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Dec. 16th, 2006 03:27 pmSo, the lovely ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
llywela13 got me hooked on the BBC show Life On Mars. The premise of the show is a simple one but as so often with simple things, they develop an intriguing and complex structure: 2006, Detective chief inspector Sam Tyler has a severe accident and mysteriously wakes up in 1973. While he tries to figure out how he came into this bizarre situation, he not only has to struggle with the question if he is possibly insane or in a coma, but also has to come to terms with the life and work situation he finds himself in.
The show is a curious mix of David Lynch meets The Professionals and draws a lot of its appeal from the constant suspense it holds the viewer in: It likes to pull the rug out from under Sam’s (and the viewer's) sense of reality every time he acquires some feeling of security or contentment within his situation. His common sense tells Sam that the situation can’t be real, but on the other hand he perceives it as so real and full of details he can’t figure how he could possibly imagine it. In the area of conflicts between his self-consciousness and the world he is confronted with, he needs to pursue his every day police work and deal with the people around him.
Theoretically we all know how enormously the world changed in the past 30 years, heck I even experienced these changes since I grew up in the 70ies, but this show makes it tangible in a way you could never feel it by simply watching an authentic 70ies show, because everything is reflected through a modern point of view on the times. Due to the main character's line of profession, the focus naturally is on how much police work and forensics changed over the decades, but you also get a good glimpse into every day life and the general attitude of the time.
This show ranges from hilariously funny to disturbingly creepy. The sets are fantastic, created with much love for details. The characters are great, they are kind of stereotypical, but more as a means of emphasis than out of lack in writing. It draws a lot of comedic potential out of the contrast between Sam and his partner Gene, who is a typical bad cop bully-type of his time but proves to be some sort of friend over time (not finished with the show yet, but I think it gets there). And let’s not forget the music, that features the classic rock and pop of the time, so much fun!
So, a highly recommendable show, for anyone interested in something really unique and original :)
llywela13 got me hooked on the BBC show Life On Mars. The premise of the show is a simple one but as so often with simple things, they develop an intriguing and complex structure: 2006, Detective chief inspector Sam Tyler has a severe accident and mysteriously wakes up in 1973. While he tries to figure out how he came into this bizarre situation, he not only has to struggle with the question if he is possibly insane or in a coma, but also has to come to terms with the life and work situation he finds himself in. The show is a curious mix of David Lynch meets The Professionals and draws a lot of its appeal from the constant suspense it holds the viewer in: It likes to pull the rug out from under Sam’s (and the viewer's) sense of reality every time he acquires some feeling of security or contentment within his situation. His common sense tells Sam that the situation can’t be real, but on the other hand he perceives it as so real and full of details he can’t figure how he could possibly imagine it. In the area of conflicts between his self-consciousness and the world he is confronted with, he needs to pursue his every day police work and deal with the people around him.
Theoretically we all know how enormously the world changed in the past 30 years, heck I even experienced these changes since I grew up in the 70ies, but this show makes it tangible in a way you could never feel it by simply watching an authentic 70ies show, because everything is reflected through a modern point of view on the times. Due to the main character's line of profession, the focus naturally is on how much police work and forensics changed over the decades, but you also get a good glimpse into every day life and the general attitude of the time.
This show ranges from hilariously funny to disturbingly creepy. The sets are fantastic, created with much love for details. The characters are great, they are kind of stereotypical, but more as a means of emphasis than out of lack in writing. It draws a lot of comedic potential out of the contrast between Sam and his partner Gene, who is a typical bad cop bully-type of his time but proves to be some sort of friend over time (not finished with the show yet, but I think it gets there). And let’s not forget the music, that features the classic rock and pop of the time, so much fun!
So, a highly recommendable show, for anyone interested in something really unique and original :)
