Series 1: Episode 7 (Life on Mars)
Encyclopedia
The seventh episode of the first series of the British
time travel
police procedural
television
series, Life on Mars
, was first broadcast on 20 February 2006. It was produced by Kudos Film & Television
for BBC One
.
and Gene
are out, he is found dead. Gene is keen to write it off as an accident and encourages everyone else to do the same. Sam is adamant that a full investigation be done, partly out of his sense of justice and partly because he comes to believe it is a way back to his own time. His developing suspicions of a cover-up are fueled when it turns out Billy died of a cocaine-induced heart attack, which is impossible as he would have to had taken it while in the cell. Billy's sister insists that while Billy did deal drugs, he would never have taken them himself, owing to a weak heart.
His efforts to get to the truth are frustrated at every turn by Ray
and Gene, while the latter goes about painting a very skewed portrait of what happened and attempting to shift the focus toward Billy's drug dealings and his supplier. Even Annie
is reluctant to assist Sam, asking him to leave it alone, and is insulted by his mistrust of her after he sees Chris
hand her something in the hallway. Sam knows something is wrong when it is discovered that the drugs confiscated from Billy during his arrest have disappeared. He finally corners Chris, who admits that he (following Sam's example) recorded his and Ray's interrogation of Billy, and gave Annie the tape for safekeeping.
Sam searches Annie's locker and finds the tape, but is confronted by Ray, who demands he hand it over. They get into a fistfight and Sam manages to beat Ray. He listens to the tape as the team slowly gathers in the office. When Gene shows up Sam plays the portion that reveals what happened - Ray, attempting to get Billy to name his supplier, forced him to take the cocaine, not knowing that Billy had a heart condition. When Billy complained of chest pains Ray ordered Annie to hold off on calling a doctor, but by the time they decided to do so it was too late. Ray tries to explain himself by saying that he was doing what Gene taught him to do - whatever it takes to get results. Gene, with utter seriousness, calls the team a disgrace and dismisses them.
A furious Sam wants that Ray be brought up on charges of manslaughter. Gene is dismissive, insisting that Ray has to live with what he did, and that he himself is to blame for leaving the weak-willed Ray in command. He then reveals that he is pleased with the results of Sam's investigation - in fighting against it, he was indirectly encouraging the "holier-than-thou" Sam and avoided having to do it himself, which would have been bad for morale. Having the tape, Sam can use it to destroy the team - earlier, Superintendent Rathbone had issued such a threat to Gene if he learned of any wrongdoing in Kemble's death - or he can let it slide under the rug; of course, that's his choice to make, Gene reminds him.
The next morning, Annie asks Sam to take a walk with her. She insists that she and the other officers are real people, not figments of some game for Sam's benefit, and he is poised to ruin their lives. She begs him not to do what he intends to, if she means anything to him. Phyllis calls on the radio, telling them that Gene wants everyone assembled at the station. When they arrive Gene makes a point of demoting Ray to Detective Constable in front of everyone, humiliating him. He then tells the team the case has been shameful, and is never to be spoken of again. Sam, realizing it had to be public, believes this is not enough and presents the tape to Rathbone. After saying that he'd heard the problem had been dealt with, Rathbone snaps the tape in half without listening to it, coldly telling Sam that anyone could have recorded it, and that he is foolish for believing in its validity.
Shocked, Sam walks out and is met by Gene, who had already guessed Rathbone would cover things up. He tells Sam that such things are the way of the world, and the only thing to do is survive. Outraged, Sam condemns it as an institution of corruption, and refuses to stop fighting against it - which Gene approves of. He then goes to Annie, who is disappointed that he cared more about truth and justice than about her. Sam cannot see beyond his failure, and laments that nothing he does makes a difference. He pleads with Annie not to abandon him, and she tells him she couldn't even if she wanted to. Their friendship restored, they head back to work.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
time travel
Time travel in fiction
Time travel is a common theme in science fiction and is depicted in a variety of media. It simply means either going forward in time or backward, to experience the future, or the past.-Literature:...
police procedural
Police procedural
The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
series, Life on Mars
Life on Mars (TV series)
Life on Mars is a British television series broadcast on BBC One between January 2006 and April 2007. The series combines elements of science fiction and police procedural....
, was first broadcast on 20 February 2006. It was produced by Kudos Film & Television
Kudos (production company)
Kudos Film and Television is a British independent film and television production company. It has produced television series for the BBC, ITV and Channel 4, and its productions include Spooks , Hustle, Life on Mars and its spin-off Ashes to Ashes, The Amazing Mrs Pritchard and M.I. High...
for BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
.
