Life on Mars - Spoilers

[Johnny Allen]

Life on Mars kicked of yesterday, and whilst slighty weird and hard to follow it was a great show with some great comical moments and some top notch acting.


For those that didn't know it was about a cop named DCI Sam Tyler who is investigating a case when he's knocked down by a car. After waking up he finds himself in 1973. Is it a dream, an illusion, has he really travelled back in time, or is he just in a coma?. Of course in the 70's policing was different and now relegated to DI, Sam doesn't get on well with his new DCI Gene Hunt, a man who lets his fists do the talking.

So who watched it, I really enjoyed it, mind you Im a fan of Phillip Glenister who wonderfully played Gene Hunt and I like John Simms work. very interesting, thoughts on the show?

Webpage: http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/lifeonmars/characters_actors.shtml

[Jojo]

I've sky +'d it ready for when I get a spare hour to watch it, hopefully tomorrow as little one at preschool and I am hoping the other little one will be asleep! I thought it looked really good though

[Luna]

ive taped it thought it looked really good

[pookie1968uk]

i watched it and thought it was really good, will be interesting to see how the series unfolds, if he will get back in the end and will romance blossom between him and the wpc?!!

[dragoneye454]

thought it was really good. leaves you wondering how he will wake up

[bubblegum_fairy]

I didn't watch it, but I did in media studies, because we are studying it, and it looks good, i love the flasback to 1973

[Katy]

i missed my Law teacher said she watched when she was referring to something. Dont really listen in listen in Law. She said it was really good.

[Johnny Allen]

Another top notch episode, love to see Philip Glenister dishing out the violence, no one does it better than him

[pookie1968uk]

yes it was really good again wasnt it, i was slightly restless at the beginning wondering if i was going to get into it but before long i was glued. it has everything in it to make it a great drama.

[Jojo]

Finally got round to watching the first eppy on Sat - crikes didn't i jump when he got knocked over.

Absolutely brilliant - slightly weird when you hear the docs etc trying to wake him up and tonight when all the lights started going out at the hospital when his machines started shorting out.

Philip Glenister fantastic as usual. Looking forward to next week for sure

[dragoneye454]

Thought it was really good too last night. Police force was really brutal back then.

[Jojo]

The funniest bit was when he was saying about the ID parade - how there was no need to worry as they would be behind special glass so they could see the suspects but they couldn't see him and then there they were in the canteen :rotfl:

[Johnny Allen]

Also loved the part when Sam and Gene punched each other in the hospital, that was genius. I absolutely love the character Gene Hunt, they should give him his own show, love his mannerisms his character, mind that is down to Philip Glenister who has to be one of the finest working actors on TV right now, when he put his fingers up at those kids, that was priceless.

Can I just say is it normal to fancy Philip Glenister? I think theres something about him that is majorly attractive.

[Jojo]

I would say there is something normal about fancying Philip Glenister - its that roughness about him i like lol.

That hospital scene cracked me up too - especially after they'd finished and Gene was sat at the bottom of the hospital bed smoking a ciggie!! :rotfl: Oh how times have changed!!!

How do you think he is going to get back though?? I wonder if he has to assist in solving all these crimes which will in some way or another either all link up to the current case, with Maya, or will change the way the police force works in the future. What do you think??

[pookie1968uk]

i thought it was amazing when the girl was dying in the streets and they said to ambulance men to do something and the ambulance man said..who do you think i am, im only the ambulance driver!!! i couldnt believe it, no paramedics, no treatment at the scene, you just had to hope they got you to hospital in time!!

i really am intrigued to see the meaning behind it all though, not sure why he is supposed to be there but will he end up falling for the WPC (forgotten her name)

[Johnny Allen]

Some people have been saying it's all because he's in a dream, or his imagination because he's in a coma. Personally Im liking the idea of 2006 being a figment of his imagination rather than 1973, and all along he's been in 1973 (heard this somewhere). Going to be interesting I just hope it's going to reach a great conclusion.

[Jojo]

I think the ways its gone so far, it will be a great ending, whichever way it goes. I'm not sure which way I would prefer - I like the 1973 idea as hes getting closer to that WPC, and involving her in the investigations unlike the chauvenist (sp?) males currently working there (though that was the era), but it would be nice to see him return to 2006 and catch the murderer and put him away for life.....

