Doctor Who Vs. Life On Mars, Series 1

"My name is Sam Tyler. I had

an accident and I woke up in

1973. Am I mad, in a coma or

back in time? Whatever's

happened, it's like I've landed

on a different planet. Now

maybe if I can work out the

reason, I can get home."

Co-produced by Monastic and

Kudos for BBC1, Life On Mars

debuted in early 2006, and was

a new type of TV drama - fusing

1970s police procedural with

fantasy and sci-fi elements.

Actually conceived in 1998 and

entitled Ford Granada (although

the BBC preferred Nick of Time), the programme was initially rejected by

the Corporation, and was then developed by Channel Four, before being

commissioned by BBC Wales. An American version was made by ABC

(screened in 2008), and remakes aired in Spain (called The Girl From

Yesterday for Antena 3, in 2009), Russia (The Dark Side of the Moon for

Channel One), Ukraine (on Inter, both in 2012), and latterly in South

Korea (for OCN).

Sequel series Ashes to Ashes (also referencing another David Bowie song)

which was now set in 1980's London, began in 2008 and spanned three

seasons.

The programme centred on present-day Manchester detective, DCI Sam

Tyler (portrayed by Leeds-born actor John Simm), and his conflict with

his new superior, Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister). Dean Andrews, Marshall

Lancaster, and Liz White played Ray Carling, Chris Skelton, and WPC

Annie Cartwright.

After being hit by a car, Tyler awakes in an alien environment, namely

1973! Across the sixteen episodes, it is unclear to Tyler (and indeed the

viewer) whether he has died, is in a coma, is insane, or has actually

travelled back in time.

Series co-creator/writer Matthew Graham, co-executive producer

Julie Scott, producer Marcus Wilson, writer Chris Chibnall, and

director Richard Clark all later worked on Doctor Who.

A repeat run of the first season (originally shown in January/February

2006) began on That's TV (the Manchester-based archive TV network)

last night - it featured a total of thirty-eight other Doctor Who cast and

crew connections:

• Lancaster was Buzzer in Graham's The Rebel Flesh and The Almost People
• White was Alice in The Snowmen, and voiced Genestra for Big Finish's The Brink of Death (2015), and Helais for The Death of Peladon (2022)
• Christopher Harper (Neil) voiced Kaled Guard for From the Flames, Berserker for Shockwave (both 2019), and Lazari Helosta/Horgee/ King Tremagi for Beauty on the Inside (2022)
• Andrew Tiernan (Trent) was [Jim] Purcell in Night Terrors
• Lee Ross (DCI Litton) was the Boatswain in The Curse of the Black Spot
• Stephen [Murphy] Aintree (Carroway) voiced DCI Turnbull for The Condemned (2008)
• Andrew Knott (Derek) voiced James O'Meara for 1963: Fanfare for the Common Men (2013), and Sean Casey for The White Room (2014)
• Anthony Flanagan (Bond) was Orin Scannell in 42
• Ian Barritt (Cooper) was Professor Gerald Peach in The Unicorn and the Wasp
• John Wilson (Man) was Jacondan guard in The Twin Dilemma
• John R Walker (Pub local here; Czarnecki in Ashes to Ashes) was Cured Patient in New Earth, Injured Man in Evolution of the Daleks, and Sales Rep in Planet of the Ood
• Paul [Mackriell] Copley (Cole) was Clement McDonald in Torchwood: Children of Earth, and voiced Dad for Spare Parts (2002), Jimmy Deel for Missing Persons (2013), Mick Huff for The Miniaturist (2022), and Wendell for The Conservitors (2023)
• Sagar Arya (Saeed) was a Newsreader in The Christmas Invasion, and The Sarah Jane Adventures
• William [Denys] Hoyland (Rathbone) voiced Premier Jaeger for Live 34 (2005)
• Lee [David] Ingleby (Vic Tyler) voiced Samson Griffin for Terror Firma (2005)
• stunt co-ordinators Peter Brayham and Stuart Clarke, and stuntmen Crispin Layfield, Derek Lea, Graham Seed, Andy Smart, Tom Aitken, Dean Forster, Glann Foster, George Cottle, Tony Lucken and Nick Wilkinson all worled on the revived series
• stuntman Spencer Wilding was the Minotaur in The God Complex, the Wooden King in The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, Skaldak in Cold War, and Dreg in Orphan 55
• Balazs Bolygo was also the cinematographer on the Gangers two-parter and Closing Time
• Andy Pryor (series casting) has worked as casting director on the revived run since 2005, The Sarah Jane Adventures and Torchwood
• Matt Wood was also the VFX supervisor on The Doctor, the Widow and the Wardrobe, A Town Called Mercy and The Power of Three
• Kirsty Robertson was also a casting associate on twenty adventures (from Rose to Last of the Time Lords)
• assistant editor Matthew Cannings also edited The Snowmen, The Crimson Horror and The Name of the Doctor
• floor runner Thomas Alibone was second assistant director on An Adventure in Space and Time - composer Edmund Butt later provided incidental music for the anniversary biopic too
• Tim Palmer was also the cinematographer on Let's Kill Hitler, The Wedding of River Song and Nightmare in Silver
• Elwen Rowlands was also script editor on seven episodes (from Rose to Boom Town)
• Julie Ankerson was also foley artist on every revived adventure (from Rose to The Doctor Falls), Torchwood, and The Sarah Jane Adventures