Memo to October Road creators Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg: All’s forgiven! The pair’s short-lived ABC soap made my ears bleed, but they more than made up for it with their out-of-this-world follow-up, Life on Mars — so much so that I’m almost tempted to give Road a second look on DVD. (I said almost.) Unfortunately, anemic ratings prompted ABC to abort Mars‘ mission after just 17 episodes, the last of which airs tomorrow night (10 pm/EST). The good news? Appelbaum and Rosenberg had enough notice to wrap up the time-tripping drama’s central mystery and give viewers what has become something of a rare commodity these days in TV land: closure. The even better news? Despite my merciless Road bashing, the classy duo agreed to get on the phone with me to spoil preview tomorrow’s must-see climax.
In the UK version, the fate of Sam was left very much up in the air. Please tell me your ending will be a little less ambiguous.
JOSH APPELBAUM: One hundred percent. There is a very clear and
definitive answer as to what his journey has been about and how all the
pieces over the past 17 hours play into that journey. At the same
time, we hope, like all great finales, it still leaves things open to
interpretation. But if there’s one thing we feel pretty good about it’s
that in the afterlife of Life on Mars on DVD or wherever, it will exist
as a cohesive, complete thought that will all make sense.
Did you always plan to conclude your version differently?
SCOTT ROSENBERG: Right from the beginning. Anybody with access to
Wikipedia can find out how the [UK version] ended. So we were certain we wanted to do it differently. And it was kind of in prep on
the pilot that we stumbled upon what our ultimate ending was. We never
did anything that wouldn’t be explained by this ending. And we also
left clues along the way, so people that go back and watch it a second
time will go, “So that’s why they did this.” There were names, numbers,
all kinds of things.
How will the finale be structured? Will there be the standard case to solve, or is it all about wrapping up Sam’s story?
ROSENBERG: There’s a standard case, but it’s all a culmination episode.
It was going to be the same if it was the season finale or a series
finale. The only difference is if it was a season finale it would have
ended with a very different Act Six, with cliffhangers and that sort of
thing. [Sam's] mother and father play very heavily in it. Sam’s emotional
journey was really about his past and his family… And without saying too much, there’s a major climax with Sam and Annie’s journey together.
Will Lisa Bonet be in the episode?
ROSENBERG: She is not in it. She was for a half-second, and then we decided not to.
Is that a hint as to what decade he ultimately ends up in?
[Crickets]
APPELBAUM: [to Scott] Good job stumbling into that one, Rosenberg. [Laughs]
You like how I did that?
ROSENBERG:
Nice!
APPELBAUM: Unbelievable!
This isn’t my first time at the rodeo.
ROSENBERG: Let’s start over: Lisa Bonet is in the episode. [Laughs]
Too late! Moving on, will the show definitely be on DVD?
ROSENBERG:
Oh, yeah.
There weren’t clearance issues with all the popular music you featured?
ROSENBERG:
We only cleared songs if they allowed us to use it forever, and it wasn’t that difficult. Music is so important to us, both in this and in October Road. Remember that one, Michael?
Hmm… it rings a bell.
ROSENBERG:
[Laughs] You’re like, “I tried not to.”
APPELBAUM: [Laughs] He’s like, “It was a bad case of indigestion.”
Last question: What’s the deal with the tiny robot?
ROSENBERG:
The robot is totally explained away [in the finale]. By
Wednesday night at 11 you will know what the robot is, and I’m sure you
will be annoyed. [Laughs]
Comments (1-30) of 194 Add your comment
Watched this in the beginning and thought it was pretty good but the arc/mystery didn’t really hold me (partly because I thought the Wiki entry already revealed what it was). I think I’ll be tuning into the finale though, it sounds good.
Um, isn’t there a chance this is good (as opposed to Road) because they just copied a show that had already been made?
One of the best shows on TV… Wish it were sticking around. It’s definitely water cooler talk at my office. The mystery has kept me watching… plus the cast is outstanding. I love the references to such things like Laptops, CD’s, Nixon’s Resignation, or when Sam says I saw that movie years ago when it in fact just came out during the timeline of the show! The soundtrack is great too!
Great show! I’ll miss it. I loved seeing how different things were then than now, and I especially loved the great music. (I graduated from high school in 1973–the music brings back lots of memories.)
We initially had some trouble getting into the show since we were such fans of the BBC verion but in the last few weeks the show has really started to click! Good scripts and good cast – then the bozos go and cancel the show to just bring us another cop show! How about sticking with something and giving it a chance – like I did!!!
I’m going to miss Annie. Gretchen Mol did such a great job with her and I truly believe she’s one of the most likable television characters of all time.
Jason O’Mara was much better when he got to use his natural Irish accent. Something about his American persona and voice is too bland.
Re; Jason’s accent; I think there have been far too mayn actors lately (cough cough – Hugh Laurie) sporting American accents who sound much better and more interesting using the speech patterns they have naturally. Let people use their real accents! I don;t need everyone on tv to be American!