[sbbb_odessa]

i enjoyed when he was using all the different police sayings

[pookie1968uk]

this series is just getting better and better, didnt think it could get any better but it is! it is such a strong drama with so much humour in it. i cant wait for monday evenings now! :cheer:

[JustJodi]

this series is just getting better and better, didnt think it could get any better but it is! it is uch a strong drama with so much humour in it. i cant wait for monday evenings now!

I am totally sold on the show !!!!!!!!!!!! How long is this series to run ???:searchme:

[JustJodi]

The funniest bit was when he was saying about the ID parade - how there was no need to worry as they would be behind special glass so they could see the suspects but they couldn't see him and then there they were in the canteen :rotfl:

omg that was way funny !!!!!!!!! i love this show...... :cheer:

[pookie1968uk]

I am totally sold on the show !!!!!!!!!!!! How long is this series to run ???:searchme:
i think i read that it is on for 10weeks so another 7 to go, its a brilliant show isnt it?

[Jojo]

Last nights episode was fantastic yet again - its got everything a good drama should have - loved it when the Regional Crime Squad and their own unit had that scrap - brilliant!! :cheer:

[Johnny Allen]

sorry to report it's only meant to be 6 or 8 episodes, but plans for a second series are in production I believe. This show has the potential to go far and become a cult classic. Another cracking episode last night, sure hope they release it on DVD, I would buy it just for Philip Glenister and the blinding script and humour which is priceless.

[JustJodi]

sorry to report it's only meant to be 6 or 8 episodes, but plans for a second series are in production I believe. This show has the potential to go far and become a cult classic. Another cracking episode last night, sure hope they release it on DVD, I would buy it just for Philip Glenister and the blinding script and humour which is priceless.


I have enjoyed each episode so much ,, really hope they do a 2nd series :D

[squillyfer]

I've really enjoyed this last night was funny with the suspect drawing

[Johnny Allen]

the moments I enjoyed were Gene's dangerous driving, the fight sequence, the interview 'what time is it Chris?' 'umm 4ish' and the killer line 'Drop your weapons....your surrounded by armed b******s'

[pookie1968uk]

there are so many funny bits in it its hard to remember them all, thought my tv times mag said 10 episodes but i must have been mistaken. hope there is a new series though!!!

[Johnny Allen]

the bbc website confirms that there will be 8 episodes, so only 5 more episodes of the lovely Philip Glenister.

[JustJodi]

the bbc website confirms that there will be 8 episodes, so only 5 more episodes of the lovely Philip Glenister.


I went checking to see what Philip Glenister was in,, seems like he was in one of my favorite chick flicks CALENDAR GIRLS,, hes been a real busy guy ...:)

[pookie1968uk]

they did a write up on him in the tv times and he has been in loads of stuff. i have seen calender girls but didnt click that was him till i read it. he is only 42 but looks older in life on mars doesnt he?

[chance]

mon nights eppy was the best so far......

[JustJodi]

they did a write up on him in the tv times and he has been in loads of stuff. i have seen calender girls but didnt click that was him till i read it. he is only 42 but looks older in life on mars doesnt he?

maybe it is that rough complexion he has,, he does look older than his 42 yrs. I really enjoy his 70's police speak,,its so funny.. and the clothes omg,, :rotfl:

[Jojo]

Some of his quotes are absolute classics though - excellent script writing

[dragoneye454]

But if theres a second series does that mean he won't wake up or we won't find out what has actually happened to him. OMG they can't do that. It's agony not knowing lol

[JustJodi]

But if theres a second series does that mean he won't wake up or we won't find out what has actually happened to him. OMG they can't do that. It's agony not knowing lol

Lets hope that hes in Coma the next series ( if there is one ):) This is such a neat show :cheer:

[Jojo]

But if theres a second series does that mean he won't wake up or we won't find out what has actually happened to him. OMG they can't do that. It's agony not knowing lolThat is an extremely scary thought - I thought this might have been a one off drama series as once he's been in a coma for an amount of time, either they leave him in it until the next series or they bring him out of it at the end of the first, rendering a second series pretty impossible - but they can't keep me waiting - I need to know, is he in a coma, has he gone back in time, why is he having to solve these certain crimes, like the one in the very first episode was holding a lot of clues towards the perpetrator of the crime in the current day etc. So many questions and so many answers needed :lol:

[Johnny Allen]

they did a write up on him in the tv times and he has been in loads of stuff. i have seen calender girls but didnt click that was him till i read it. he is only 42 but looks older in life on mars doesnt he?

