LIFE ON MARS: SERIES 1 (Acorn Media)

Life on Mars' greatest asset (aside from riffing its title from one of David Bowie's best songs) is that it rises above its schtick-y premise quite often. This British import that eventually got remade in the States with Harvey Keitel (with little staying power - after a season, it's been cancelled) showcases a fantastic cast, excellent production value and a downright cringe-inducing setup.

Basically, detective Sam Tyler (John Simm) gets hit by a car in modern times and wakes up in 1973. I suppose a more proactive description of the show's basic concept (rather than this writer's own 'cringe-inducing') is that a crime drama like this peels back the techno-forensics of modern CSI-esque shows in order to return to a more meat-and-potatoes, Hill Street Blues-esque cat-and-mouse chase. As Tyler attempts to bring his newfangled tendencies with a more ground-floor take offer by his 70s boss Gene Hunt (Philip Glenister), he pretty much learns how to solve crimes all over again by getting back to basics.

Yet while I find this setup somehwat understandable yet eventually kinda half-hearted, the charismatic interplay among characters here quickly gives viewers something else to focus on. Simm and Glenister make perfect foils for one another, and even Simm's love affair (with The Fixer's Annie Cartwright) develops with emotional hiccups and unpredictable empathy.

I don't know if Life on Mars is one for the record books, but seeing as this writer is a sucker for crime dramas of any shape and size, I must admit that I became hooked pretty much right off the bat. As I moaned and bitched about the overly-meta premise to the show, I wasted no time clicking my remote control to start up the next episode. And that's pretty much what good TV-on-DVD is all about, no?

Video/Audio: I'm used to enjoying British dramas in spite of their techincal deficiencies, so the fact that Life on Mars: Series 1 looks and sounds great on DVD is a lovely treat. The show is presented in its original 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen, and while black levels aren't entirely consistent, color accuracy is spot-on, and finely detailed textures come through nicely (sometimes better in daytime shots than night, but...). And the show's peach-fuzz 1970s look is very cool - it's a vision that both serves the show dramatically and also looks great on DVD. And the Dolby Digital 5.1 sound mixes, while not reference-quality, do their job. Dialogue is presented cleanly, music comes through impressively, and while there isn't a huge exploitation of surround channels, atmospherics and effects slip away from front-and-center every once in a while to notable effect. 

English SDH, are included, as is an English stereo mix.

Supplements: This set is flush with bonuses, as well. We get screen-specific audio commentaries on all episodes with varioius members of the show's cast and crew, as well as a set of featurettes (an interview with director Bharat Halluri, The Muisc of Life on Mars with composer Ed Butt, and a discussion with production designer Brian Sykes entitled Get Sykes), and a blooper reel.

Best of all, though, is the hour-long documentary, Take a Look at the Lawman (again, excellent Bowie-isms here!), which offers a comprehensive look at the show, its development and its production. It really sheds light on the intricacies that Life on Mars broadcasts - it made me appreciate the series that much more

Final Thoughts: Life on Mars has its fans, and for them, this set is a humdinger: We get excellent video/audio quality as well as a solid wealth of goodies. This writer was on the fence with the show's first few episodes, but after the first disc of this box set, I was hooked. I can't wait to see the U.S. version and how it gummed up by comparison...

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