'Masterpiece' BBC drama is 'best series of all time' and a 'rollercoaster'

This BBC drama has a cult following and has been described as the "best British series of all time" by fans. Life on Mars is a British television series created by Matthew Graham, Tony Jordan, and Ashley Pharoah. It originally aired between 2006-2007 and stars John Simm, alongside Philip Glenister.

The series synopsis reads: "Months after a near-fatal car crash sends him hurtling back to the year 1973, police Detective Sam Tyler begins to give up hope that he'll return to his former life. Nonetheless, he rises through the ranks of the department, despite clashes with his morally lax boss, Detective Chief Inspector Gene Hunt. Sam gets a further surprise when a new member joins their team: Glenn Fletcher, a new recruit who, Sam knows, will grow into the chief inspector who mentors Sam back in his future life."

The series is named after David Bowie's song and it received acclaim for blending elements of mystery, police procedurals, supernatural drama, science fiction, and historical drama.

Life on Mars won two International Emmy Awards for Best Drama Series and has been adapted internationally several times.

It has a perfect 100% rating from the critics of Rotten Tomatoes.

Steve O'Brien, writing for SFX, declared "It looks like BBC One has ... a monster hit on its hands ... It's funny ... and dramatic and exciting, and we're really not getting paid for saying this".

One reviewer described it as a "rollercoaster", adding: "Whilst the first episode is slow in comparison to the rest, the entire series is a masterpiece of writing. The suspense and confusion that Sam feels, you feel alongside him. All of the main cast become so lovable, but with realistic character flaws. I've never been so hooked on a show whilst wanting the ending to come sooner. You spend the whole show loving every moment, but craving the end of it just to finally get to know what's going on. I highly, highly recommend."

In a Reddit thread named "What is the greatest British series of all time?", one person answered with Life on Mars, with several people liking the comment.

Life on Mars is available to stream on BBC iPlayer.