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24 September 2014
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Life on Mars

Test card girl in Life on Mars
Test card girl: 'None of this is real'

Life on Mars: the end

Millions of people tuned in to watch the conclusion of 91Èȱ¬ One’s Life on Mars (10 April). The Manchester-based cop drama ended with a clever twist which saw Sam Tyler go back to the future before returning to 1973. But how was it for you?

It was one of the most eagerly awaited bits of television for years: would DI Sam Tyler (John Simm) wake up from his coma and find his life back in 1973 was all a dream? Or is he really in the world of wing collars, Ford Cortinas and old-style coppering?

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In the final episode of Life on Mars, Sam starts to believe his nightmare is almost over: he’s in a coma in the future, and DCI Gene Hunt is the ‘tumour’ in his brain. If he can get rid of Hunt, he can come home. The ‘operation’ is nearly over.

DI Sam Tyler (John Simm)
The light at the end of the tunnel?

But what he’s told by Hunt’s rival DCI Frank Morgan turns his world upside down: that he really is in 1973, that he’s suffering from amnesia following a car crash and that he’s working under cover to gather evidence about A division’s dubious motives and methods.

Back to the future?

So what's reality? ‘It ain't real if you can't feel it,’ as Nelson, the barman tells him.

In a pivotal wake-up scene, Sam find himself back in the future where he never felt alive. In fact,he finds it so dull, he throws himself off the top of Manchester Police HQ to return to his 70s life and the woman of his dreams Annie Cartwright (Liz White). Aaaah…

And then right at the end, as if to remind us all that it's just a fantasy, the test card girl skips down the alley, reaches out and turns off our televisions.Ìý

A happy ending. Sort of. And that’s it. There’ll be no series 3. Although the ‘Gene Genie’ DCI Hunt will be back in a spin-off series Ashes to Ashes set in 1981 London.

Your thoughts

Theories abound about Life on Mars. There are more than a few Wizard of Oz references, as ‘Dorothy’ aka John Simm tries to find his way back home And, as we all know, ‘there’s no place like home’. Or is it more like the Prisoner? Or Alice in Wonderland?

What did you make of it all? Tell us what you thought of the conclusion of Life on Mars? Did you predict it? Or maybe you have your own theories…

last updated: 11/04/07
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Have Your Say
Have Your Say on the conclusion of Life on Mars
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Paul Fairclough
Apart from the beginning before the crash I think he was in a coma all the way through the programme. As for the last episode I think it was a deliberate attempt by the writers to make it as surreal and weird as possible so we'd be talking about it for weeks instead of just a normal episode. Who knows what goes on in somebodies mind during a coma and this show has been an amazing journey and I've thoroughly enjoyed every minute.

Jonathan Morris
Even after reading this article, I'm still no-wiser to what actually happened. This article misses the scene where Frank Morgan shows Sam a grave with his name on suggesting he died in the 1900's. Does anyone know where that fits in? I think there ending is a bit muddled but I guess that could be the point. It left me in a similar state of mind after trying to work out what Donnie Darko was all about!

Roland Hill
Gripping television, got to buy both series on dvd and live it all again. The operation must have failed and he was dreaming when he came back to the future - so this is why he has to stay in 1973.

Anna
Only one word for it....Genius!

norman
A fantastic well written show,it had everything DRAMA/HUMOR/and lots of NOSTALGIA.The final show certainly had me thinking,The BEEB needs to put more well written/acted shows on TV.I look forward to the (spin off),Maybe (DCI SAM TYLER can make a small return in the spin off?

s.richards,cheshire
The last 11-15 minutes was what really kept viewers spellbound but also in suspense as 2 what happens to sam?1st he was in a cemetery with that morgan fella,looking at his parents grave then he back in the railway tunnel where he last saw gene hunt and the others being shot at and it shows sam shoot and kill the bloke.that in the last scene.had previously shot,hunt in the leg then they were next seen in the pub,it ended with hunt turning up in his car &everyone got in &th tv girl walking was in the allyway walks towards the tv set as if she knew she was being watched like same did whenever it happened in his own room and she then turned the tv off & the tv then went blank (like it does when we turn our own tv sets off)!its been announced today that LOM is nominated for 3 bafta awards including 1 for john simm & LOM itself but none 4 john's co/star philip glenister!but it john & LOM itself us against the 1 off moors murder tv drama based on the 2 moors murderers myra hindly & ian brady

Mark Green
Brilliant, can not wait for more, a real catch for the 91Èȱ¬, what a imagination this writers got he is pure genius, all the characters are first class also, rool on the new series

Bombadil
Brilliantly written.A sad reflection on the Command at GMP.Hopefuly Steve Crimmins wont be damaged - or maybe he needs a bang on the head to take him back to a time when Detectives got 'the job done', - even if the odd rule was stretched.Well done Steve.

montyblue
No matter what, it was the best series on the tele for a long time. simple & fun.

Andy Griffith
Having read the hundreds of theories regarding the ending circulating on the internet, I found the actual ending relatively logical and understated and the last few minutes was a little too cheesily crowd-pleasing. Personally, I quite liked the theories involving Sam being from neither 1973 nor 2006 but a third era, and the theory that these were two of a long line of Sam Tylers throughout history! (I didn't invent these, I should add.)It was, however, a satisfying conclusion to what has become my favourite TV show of all time. I'm a little wary of 'Ashes to Ashes'; judging by other TV show spin-off series it's bound to be vastly inferior to LoM, but I hope I'm proved wrong.

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