Synopsis
When the team arrests simple-minded drug dealer Billy Kemble, he is put in lockup with a violent psychopath. A few hours later, while SamSam Tyler
DCI/DI Sam Tyler is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars.In the original British version of Life on Mars, Tyler is played by John Simm and in the American version he is played by Jason O'Mara....
and Gene
Gene Hunt
DCI Gene Hunt is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama Life on Mars and its sequel, Ashes to Ashes. The character is portrayed by Philip Glenister in both Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, whereas in the American version he is portrayed by Harvey Keitel.The...
are out, he is found dead. Gene is keen to write it off as an accident and encourages everyone else to do the same. Sam is adamant that a full investigation be done, partly out of his sense of justice and partly because he comes to believe it is a way back to his own time. His developing suspicions of a cover-up are fueled when it turns out Billy died of a cocaine-induced heart attack, which is impossible as he would have to had taken it while in the cell. Billy's sister insists that while Billy did deal drugs, he would never have taken them himself, owing to a weak heart.
His efforts to get to the truth are frustrated at every turn by Ray
Ray Carling
DC/DS/DI Raymond Milton "Ray" Carling is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars and its spin-off Ashes to Ashes.-Life on Mars:...
and Gene, while the latter goes about painting a very skewed portrait of what happened and attempting to shift the focus toward Billy's drug dealings and his supplier. Even Annie
Annie Cartwright
WPC/DC Annie Cartwright is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars. The character is portrayed by Liz White...
is reluctant to assist Sam, asking him to leave it alone, and is insulted by his mistrust of her after he sees Chris
Chris Skelton
PC/DC Christopher "Chris" Skelton is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars and its spin-off Ashes to Ashes.- Life on Mars :...
hand her something in the hallway. Sam knows something is wrong when it is discovered that the drugs confiscated from Billy during his arrest have disappeared. He finally corners Chris, who admits that he (following Sam's example) recorded his and Ray's interrogation of Billy, and gave Annie the tape for safekeeping.
Sam searches Annie's locker and finds the tape, but is confronted by Ray, who demands he hand it over. They get into a fistfight and Sam manages to beat Ray. He listens to the tape as the team slowly gathers in the office. When Gene shows up Sam plays the portion that reveals what happened - Ray, attempting to get Billy to name his supplier, forced him to take the cocaine, not knowing that Billy had a heart condition. When Billy complained of chest pains Ray ordered Annie to hold off on calling a doctor, but by the time they decided to do so it was too late. Ray tries to explain himself by saying that he was doing what Gene taught him to do - whatever it takes to get results. Gene, with utter seriousness, calls the team a disgrace and dismisses them.
A furious Sam wants that Ray be brought up on charges of manslaughter. Gene is dismissive, insisting that Ray has to live with what he did, and that he himself is to blame for leaving the weak-willed Ray in command. He then reveals that he is pleased with the results of Sam's investigation - in fighting against it, he was indirectly encouraging the "holier-than-thou" Sam and avoided having to do it himself, which would have been bad for morale. Having the tape, Sam can use it to destroy the team - earlier, Superintendent Rathbone had issued such a threat to Gene if he learned of any wrongdoing in Kemble's death - or he can let it slide under the rug; of course, that's his choice to make, Gene reminds him.
The next morning, Annie asks Sam to take a walk with her. She insists that she and the other officers are real people, not figments of some game for Sam's benefit, and he is poised to ruin their lives. She begs him not to do what he intends to, if she means anything to him. Phyllis calls on the radio, telling them that Gene wants everyone assembled at the station. When they arrive Gene makes a point of demoting Ray to Detective Constable in front of everyone, humiliating him. He then tells the team the case has been shameful, and is never to be spoken of again. Sam, realizing it had to be public, believes this is not enough and presents the tape to Rathbone. After saying that he'd heard the problem had been dealt with, Rathbone snaps the tape in half without listening to it, coldly telling Sam that anyone could have recorded it, and that he is foolish for believing in its validity.
Shocked, Sam walks out and is met by Gene, who had already guessed Rathbone would cover things up. He tells Sam that such things are the way of the world, and the only thing to do is survive. Outraged, Sam condemns it as an institution of corruption, and refuses to stop fighting against it - which Gene approves of. He then goes to Annie, who is disappointed that he cared more about truth and justice than about her. Sam cannot see beyond his failure, and laments that nothing he does makes a difference. He pleads with Annie not to abandon him, and she tells him she couldn't even if she wanted to. Their friendship restored, they head back to work.
Cast
- Sam TylerSam TylerDCI/DI Sam Tyler is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars.In the original British version of Life on Mars, Tyler is played by John Simm and in the American version he is played by Jason O'Mara....
— John SimmJohn SimmJohn Simm is an English stage and screen actor. In recent years he is best known for his roles as Sam Tyler in the detective drama Life on Mars and as The Master in the revival of the science fiction series Doctor Who, but he has also starred in many highly acclaimed award-winning television... - Gene HuntGene HuntDCI Gene Hunt is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama Life on Mars and its sequel, Ashes to Ashes. The character is portrayed by Philip Glenister in both Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes, whereas in the American version he is portrayed by Harvey Keitel.The...
