Life on Mars

6.4
2008

After a car crash, police detective Sam Tyler mysteriously finds himself transported back to 1973 and still working as a detective.

Production

Logo for Kudos
Logo for 20th Century Fox Television
Logo for ABC Studios

Seasons

17 Episodes • Premiered 2008

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 1: Out Here in the Fields

1. Out Here in the Fields

Modern-day NYPD Detective Sam Tyler finds himself suddenly hurtled back to the tumultuous times of New York City in 1973 when he's hit by a car while chasing down a criminal.

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 2: The Real Adventures of the Unreal Sam Tyler

2. The Real Adventures of the Unreal Sam Tyler

Sam investigates a series of fatal robberies at cash-checking stores while evidence points to someone in the squad being involved.

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 3: My Maharishi is Bigger than Your Maharishi

3. My Maharishi is Bigger than Your Maharishi

The murder of a returning Vietnam veteran has Lieutenant Hunt outraged, as he demands a quick resolution to what quickly becomes a complicated and controversial case. As Sam and the squad's team of detectives explore the circumstances surrounding the homicide, Tyler is sent down a mysterious path that may provide clues about his own family's past and why he is back in 1973

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 4: Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadows?

4. Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadows?

Sam finds his mother, Rose, in debt to a local mobster known for killing women that cause him trouble. Sam finds out the cops of the 125 are in cahoots with the mobster and ignore his illegal activities for tips on other mobsters.

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 5: Things to Do in New York When You Think You're Dead

5. Things to Do in New York When You Think You're Dead

Racial tensions run high when a young black girl is killed and a race begins between the cops and the BLA to find the supposed killer. Sam teams up with Fletcher Bellow, a young detective in 1971, who is his captain in 2008.

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 6: Tuesday's Dead

6. Tuesday's Dead

With a life-and-death hostage situation paralleling own strange circumstances, Sam Tyler is ordered with the rest of the 1-2-5 to diffuse a potentially deadly face-off at a hospital where a crazed gunman is trying to force a doctor to reverse a dangerous operation on the renegade's brother, and the squad are all targeted in the gunman's cross-hairs.

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 7: The Man Who Sold the World

7. The Man Who Sold the World

When the baby of a prominent family is kidnapped for ransom, Sam Tyler is shocked to discover that his own father, Vic Tyler, may be involved. Sam's discovery leads him to face some deep dark secrets about his childhood.

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 8: Take a Look at the Lawmen

8. Take a Look at the Lawmen

Lt. Hunt's squad and Lt. Nunzio's crew renew their long-standing rivalry due to a bank robbery with a connection to the Russian mob. Meanwhile, Sam is attracted to a pretty, young social worker.

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 9: The Dark Side of the Mook

9. The Dark Side of the Mook

Ray's shady brother may have played a role in the number of recent decapitations in which the squad is investigating. but other suspects pop up too, such as a biker, a Wall Street executive and badly disfigured man.

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 10: Let All the Children Boogie

10. Let All the Children Boogie

6.0

When rock star Sebastian Grace receives a death threat, Sam and Chris are exposed to the rock-and-roll lifestyle that includes one of Grace's groupies called "Rocket Girl." Things really get strange when Chris finds Sebastian and Rocket Girl waiting for UFOs in the swampy area of New Jersey known as the Meadowlands.

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 11: Home is Where You Hang Your Holster

11. Home is Where You Hang Your Holster

NYC Councilman Bobby Prince shares a secret with Sam after Prince is caught with a hooker during a raid on a motel. The secret leaves Sam with even more questions as well as the realization he has more in common with Prince than he had ever thought. Meanwhile, Gene Hunt locks down the precinct after a shooting, Maria and her father confront each other, and Ray's wife, Denise, adds tension to the drama.

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 12: The Simple Secret of the Note in Us All

12. The Simple Secret of the Note in Us All

The detectives at the 1-2-5 investigate the murder of newspaper journalist Joey Conway. Sam is convinced the killer is the same criminal from a case in 2008. He is motivated by flashbacks to the case, which puts him at odds with his coworkers who think someone else is guilty.

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 13: Revenge of Broken Jaw

13. Revenge of Broken Jaw

When the Weather Underground sends the department bomb threats on the anniversary of their leader's death, Lt. Hunt takes the threats personally. As Sam, Annie and Lt. Hunt investigate, they soon find a connection between a student and Pat Olsen, a professor.

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 14: Coffee, Tea or Annie

14. Coffee, Tea or Annie

When a Pan Atlantic air hostess is found dead, Annie volunteers to go undercover in order to solve a series of homicides. Annie, Sam and Ray, working undercover, are able to find an unlikely suspect.

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 15: All the Young Dudes

15. All the Young Dudes

When Sam goes undercover as a gang member, he has to reveal a dark side in order to keep his cover. While undercover, Sam is pushed to the limit when he is ordered to bind and shoot a woman.

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 16: Everyone Knows It's Windy

16. Everyone Knows It's Windy

Crime hits home after Ray and Chris are shot by a gang member. When the shooter is found dead near a bar, Sam becomes the lead suspect since he has been working undercover as part of the gang. With evidence mounting against him, Sam must search for the real killer before it's too late for him

Still image for Life on Mars season 1 episode 17: Life is a Rock

17. Life is a Rock

When Sam Tyler receives a phone call that presents him with three tasks he must perform so he can return to his life in the future, he must weigh his alternatives and decide whether to stay in 1973 or go home.

Cast

Photo of Jason O'Mara

Jason O'Mara

Det. Sam Tyler

Photo of Harvey Keitel

Harvey Keitel

Lt. Gene Hunt

Photo of Gretchen Mol

Gretchen Mol

Policewoman Annie Norris

Photo of Michael Imperioli

Michael Imperioli

Det. Ray Carling

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