Oh no your kidding I missed that magazine dammit, never mind. He does look older than 42 in life on Mars must be the make up and clothes, mind he still does it for me as Gene Hunt. By the way play.com have Life on Mars DVD down for a december release so looks like all us fans are in for a treat, mind thats along time to wait.

[pookie1968uk]

another really good episode yesterday. it was really wierd him meeting up with his mum and he himself as a little boy in bed with the mumps while sam the man was downstairs at the same time!!

[Cornishbabe]

Just a thought. If it turns out he really is back in time. Isnt he changing the past. which would have bad effects on the future. Like meeting his mum and having two of hinm in the same place. and now his mums moved. couldnt that change his future?

[JustJodi]

He didn't really do any thing to alter the future, and he didn't see himself as a little boy..he had contact with his mom .. but really didn't do any thing. I noticed towards the end that he was hearing more and more of his mom in the back ground ( since hes supposed to be in a coma )

I really do enjoy this program !!!!!!!!

[Johnny Allen]

Another top notch episode laughed when Gene found out Ray had lied about being ill to go and see the match. Some more priceless one liners yet again.

[JustJodi]

Another top notch episode laughed when Gene found out Ray had lied about being ill to go and see the match. Some more priceless one liners yet again.

Those two have awesome screen chemistry well they are like chalk and cheese which makes them so much fun to watch,, I really love each episode ..I hope they are planning series 2 !

[chance]

I was watching northern lights last night but i have taped it,sounds like another top eppy,il watcit tonight then comment!

[pookie1968uk]

it was a fantastic episode again, really strong story but humourous too, the characters really gel and go so well together. dont know what i will do when this series ends!

[pookie1968uk]

just found this about life on mars.......


STARS: Phillip Glenister and John Simm in Life On MarsA MANCHESTER TV drama will be screened in America and the rest of the world after scoring a hit with millions of viewers in Britain.

Life On Mars could also eventually be heading for the big screen in a possible movie version.

The drama features John Simm as 2006 detective Sam Tyler, who finds himself back in 1973 after he is run over by a car near the Mancunian Way.



Filmed in Manchester and Stockport, the eight-part series co-stars Philip Glenister as seventies cop Det Chief Insp Gene Hunt.

The double act between the two actors in the hit show - described as The Sweeney meets Back To The Future - has won a weekly audience of more than six million and huge appreciation in the ratings.

Filming of a second series is due to begin in April, with great interest from overseas TV channels.

Executive producer Jane Featherstone said: "BBC Worldwide are in discussions with TV broadcasters across the world about Life On Mars, including America."

And she said a film version was also possible. "Life on Mars is a very high concept idea and there is no doubt it would work on the big screen," she said. "But as yet, we are concentrating on the development and production of the second series for BBC1."

[Cornishbabe]

a movie for the cinema of life on mars. Would be a bit strange after watching the tv series in my opinion

[pookie1968uk]

if you want to read the whole article it is here....
http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/entertainment/filmandtv/s/203/203546_life_on_mars_is_creating_stars_on_earth.htm l

[pookie1968uk]

last nights episode was a bit slower than the others but good never the less. only two more to go i think. :(

[Johnny Allen]

yeah I agree Pookie, mind it was a nice direction well written, and more serious in tone. Mind next week looks like theres going to be plenty of chases, punch ups and one-liners.

You know I was watching a film about football violence called I.D. and it has Philip Glenister in it quite abit (hes very good once again) and theres this bloke in it called Gumbo and hes a bit of a strange bugger anyway the actor that plays him is currently in life on Mars playing DCI litton, what a turn up for the books.

[pookie1968uk]

they are all strong actors and actresses in it which is why i think it does so well, there is no weak link.