Like the other well-crafted shows before it, Life on Mars is slipping into oblivion while scummy reality shows continue to dominate network programming.
Cutting-edge programming should go directly to cable, where it can sustain a small but enthusiastic audience
october road was brilliant. it was dawson’s creek at 30 for the dawson’s creek crowd. they even kept it in small town Massachusetts.
Love this show. Too bad it was canceled, and was also a fan of October Road. Great shows never last.
I have to agree that BOTH shows were great and BOTH shows were cancelled before their time. At least the UK version vets of Life on Mars have a second life in Ashes to Ashes (same concept only with a girl in the 80’s) I liked both the UK and American versions and stand alone series and it will be missed greatly!!
Great cast. I’m going to miss this show, it really crept up on me how much I started to look forward to it. At least ABC is letting us get some closure. That’s rare these days. I just hope this whole cast gets back on TV quickly!
Where am I suppose to get my Gretchen Mol fix now? Steve McPherson remains the biggest a-hole in the known universe. I can’t wait ’til ABC sinks behind NBC as the worst network on television.
Maybe they should give Shondra Rhimes another hour so douchebags everywhere can rejoice.
I can’t believe this great show gets canceled and unscripted caca like the Bachelor keeps shoveling the same crap year after year. If there is Life on Mars, lets hope that its more fair than it is in a network boardroom. See what I did there?
I loooove this show….it is only one of few shows I was able to tune in and get into it right away…..what the hell are other people watching?
Still bummed that LOM got cancelled. I suppose I should be happy that ABC is giving us some closure.
Pushing Daisies, Eli Stone… Now Life on Mars…
At least they gave it notice.
But, yeah, I love my dramas. And I would like see more instead of reality stuff.
Just when I was starting to enjoy the show, they go and cancel it on me! Micheal forgot to ask if there are plans for the sequal Ashes to Ashes.
I loved October Road and I love Life On Mars. I’m sick of ABC canceling good shows and putting garbage on the air. I’m watching less and less network TV and this is precisely why. ABC isn’t the only network guilty of this. Such a shame. I’m glad they at least got to wrap it up well. That’s more than many others have.
With the exception of Harvey Keitel (seriously, did he get *any* direction or were the producers and directors in such awe of him that they kept quiet?), I thought this show and its actors were just as good as the British version.
I’m just hoping we don’t get a fade to black with some last words on the screen being something like “Lieutenant Sam Tyler never returned home”–like another time traveling show with a protagonist named Sam…
Great show & wonderful casts … maybe Emmy will notice it (probably not). Too bad ABC did not want a well scripted & acted drama (unlike the soap opera from hell Grey’s Anatomy) If not for Dancing with the Stars, ABC would be up a sh*t creek without a paddle — a derservingly so.
Philip Glenister is the only “Gene Hunt” anyone needs to know about. He is the best thing about both British series. “Ashes to Ashes” is excellent. Harvey Keitel is good but he may should have learned something about the character by watching Glenister’s performance. Keitel was never, for one second, as good as Glenister.
“Gene Hunt”’s relationship with Keeley Hawes’ “Alex Drake” is the prime reason to watch “Ashes to Ashes”. (Harvey Keitel looks like he is just there to pick up a pay check every week. The episodes with Maggie Siff should have helped that, but they didn’t – she was great, he still was boring.)
One of the most intriguing shows to hit the screen in a while. I’ve also watched the BBC original and also Ashes to Ashes. All very cool concepts. Would rather see a second season where they take more care and time to wind down and wrap up the mystery. ABC had a real winner but fiddled with it too much to ever gain momentum. So many folks watched it with their families so it was very thought provoking and good entertainment. Another network should pick up the ball and revive it or spin off A2A. Too good a concept to let die.
Fansites to check out for more info:
http://www.SaveOurSam.com and z3.invisionfree.com/Life_On_Mars/
I love this show so much! I’ll miss all of you!
Lisa Bonnet in for 1/2 second. So,I guess we all know what decision Sam makes.
Sorry, and saddened to see this show end.
To the cast, crew, writers, set design, make-up and costume and EVERYBODY else I have missed in association with ABC’s LOM, Thank you for an incredible journey to MARS.
We’ll Miss Y’alls.
i am so gonna miss this show! ABC is seriously ticking me off, first cancelling ‘Boston Legal’ then ‘Pushing Daisies’ and now ‘LOM’. oh well, guess the world needs 12 more incarnations of Supernanny……..
Life on Mars is a fantastic show. I’m extremely disappointed that ABC did not give this show another season.
Cool show for us who lived the ’70’s. That’s the 3rd or 4th show I’ve started this year only to get canceled! Guess it needed an SVU on the end or a LOM-CSI’73. I’m going to stick with HBO and Showtime for my hour long drama’s.
Really bummed… but glad for the closure. If they can’t commit to 2 seasons at LEAST for this type of show, then they shouldn’t even start. Seriously. In this environment, Seinfeld would have been cancelled before it took off.. just sick of knee jerk number crunching decisions without looking at WHO is watching these shows…