Imagine being a cop in 2008.
Now imagine being the same cop dropped back in time to 1973 — no cell phones, no Internet, no DNA evidence and no more relationship with his modern-day girlfriend.
That’s Life on Mars, the new cop drama that combines time travel, gritty police work and a love story when New York detective Sam Tyler (Jason O’Mara) wakes up after being hit by a car while chasing a suspect to wearing bell bottoms and sideburns in the politically incorrect world of 1973.
The new series premiered Thursday at 10 p.m. ET on ABC starring: O’Mara, the totally cool Harvey Keitel as Lieutenant Gene Hunt (his boss), Michael Imperioli as his resentful colleague Detective Ray Carling, Gretchen Mol as Annie Norris and Jonathan Murphy as Detective Chris Skelton.
Lisa Bonet will appear as a recurring guest star as his present-day girlfriend Maya Daniels.
Dropped into chaos, Tyler is forced to live his life as a 1973 cop while trying to solve his own mystery in order to get home to 2008 and his former life. The cop world is not the same. Now he’s living in the time of the Vietnam War, Watergate, women’s lib and civil rights movements. He sees firsthand how different this world is as he watches new friend Annie face sexism in the workforce.
One unique part of the show, based on the BBC hit series Mars, is its future love triangle that will involve Maya in the present-day and Annie in his new 1973 life.
Life on Mars airs on Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC