Life on Mars Essay

Textual Analysis of Life on Mars

Life on Mars is an episodic TV police drama in which a gritty, conventional policeman from modern day finds himself in a police unit from the 70’s. Stuck in a strange, alternate reality, Sam Tyler confronts common themes of the time head on such as racism, sexism, homophobia and police brutality.

The TV show Life on Mars functions as an excellent representation of Manchester in the 70’s. While drama is sensationalised for the sake of television, based on the reviews of sites like IMDb and Metacric, the show creates a somewhat accurate representation of the 70’s.

In the show, rarely does an episode go by in which there isn’t a single cultural reference. The show cleverly targets itself at people who lived through or appreciate 70’s culture. It often plays on nostalgic feelings by referencing pop culture like David Bowie, of which the show gets its title from – “Life on Mars”, a song written and released on an LP in 1971, later to be released as a single in 1973, the same year as the TV show is set, becoming an  odd song that would become iconic for Bowie.

Later a spin off series was created, which served as a sequel to Life on Mars, set ten years later under the name Ashes to Ashes, featuring a new main character with a similar cast. Ashes to Ashes (Bowie song) was also released in 1980.

Often the show uses music as material to create nostalgia – relying on bands that hit the height of their fame in the 70’s – Bowie, Blue Oyster Cult, and The Who for example.

One way we can tell that nostalgia is important for the series is in the success of its US spin off with the same name. The US edition was set in New York, and while it was praised for its depiction of the 70’s, it didn’t do well with critics and was not renewed for a second season. One reason for this might be the values that the British people hold. Tradition generally important to us, and because of this we value events of the past, which gives us nostalgia, whereas in America, a country with a shorter history might not value history so much.

Life on Mars is an interesting depiction of history because it doesn’t lie to us. Another TV series might choose to avoid depictions of racism, sexism, homophobia and other sensitive materials, but by choosing to represent them in such a realistic way is a unique creative choice.

The show however still seems to attract left winged viewers through its clever use of grounding. The main character Sam Tyler is often used as a counterpoint to Gene Hunts various bigoted opinions and actions. For example Sam might stop Gene from beating up a potentially innocent man. Often this can be incorporated into the story. When crime gets personal, it’s clear that Sam will let Gene off his metaphorical leash. Not only that, most of the narratives cause conflict between Sam and Gene’s opposing strategies for good policing.

The typical demographic for the show would be working class people – maybe around 35-55. Not necessarily living in the 70’s but growing up, these people will be encountering the aftermath of the 70’s and some of the themes it brought with it, therefore 35 year olds may still experience some nostalgia from the show, particularly music.

yougov