[Johnny Allen]

yeah thats very true, they all play their roles to perfection.

[callummc]

I agree fantastic series,well written,well acted,to think i watched some of it being made,when they filmed the football match i was fishing on the canal at the back with my brother and gene went in the chippy for his dinner,lots of it were filmed on or around our estate and canal,thats life on mars,shameless and theve just filmed a new series of cracker round here to,they faked a massive explosion for cracker in a derelct block of flats which was really good

[pookie1968uk]

how am i going to wait another year for the next series?!! the last episode was brilliant. as always funny but a strong story too. it was amazing how he met his dad and tried to sort him out, the storyline was full of twists and turns and finished on a real high!

[Johnny Allen]

thankfully it will be out on dvd but that isnt till october, Im having to make do with my recorded episodes gonna miss my monday night Gene Hunt fix.

[pookie1968uk]

the life on mars dvd's are out to buy on 15th may for all you life on mars fans, yeah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:cheer:

[Jojo]

The International Emmy Award winning series, Life on Mars is back on our screens from Tuesday 13th February for a final series with John Simm returning as DI Sam Tyler, the time travelling detective who, after a car accident, found himself in 1973.

Also returning alongside Simm, are Philip Glenister, Liz White, Dean Andrews and Marshall Lancaster as Tyler's Seventies colleagues, who are only just getting to grips with the DI's new-fangled ways of investigating crime.

The second series marks the thrilling finale of the smash hit show and viewers will finally learn the truth about DI Sam Tyler (Simm) and how he came to be stuck in 1973. However, fans will have to keep watching until the end of the series on BBC ONE before their speculative theories are laid to rest.

More details

John Simm is back for the final time as DI Sam Tyler, the time-travelling detective who, following a car accident, found himself back in 1973, as the International Emmy Award-winning series Life On Mars returns to BBC One.

Returning alongside Simm for the final series are Philip Glenister, Liz White, Dean Andrews and Marshall Lancaster as Tyler's Seventies colleagues, who are only just getting to grips with the DI's new-fangled ways of investigating crime.

The first series of Life On Mars, which regularly attracted audiences of over 7.5 million and plaudits from a broad spectrum of critics, won Best Drama Series at the International Emmy Awards in November 2006.

Creator, writer and executive producer, Mathew Graham, was thrilled, and explains: "We have had such a fantastic response to Life On Mars from viewers and critics alike and this award is the icing on the cake!

"When it was announced I'm sure that Sam Tyler, Gene Hunt and the gang were splashing on the Old Spice, donning their flares and opening the Party Seven – celebrating in proper, Seventies style!"

End of life as we know it?

The second series marks the thrilling finale of the smash hit show and viewers will finally learn the truth about time travelling DI Sam Tyler (John Simm) and how he came to be stuck in 1973. However, fans will have to keep watching until the end of the series on BBC One before their speculative theories are laid to rest.

Executive producer, and joint MD of Kudos, Jane Featherstone, says: "Obviously, we will not be revealing in advance what eventually happens to Sam, as we wouldn't want to spoil everyone's enjoyment of the second half of his story when they watch series two.

"But they can certainly expect some shocking revelations along the way. We have even filmed two endings because we want to keep everyone guessing until the very end."

Executive producer Claire Parker comments: "The boys are back with a kick and a punch!

"Series two of Life On Mars is even darker and more surprising than before, and still liberally sprinkled with humour and more of Gene Hunt's 'insightful' words of wisdom!

"Whatever the audience thinks they know will be challenged, and we will certainly still want to keep the audience guessing. There will be more revelations that will help Sam to work out why he is in 1973, but there will also be some shocking surprises that will rock Sam's world – both in 1973 and 2007."

The forthcoming series has attracted a wealth of talented guest stars such as Marc Warren (Hustle), Kevin McNally (Pirates Of The Caribbean) and Georgia Taylor (Blackpool), queuing up to don their flares and travel back to 1973.

Sam is slowly adjusting to his new surroundings and seems to be trying to fit into the team but DCI Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister) has had no such change of heart and is still as brash and hard on Sam as ever; lambasting his continual "by-the-book" approach to procedures and is insistent that they stick to following his gut instinct when it comes to catching criminals.