— Philip GlenisterPhilip GlenisterPhilip Haywood Glenister is an English actor, known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in British television series Life On Mars and its sequel Ashes To Ashes.-Television and films:... - Chris SkeltonChris SkeltonPC/DC Christopher "Chris" Skelton is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars and its spin-off Ashes to Ashes.- Life on Mars :...
— Marshall LancasterMarshall LancasterMarshall Lancaster is a British actor. He has appeared in many television dramas, including Coronation Street, Holby City, The Lakes and Family Affairs, but is probably best known for playing DC Chris Skelton in the BBC time-travel police dramas, Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes.Lancaster is a... - Ray CarlingRay CarlingDC/DS/DI Raymond Milton "Ray" Carling is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars and its spin-off Ashes to Ashes.-Life on Mars:...
— Dean AndrewsDean AndrewsDean Andrews is a British actor.He is most famous for his role as DS Ray Carling in the BBC Television drama Life on Mars... - Annie CartwrightAnnie CartwrightWPC/DC Annie Cartwright is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars. The character is portrayed by Liz White...
— Liz WhiteLiz White (actress)Liz White is an English actress, best known for her regular role as WPC/WDC Annie Cartwright in the BBC time travel drama Life on Mars, which began in January 2006... - Nelson — Tony Marshall
- Phyllis DobbsPhyllis DobbsWPC Phyllis Dobbs is a fictional character in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars. The character is portrayed by Noreen Kershaw, whereas in the American version the character does not exist except for a very minor capacity....
— Noreen KershawNoreen KershawNoreen Kershaw is an English television actress and director.She trained at the Manchester Polytechnic School of Theatre and, at Liverpool's Everyman Theatre, originated the title role of the play Shirley Valentine, later made famous by Pauline Collins... - Billy Kemble — Kevin Knapman
- Albert Collins - Andrew Vincent
- Saeed Taufeeq (Indian restaruant owner) - Sagar Arya
- Doctor - Tom Lloyd Roberts
- Andrea Kemble - Lisa Millett
- Oswald Spear (pathologist) — Nicholas Blane
- Superintendent Frank Rathbone - William Hoyland
- Open University Lecturer - Richard SinnottRichard SinnottRichard Sinnott is a professional actor, writer and director based in Manchester.He has played over forty credited roles in British television series such as Coronation Street, Life on Mars and The Street, and in films such as The Parole Officer...
(uncredited)
Music
- ToxicToxic (song)"Toxic" is a song by American recording artist Britney Spears, co-written and produced by Bloodshy & Avant, from her fourth album, In the Zone. It was released on January 12, 2004, by Jive Records as the second single from the album. After trying to choose between " Boom Boom" and "Outrageous" to...
- Britney SpearsBritney SpearsBritney Jean Spears is an American recording artist and entertainer. Born in McComb, Mississippi, and raised in Kentwood, Louisiana, Spears began performing as a child, landing acting roles in stage productions and television shows. She signed with Jive Records in 1997 and released her debut album... - Welcome HomeWelcome Home (1973 song)"Welcome Home" was a song made popular by Peters and Lee.Originally written by Jean Alphonse Dupre and Stanislas Beldone in French and translated into English by Bryan Blackburn the record was produced by Johnny Franz...
- Peters and LeePeters and LeePeters and Lee were a successful British folk/pop duo of the 1970s, comprising Lennie Peters and Dianne Lee .-Background:... - Disco 2000Disco 2000 (song)"Disco 2000" is a hit single by British band Pulp, released in 1995. It reached #7 in the UK Singles Chart. It was the third single from the album Different Class, following "Common People" and the double A-side "Mis-Shapes"/"Sorted for E's & Wizz", both of which reached #2.The song tells the story...
- PulpPulp (band)Pulp are an English alternative rock band formed in Sheffield in 1978. Their lineup consists of Jarvis Cocker , Russell Senior , Candida Doyle , Mark Webber , Steve Mackey and Nick Banks .... - Sinnerman - Nina SimoneNina SimoneEunice Kathleen Waymon , better known by her stage name Nina Simone , was an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist widely associated with jazz music...
- I Can't Tell the Bottom from the Top - The HolliesThe HolliesThe Hollies are an English pop and rock group, formed in Manchester in the early 1960s, though most of the band members are from throughout East Lancashire. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 1970s...
External links
- Episode 7 at bbc.co.ukBbc.co.ukBBC Online is the brand name and home for the BBC's UK online service. It is a large network of websites including such high profile sites as BBC News and Sport, the on-demand video and radio services co-branded BBC iPlayer, the pre-school site Cbeebies, and learning services such as Bitesize...
- Episode 7 at the Internet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie DatabaseInternet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
- Episode 7 at TV.comTV.comTV.com is a website owned by CBS Interactive. The site covers television and focuses on English-language shows made or broadcast in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and Japan...