Life on Mars failed miserably in its US version, but there was a reason why the U.S. version was commissioned in the first place. Acorn’s release of the second season of Life on Mars is more evidence of that, with over seven hours of footage to persuade viewers. This season goes much more into depth about whether Sam is actually in 1973 or 2006, and further explores the relationships that ey has made in the earlier period.
The linkages that Sam can see between the two eras increases in the second season, with the first episode putting 2006 Sam in danger by someone that is present in the earlier period. As the season rolls on, it becomes evident that Sam is a special case, existing in both periods, being tapped to solve issues both in 1973 (heroin, the IRA) and 2006 (whether ey has been given too much of a medication).
The amounts of humor that are interjected in episodes further parallel this season of Life on Mars with the better seasons of a show like Quantum Leap or Sliders.
As always, Acorn’s cut of the series is as sharp as all get out, with the audio being as clear as it was during its initial broadcast on BBC One. The featurettes all provide a great deal of information regarding specific facets of the show, best of which concerns the issues present in filming in a preserved courtroom from the era. Another featurette goes into extreme detail about all facets of the exploding car scene, including the health hazards and sheer amount of hours needed to ensure that everything would go off with without a hitch.
The DVD set caps off the show quite nicely, leaving individuals set up for the follow-up series to Life on Mars, Ashes to Ashes. Check out both series of Life on Mars to see what all the fuss is about.
Rating: 8.2/10
Life on Mars, Series 2 (DVD) / 2009 Acorn Media / 468 Minutes / http://www.acornmedia.com