Gene's maverick methods are closely observed by his protégé, DS Ray Carling (Dean Andrews), and eager to please DC Chris Skelton (Marshall Lancaster).

WPC Annie Cartwright (Liz White) remains the only sane voice in Sam's mixed-up world. However, she is intent on proving that she is not just a pretty face and is keen to show she can cut it just as well as the boys.

Gene's desire to rid Manchester of criminal scum is as strong as ever; never more so than now, as his mentor, Superintendent Woolf (Kevin McNally) is back at the station.

However, Sam is astonished to find that his own mentor and inspiration, Chief Inspector Glenn Fletcher (Emmet Brown, Outlaws) has also joined the team – although he is just a fresh-faced, new recruit in 1973, dealing with the extra pressure of the racist attitudes of his new colleagues.

Marc Warren guest stars as Tony Crane, another ghost from Sam's "future past". Crane is a sleazy casino owner who runs a line in counterfeit cash.

It's not until Sam recognises the danger that Crane's girlfriend, Eve (Yasmin Bannerman, 55 Degrees North), is in, that he realises the urgency of banging the slippery suspect to rights. But he faces the tough job of convincing DCI Hunt they've got the right man.

Co-creators and writers Matthew Graham and Ashley Pharoah and writer Chris Chibnall all return to this new series of Life On Mars alongside three new writers to the series: Julie Rutterford (Hustle, Teachers), Guy Jenkin (The Private Life Of Samuel Pepys, Drop The Dead Donkey) and Mark Greig (Afterlife, The Inspector Lynley Mysteries).

Series two is directed by SJ Clarkson, Richard Clark and Andrew Gunn and the producer is Cameron Roach (Footballers' Wives). Claire Parker, producer of series one, is now a co-executive producer with Jane Featherstone and Matthew Graham.

[Jojo]

John Simm is back as DI Sam Tyler – the time-travelling detective who, following a car accident in 2006, woke up to find himself in the year 1973 – as Life On Mars returns to BBC One for its much anticipated second, and final, series.

Despite eerie visions that suggest a tantalising proximity to 2007, Sam once again awakes to find himself very much amongst the pale brown hues of the technologically prehistoric, politically incorrect world of 1973 Manchester – alongside his equally antiquated colleagues DCI Gene Hunt, DC Ray Carling, DC Chris Skelton and WPC Annie Cartwright. And, what's more, he has a murder to solve.

Sam encounters the young incarnation of Tony Crane, a murderous villain he put away in 2006, and soon realises that he is faced with the chance every copper dreams about – stopping the killer before he kills.

Gambling everything on ensuring Crane is sent down, Sam's flagrant disregard for procedure stuns his colleagues in CID. But they can't appreciate what Sam is starting to fear – that, since his car accident, Crane has been released and has found his way to Sam's hospital bedside where he is exacting his revenge on Sam's vulnerable body.

Still desperate to discover how he got to 1973, why he remains there and how he may return to the present day, Sam has to race against the clock to capture a killer who is trying to murder him in the future.

[Jojo]

A spate of armed robberies leads Manchester's CID unit to prison, to escort notorious safe-cracker Dickie Fingers back to the station for an interview, as the series following the time-travelling detective continues. However, as they transport Fingers from jail they are set upon by a dangerous gang who will stop at nothing to get their hands on him.

As his mentor, Superintendent Harry Woolf, presides over the investigation, DCI Gene Hunt is keener than ever to show off his team's effectiveness and they head straight for chief suspect Arnold Malone, who tips them off about the next robbery.

Jaws drop in the CID unit when their first black team member arrives, DC Glenn Fletcher. DI Sam Tyler is taken aback, realising that Fletcher is his own mentor from 2007. Not only is he appalled by the team's treatment of Fletcher, but he's also surprised at Fletcher's own acceptance of the racism he encounters.

Glenn becomes the butt of team-mate Ray's shockingly racist jibes and yet seems happy to put up with it, something the modern Glenn Fletcher would never do. Sam tries to inspire Glenn to believe more in himself and not stand for Ray's cheap humour.

