History YMMV / LifeonMars2006

** Tll the early 70s music used - perhaps surprisingly in some cases. Tracks from Music/{{Cream}}, Music/TheWho and Music/TRex were always going to sound good. What's more surprising is how awesome the series manages to make Music/PaulMcCartney, Music/MottTheHoopleAndLindesfarne sound. Special mention also to the eponymous Music/DavidBowie track that soundtracks Sam's first moments in '73. And has a pretty awesome reprise [[spoiler: when Sam throws himself from a roof to return there in the last episode]].

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: The title theme.
** And all the early 70s music used - perhaps surprisingly in some cases. Tracks from Music/{{Cream}}, Music/TheWho and Music/TRex were always going to sound good. What's more surprising is how awesome the series manages to make Music/PaulMcCartney, Music/MottTheHoopleAndLindesfarne sound. Special mention also to the eponymous Music/DavidBowie track that soundtracks Sam's first moments in '73. And has a pretty awesome reprise [[spoiler: when Sam throws himself from a roof to return there in the last episode]].
** Don't know if the DVD I have is different to the series which I didn't watch when it was on television, but the song where [[spoiler: Sam throws himself off the roof in the version I have is "Over the Rainbow" by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole. Still pretty awesome though]].
*** [[spoiler: "Over the Rainbow" sounds in the previous scene, once Sam is back in 2006. His suicide is set to Life on Mars.]]

* IronWoobie: Sam Tyler. He's a FishOutOfTemporalWater experiencing tons of angst (and SanitySlippage) as he tries to get back to his own time, and he gets verbally, physically and sexually assaulted on a regular basis. He's also a badass police officer who manages to make the most out of his admittedly sucky situation.

** Arguably Gene himself too. While he is politically incorrect, rough around the edges and frequently skirts the line of morality, he is ultimately a man who cares about protecting people and the sanctity of the law. His more misguided or ignorant actions are born from a desire to protect the innocent and he shows a deep distaste of corruption once Sam takes a stand on the matter. Also, while he is demonised by Sam and the press, it is shown that his gut instinct is actually often correct in many cases and he is an effective police officer. Once his true nature and past is revealed in Ashes to Ashes, he also takes on a significantly more sympathetic light.

** And all the early 70s music used - perhaps surprisingly in some cases. Tracks from Cream, The Who and T. Rex were always going to sound good. What's more surprising is how awesome the series manages to make Paul McCartney, Mott The Hoople and Lindesfarne sound. Special mention also to the eponymous Bowie track that soundtracks Sam's first moments in '73. And has a pretty awesome reprise [[spoiler: when Sam throws himself from a roof to return there in the last episode]].
** Don't know if the DVD I have is different to the series which I didn't watch when it was on television, but the song where [[spoiler: Sam throws himself off the roof in the version I have is Over the Rainbow by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole. Still pretty awesome though]].
*** [[spoiler: Over the Rainbow sounds in the previous scene, once Sam is back in 2006. His suicide is set to Life on Mars.]]
* HoYay / FoeYay: Gene loves bringing up how much of a fairy Sam is, but he sure likes to get in his personal space. In [[http://i34.tinypic.com/6pb3pj.jpg this]] Radio Times cover, they don't even look like they're fighting. They're just ''really'' close.

* JerkassHasAPoint:
** Gene Hunt is the quintessential jerkass and bad cop. But in Series 1, Episode 2, when he tries to frame Kim Trent to stop him committing further crimes, and Sam insists on letting Trent go due to lack of ''real'' evidence, Kim Trent eventually goes on to [[spoiler: commit another armed robbery and attempted murder.]]
** Though at the same time, whilst Sam sticks to his principles and ends up being right much of the time, he sometimes comes across as this. Played straight in Series 1 Episode 3, where all the evidence points to Ted Bannister as the murderer despite Sam's misgivings. It turns out [[spoiler: he was right, and the victim really died due to an industrial accident with a drive belt that snapped.]]

* NightmareFuel: [[CreepyChild The Test Card F girl]].
** [[spoiler:Though possibly subverted in that her weird advice to Sam was actually correct the whole time.]]

** Gene Hunt himself in the second episode (see JerkassHasAPoint above). Technically Hunt should ''not'' be framing Kim Trent, but at least it would have kept him off the streets.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: It was originally going to cut to black, series over, but the writers decided to give the viewers a bone and let them see him [[spoiler: rejoin his friends in 1973.]]
** Other endings that were considered: [[spoiler: Sam waking up in 2006; Sam staying in 2006 but using things he'd learned in 1973; Gene somehow ending up in 2006 with Sam whether in his imagimation or as a legit "time traveller"; Sam finding an old Annie in 2006]].

* IronWoobie: Sam Tyler. He's a FishOutOfTemporalWater experiencing tons of angst (and SanitySlippage) as he tries to get back to his own time, and he gets verbally, physically and sexually assaulted on a regular basis. He's also a {{Badass}} police officer who manages to make the most out of his admittedly sucky situation.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: It was originally going to cut to black, series over, but the writers decided to give the viewers a bone and let them see him [[spoiler: rejoin his friends in 1973.]]

** Gene Hunt himself in the second episode (see JerkassHasAPoint above). Technically Hunt should ''not'' be framing Kim Trent, but at least it would have kept him off the streets.

*** [[spoiler: Over the Raimbow sounds in the previous scene, once Sam is back in 2006. His suicide is set to Life on Mars.]]

* MemeticSexGod: Gene Hunt, somehow.

* MemeticMutation: A RunningGag in the fandom is to jokingly claim that Sam Tyler is [[DoctorWho The Master]] who forgot who he was (either due to another fob-watch incident or through some other form of amnesia) and is now stuck in the 70s.

** And all the early 70s music used - perhaps surprisingly in some cases. Tracks from Cream, The Who and T. Rex were always going to sound good. What's more surprising is how awesome the series manages to make Paul McCartney, Mott The Hoople and Lindesfarne sound. Special mention also to the eponymous Bowie track that soundtracks Sam's first moments in '73. And has a pretty awesome reprieve [[spoiler: when Sam throws himself from a roof to return there in the last episode]]
** don't know if the DVD I have is different to the series which I didn't watch when it was on television, but the song where [[spoiler: Sam throws himself off the roof in the version I have is Over the Rainbow by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole. Still pretty awesome though]]

** don't know if the DVD I have is different to the series which I didn't watch when it was on television, but the song where [[Spoiler: Sam throws himself off the roof in the version I have is Over the Rainbow by Israel "IZ" Kamakawiwoʻole. Still pretty awesome though]]

* HoYay / FoeYay: Gene loves bringing up how much of a fairy Sam is, but he sure likes to get in his personal space. In [[http://i34.tinypic.com/6pb3pj.jpg this]] Radio Times cover, they don't even look like they're fighting. They're just ''really'' close.
* IronWoobie: Sam Tyler. He's a FishOutOfTemporalWater experiencing tons of angst (and SanitySlippage) as he tries to get back to his own time, and he gets verbally, physically and sexually assaulted on a regular basis. He's also a {{Badass}} police officer who manages to make the most out of his admittedly sucky situation.

* StrawmanHasAPoint: [[spoiler:Frank Morgan. He's ''right'' -- Gene Hunt ''is'' a flawed police officer. His motives may be right, but his judgment is skewed. He is far too emotional and violent. The fact that he put himself at the front of his suicide mission does not negate his flaws, or the fact that he put his team in danger when cooler heads could have completed the task with less risk.]]

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: [[CreepyChild The Test Card F girl]].
** [[spoiler:Though possibly subverted in that her weird advice to Sam was actually correct the whole time.]]