm, isnt especially interesting.
Hes moral, decent, driven and bewildered by his circumstances; thats about it.
But the actors commit and the characters are treated with such affection that its hard not to love them.
And then, of course, theres Gene Hunt.
The instantly iconic centrepiece of the show.
It makes his relationship with Sam Tyler always believable and never less than entertaining.
Its this simplicity that I think is the key to the appeal ofLife On Mars.
In the world ofLife On Mars, there isnt much room for complexity.
None of this is to suggest that the series lacks depth.
I love thatLife On Marsdoesnt give a solid answer to exactly what Sams situation is.
She reacts with anger, understandably tired of Sams strange behaviour.
Sam Tyler does not get to have his cake and eat it too.
He cant be happy in 1973 as long as he still has one foot in 2006.
And what is so brilliant in such an understated way is how true this is to real life.
Simplicity was the heart ofLife On Mars.
And that, I think, is what made it so special.