[Jojo]

Oops - moving to spoilers as I posted the spoilers in here and it was currently located in the general thread and I didn't realise!! :o :o

[Katy]

i cant wait it loks really good, i wonder where they film it ?

[Jojo]

When a bomb warning is reported, A-Division go on red alert – 1973-style – as the series following time-travelling detective Sam Tyler continues.

According to the caller, the IRA have brought their mainland bombing campaign to Manchester. However, being from 2007, Sam soon realises that the bomb warning that has been received doesn't fit with his understanding of the IRA's methods. But when Sam's modern know-how fails and ends up putting his team at risk, they turn their backs on him.

As the team's trust in him evaporates, Sam fights to discredit DCI Gene Hunt's theory that the IRA is to blame. Desperate to regain the faith of his colleagues, he realises that he must also stop a fearful, bigoted CID going after the Irish community and, instead, make them realise that the obvious answer isn't always the correct one.

Sam tries to show his colleagues what testing times lie ahead for them and how forming genuine bonds of trust with their communities could be the only way to ensure peace in the city – a concept that the somewhat intolerant DCI Hunt finds hard to swallow...

Sam Tyler is played by John Simm and Gene Hunt by Philip Glenister. The cast also includes Dean Andrews as Ray Carling, Marshal Lancaster as Chris Skelton and Liz White as Annie Cartwright.

[Jojo]

When the body of a beautiful young woman is found on some wasteland, DCI Gene Hunt fears a serial killer he thought he'd sent down in the late Sixties may still be at large, as the series following time-travelling detective Sam Tyler continues.

For Sam, the victim – a Beauvoir beauty rep, like his aunt, Heather – triggers vivid recollections of his childhood.

Utilising his knowledge of modern surveillance techniques, Sam is led to middle-class suburbia, where local car dealer, Roger Twilling, throws private parties employing poorly paid make-up girls to "help out" when the lights go down and the wife-swapping begins.

Sam and Annie go undercover as a young swinging couple to infiltrate the world of vol-au-vents, Blue Nun and lava lamps. Never one to miss out on the fun, Gene Hunt storms in uninvited with a female "friend" posing as his other half. Gene's heavy-handed manner unsettles the party's guests, however, and he puts Sam and Annie's hard work at risk. Managing to calm the situation and win his host and hostess over, Sam joins in as car keys are thrown into a large bowl. Only then can the killer be unearthed.

Gene Hunt is played by Philip Glenister, Sam Tyler by John Simm, Aunt Heather by Katherine Kelly, Roger Twilling by Nicholas Palliser and Annie Cartwright by Liz White.

[Jojo]

Episode 3 will now be showing on Tues 6th March, with episode 4 showing the following week.

BBC4 are also showing the next episode each week following the previous on BBC1, and so far the schedule is still showing episode 4 as being shown on Tuesday 27th Feb at 10pm if anyone is interested (although why they have to keep changing the schedule for blooming football is anyones guess.)

[Jessie Wallace]

When local businessman Simon Lamb discovers that his beloved wife and daughter have been kidnapped, he resorts to desperate measures to get DCI Gene Hunt and DI Sam Tyler's attention, as the fast-paced drama continues.

Lamb forces CID to sit up and listen by threatening to hang himself in the station's canteen. Sam and Annie try their best to talk him out of it and promise to find his family.

It's then up to Sam and the team to figure out who is holding Simon's family captive but, in order to do that, they need to identify the motive. Sam doesn't find it easy – he has only recently returned from sick leave and, whilst ill, had experienced vivid and surreal dream-like visions of what his colleagues in CID were up to.

However, in the course of his investigation, Sam learns of the 1972 murder of a young girl and of Gene's speedy, aggressive apprehension of her boyfriend for the crime. In order to unravel the case, he interviews all of the team involved – many of whom are now his colleagues at A-Division – and exposes uncomfortable information regarding the young suspect's hurried conviction.

Meanwhile, in her new role as DC, Annie investigates a lead which takes her to a new suspect's address, where she leaves herself vulnerable to the potential kidnapper.

Simon Lamb is played by Reece Dinsdale, Gene Hunt by Philip Glenister, Sam Tyler by John Simm and Annie Cartwright by Liz White.

