--- title: "Life on Mars: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/tv/life-on-mars/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/tv/life-on-mars" critics_score: 75 critics_reviews: 8 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Life on Mars (2006): what the critics said Critics' score 75 from 8 reviews: 7 positive, 1 mixed, 0 negative. Most critics like it, and the praise falls in the same places. The premise, a detective knocked back to 1973, is judged clever not for its mechanics but for what it lets the series say about memory, nostalgia and how much Britain has changed. The recreation of the period is admired for its detail. Philip Glenister’s Gene Hunt is the performance nearly every review names, and the relationship between Hunt and Sam Tyler is picked out as the thing holding the show together. The reservations are few. Sam divides the reviews: Variety finds the lead somewhat bland and The AV Club, the one mixed notice, thinks his character moments are weaker and the time-travel threads sometimes clumsily handled, while Collider finds John Simm’s performance captivating. Radio Times admits to some queasiness at Hunt’s attitudes. The spread is narrow, and the retrospective reviews written years later are warmer than the ones from 2006. ## The Guardian — Sam Wollaston Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 January 2006. The critic finds the time-travel police drama a rich combination of nostalgic romp, gripping procedural and mind-bending premise that hooks the viewer. The detailed 1973 production design and strong central performances are singled out for praise. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/media/2006/jan/10/broadcasting.tvandradio) ## Empire — Dorian Lynskey Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 26 May 2006. The critic finds the time-travel premise a clever ploy to explore memory, history and nostalgia without getting bogged down in mechanics, praising the deft recreation of a very different 1970s Britain and Philip Glenister's authentic performance as Gene Hunt. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/tv/reviews/life-mars-series-1-review/) ## Radio Times — David Brown Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). The critic calls it a crime drama with the highest of high concepts, noting how Gene Hunt epitomises the blinkered thinking of the past while acknowledging the ingenious premise remains undiminished despite some queasiness looking back. [Read the review](https://www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-v6kjas/life-on-mars-season-1/) ## Variety — Brian Lowry Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 23 July 2006. The critic describes the series as the TV equivalent of a page-turner whose audacious concept keeps it lively and elevates cop drama to a surreal level, singling out the compelling mystery and atmosphere as key strengths despite a somewhat bland lead. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2006/tv/reviews/life-on-mars-2-1200514607/) ## The AV Club — Noel Murray Rating B/B+. 12 December 2007. The episodes mix routine police procedural elements with time-travel plot threads that feel clumsily handled at times. The critic highlights Gene Hunt's compelling presence and memorable lines as a standout strength amid some weaker character moments for Sam. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/life-on-mars-episodes-2-1-2-2-1798203637) ## Collider — Kelcie Mattson Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 25 March 2026. The critic calls the BBC series a quietly brilliant cult classic and one of Stephen King's all-time favorites, praising its inventive genre-blending fusion of mystery, psychological thriller, period drama, and sci-fi elements along with John Simm's captivating performance. [Read the review](https://collider.com/life-on-mars-bbc-series/) ## Den of Geek — Gabriel Bergmoser Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 3 June 2016. Life on Mars remains one of the critic's all-time favourite TV shows, deceptively quaint at heart as a straightforward police procedural elevated by its characters and culture-clash premise. The critic singles out the relationship between Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt, along with the show's simplicity and themes of friendship, loyalty and acceptance, for particular praise. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/life-on-mars-revisiting-a-terrific-uk-crime-drama/) ## Digital Spy — Ben Rawson-Jones Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 23 December 2007. Life on Mars' second and final season was magnificent, ending on an ambiguous note that preserved the beauty of its central mystery while delivering strong highlights throughout. The critic praises standout episodes and Gene Hunt's memorable dialogue as evidence of the show's high quality. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/tv/a82139/cult-spy-review-of-2007-british-shows/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/tv/life-on-mars.md