Life on Mars, Series 1 - DVD Review

ACORN
Street: July 28
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> Clever U.K. series about a time-tripping detective in early-’70s Manchester.

This innovative 2006 U.K. police drama is at once intense, humorous and intelligent—much more so than the recently canceled U.S. version starring Harvey Keitel and Michael Imperioli. John Simm plays a modern-day Manchester detective who gets struck by a car and wakes up in 1973, working for that era’s homicide squad and trying to figure out if he’s insane, in a coma or really back in time. The period details, music and other signs of the time are never poured on too thick, as the sci-fi-inflicted detective gets to work on crime solving and a possible romance in early-’70s style. This first season picked up a following stateside on BBC America and has already been followed up by a second series, another David Bowie-monikered sequel entitled Ashes to Ashes.

Shelf Talk: The winner of an International Emmy Award and many others in Britain, Life on Mars will be snatched up by fans, U.K. drama devotees who have heard the buzz and followers of the U.S. version (due out on DVD in September) who want to check out the genuine article.