[Jessie Wallace]

DCI Gene Hunt and the team are called to the scene of a shooting of a young Ugandan Asian man, Dipack, as the series following time-travelling detective Sam Tyler continues.

As usual, Gene jumps to conclusions and assumes it is drug related after finding a suspicious bag of white powder on the body. However, Sam has to ensure the bigoted, knee-jerk attitude of the police doesn't condemn the new immigrant community before a fair hearing.

The new drug turns out to be heroin, which has already claimed the life of one young user on the other side of town, and Gene is determined to put a stop to it spreading round the streets of Manchester. If there is one thing Gene Hunt hates more than anything, it's drug pushers.

Local hard man Toolbox Terry isn't happy about the new drug arrival, either. Displaying a rare sense of community spirit he decides to rid Manchester of this new poison the only way he knows how, by torturing a suspected dealer – something Hunt is happy to let him to do.

Whilst Dipack lays ill in hospital, his confused girlfriend, Layla, is stuck in the middle of a highly charged situation and unsure who she can trust. She is surprised at Sam's acceptance of her mixed-race relationship, and the two forge a very close bond – especially when Sam discovers Layla's secret.

Gene is played by Philip Glenister, Sam by John Simm, Toolbox Terry by Ian Puleston-Davies and Layla by Alex Reid.

[Jojo]

When a water-tight court case fails to put away a local gangster, Gene Hunt won't let it drop, as the series following time-travelling detective Sam Tyler continues.

Eager to see a guilty man behind bars, Sam helps Gene with his enquiries. They are soon led to washed-up boxer Davie Mackay, a man who once loved his sport passionately but is now jaded by the industry's underground criminal activities.

Unable to cope with a guilty man walking free earlier that day, Gene turns to alcohol for comfort but soon lands himself in a spot of bother. When it appears Gene may have killed someone, it's up to golden boy DI Sam Tyler, and the rest of the CID unit, to help him out.

In order to ensure a clean case, DCI Frank Morgan is sent from internal affairs to investigate A Division's methods of policing. Morgan is a man intent on doing the internal investigation by the book – so thoroughly, in fact, that Sam can't help but be impressed by his methods and his appealingly modern approach. Sam starts to accept that the evidence is stacking up against Gene and, as it becomes harder for the team to prove his innocence, even Gene's loyal protégé, Ray, starts to have doubts.

However, Sam redoubles his efforts to prove Hunt's innocence, if only to preserve the fragile world he has existed in. But the investigation eventually comes to a shocking conclusion – one that rocks the very foundations of his world.

[Jojo]

When CID hears that the dead body of a miner has been found, they are quick to arrive on the scene in the last episode of the award-winning series following time-travelling detective Sam Tyler. They soon discover that a notorious cop killer, Leslie Johns, is behind the murder.

Knowing how big this "collar" could be, Gene Hunt is determined to lead the investigation and beat his new rival, Frank Morgan, to the punch – and he learns that the killing resulted from a fall-out over a planned heist. By going undercover on the heist, CID plan to catch Leslie Johns red-handed but, as usual, A Division are hurried and rash and, inevitably, problems start to arise.

As Sam questions the dubious ethics behind their methods and motives, he meets Morgan in private and what Sam hears turns his world upside down. Suddenly, his reasons for being in A Division are cast in a totally new light – all at once it is unbelievable, yet somehow it makes perfect sense. All Sam has to do, Morgan promises, is one job, then he can "come home" – words that Sam has wanted to hear for so long.

Sam is played by John Simm, Leslie Johns by Sean Gilder, Gene Hunt by Philip Glenister and Frank Morgan by Ralph Brown.

[Katy]

What a great ending, I had'nt a clue that he would want to go back.

[Bad Wolf]

i didnt get it!

is he in a coma or not?

[pookie1968uk]

i think i need it explaining to me too! was he from 2007 really or from 1973? i got the impression 2007 was a dream so he went back to 1973 but not sure!

[Katy]

he was in a coma then he woke up and went back to 2007 which was why you saw him looking out onto Moden Manchester, and looking at Mancunian Way - The big bridge. Then he realised he couldnt handle the change and when he couldnt feel the cut on his finger he remember what the barman said if you cant feel then you are not alive so he jumped off Stopford house, the police station so hes go back into where he felt alive.

Thats the impression i got anyway.

[Jojo]

Yeah, so does that mean is he now dead then?! As jumping off that building would pretty much kill anyone, not just put them back in a coma. And how did Gene's gun shot wound to his leg suddenly disappear when he pulled up in the car etc - I felt the end left me even more confused that I was at the start, and I'm still sat here wondering, is he in a coma, has he gone back in time, etc

[Johnny Allen]

I was confused, and personally felt it was somewhat disappointing, giving how original it had been throughout its 2 series. As I see it, Sam woke up back in 2007 but took the decesive step he needed (jumping of the building) to go back to the world he felt most alive in 1973. Although Im convinced this was just done so Gene Hunt and his crew can still remain for the spin-off Ashes to Ashes. What I dont understand is why things werent answered.

Will we never know what happened to Maya?
If Frank Morgan was a suregon in the present world, I dont get why he was in 1973 as well?

[Katy]

I think he is definitly dead as he switched off the radio when you caould hear the paramedics trying to talk to him. I think that was a sign and as for Frank i think he was the present day surgeon in his head and thats why he appeared on M.A.R.S. Im not entirley sure though, thats how i perceived it to be as.

[Beckie]

Maya left him a couple of epsiodes ago. You heard her talk to him in his coma. She said she had to move on.

[Bad Wolf]

me and my gran are both huge fans and we were dissapointed by the ending

we got that he felt alive in 1973 so wanted to go back, but jumping off the police station?????? is he dead or what now?

on the bbc news site it said it was left deliberately ambiguous so people coul make their own conclusions about what happened

[Chloe O'brien]

Maybe its meant to be like a time traveller like quantum Leap where his body is dead but his soul appears in different time zone's and under a different name.

[Abi]

I havent watched all of the series, but from the last couple of episodes, i understood it like this. He was alive in 2007, and the crash made him travel back to 1973. His body in 2007 was in a coma whilst he was in 1973. When he went back to 2007, he realised that he felt more alive in 1973, so he jumped off the building, to kill his 2007 body. That meant that his spirit went back to were it felt most alive: 1973.

The talking on the radio right at the end showed that his body in 2007 was dying, and then when the test card girl turned the screen off, i think that was when his 2007 body died.

Does any of that make sense? lol!

[Bad Wolf]

that makes the most sense to me abi!

on another note - how bloody sinsister is the test card girl???!

[JustJodi]

:hmm: :hmm: So was that IT,, no more LIFE ON MARS ???Golly I feel CHEATED lol Just when my hubby was getting into the program. he loved the way Gene talked, and laughed out loud,, I am gonna miss the show if they do not bring it back :crying:
Anyone have any idea if they will conitune the series in 1973 ??????????

[Bad Wolf]

they are doing a spin off set in the 80's with Gene Hunt in london - i'll find the article

[Bad Wolf]

Life on Mars sequel jumps to '80s

Actor Philip Glenister (left) will be joined by a new female co-star
A sequel to TV drama Life on Mars is to be made with the action moving to the 1980s, it has been confirmed.
The announcement was made as the second and final series of Life on Mars - in which a modern police officer was trapped in 1973 - came to an end.

The sequel, Ashes to Ashes, will see Philip Glenister return as DCI Gene Hunt - but this time in London in 1981.

He will be joined by a female detective from the 21st Century who is stuck in the past after an accident.

She will replace Life on Mars star John Simm, who was at the centre of the original mystery after apparently being catapulted back in time following a car crash in 2006.

Viewers of Tuesday's finale finally saw the answer to his continual question: "Am I mad, in a coma or back in time?"

'Sexy sidekick'

The new character will be a modern woman who has risen through the ranks of the Metropolitan Police by using psychological profiling to capture suspects, producers said.

But when she and her daughter are kidnapped, she is injured in a rescue attempt - and finds herself in 1981.

Jane Featherstone, executive producer for TV production company Kudos, said the search was on for DCI Hunt's new "sexy sidekick".

"It's a touch of Moonlighting teamed with a measure of Miami Vice," she said.

Filming is due to begin this summer and the show will be broadcast on BBC One next year.