Life on Mars

In the BBC1's "Life on Mars", actor John Simm finds himself trapped in 1973. How would you manage? There would be no mobile phones, computers or the internet. 1973 was the year of the OPEC oil crisis and the time of power cuts, strikes and the three day week. It was also the year Britain joined European Common Market. But what else was going on?

Life on Mars - Cast

• DI Sam Tyler - John Simm
• DCI Gene Hunt- Philip Glenister
• WPC Annie Cartwright - Liz White
• DC Chris Skelton - Marshall Lancaster
• DC Ray Carling - Dean Andrews

Music

1973 was the year of Glitter and Glam Rock. The Sweet topped the year's best sellers' list with "Blockbuster", closely followed by Gary Glitter's "I Love You Love Me Love". A touch of culture was bought to the list by the year's third best seller, the Simon Park Orchestra's "Eye Level" (the theme tune from the detective series "Vandervalk"). Slade also featured heavily in the chart of 1973 with their classic hits, including "Cum on Feel the Noize", "Skweeze Me Pleeze Me", "My Frend Stan" and everyone's favourite Christmas tune "Merry Xmas Everybody".

Other Glam Rock hits of 1973 also included "See My Baby Jive" and "Angel Fingers" by Wizzard and further hits by the Sweet - "Ballroom Blitz" and "Hell Raiser". Gary Glitter, who has now sadly fallen from grace, had three other hits - "Do You Want to Touch Me (Oh Yeah), "Hello Hello I'm Back Again" and "I'm the Leader of the Gang (I am)", which reached number one in July 1973.

1973 also saw more hits from the singing Osmond Brothers from Utah, USA. Donny, every young girls' pin-up, had number one hits with "The Twelfth of Never" and "Young Love" and a number four hit with "When I Fall in Love". Not to be outdone, younger sister Marie had a number two hit in November 1973 with "Paper Roses". The Osmond Brothers (Alan, Wayne, Merrill, Jay and Donny) had two hits with "Going Home" and "Let Me In".

Other American pop stars who had hits in 1973 included the star of television's "The Partridge Family", David Cassidy, who had a number one hit in October 1973 with "Daydreamer/The Puppy Song" and a number three hit in March of the same year with "I'm a Clown/Some Kind of Summer". The pop charts of 1973 were also blessed with the wonderful voice of the late Karen Carpenter, who had two hits with her brother, Richard with "Yesterday Once More" and the uplifting song "Top of the World".

One of the greatest pop icons, David Bowie, had four hits in 1973, "Drive In Saturday", "Life on Mars" (from which the BBC programme is named), "Sorrow" and the rather amusing and unusual song "The Laughing Gnome".

Mention should also be made of other best seller records from 1973 which you may have forgotten about!

• "Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Old Oak Tree" - Dawn
• "Get Down" - Gilbert O'Sullivan
• "Welcome Home" - Peters and Lee
• "Part of the Union" - The Strawbs
• "(Dancing) on a Saturday Night" - Barry Blue

1973 was certainly a diverse year for pop music!

Cars

In "Life on Mars", John Simm's boss, DCI Gene Hunt, played by Phillip Glenister, drives a Cortina 2000GXL - the top of the range Cortina from the that year. The lucky driver had a host of luxury features, including a black vinyl roof and real simulated wood facia and door trim. With the 2.0 litre engine, it could reach 60mph from rest in a shade over 10 seconds and had a top speed of 103mph - not bad for 1973. But for more performance, go for the Sweeney's Regan's choice of the Granada with a 3.0 V6 and just as much fake wood (interior left).

Of course in 1973 you could still go out and buy a chrome bumper MGB, but the ultimate sports car was still the E-Type Jaguar with a 5 litre V12.

Gadgets

John Simm's character missed his mobile on "Life on Mars". In the 70s the latest thing was the pocket calculator like this Sinclair (right) or if you wanted to be really high tech an LED digital watch was de rigueur. In those days, colour TV was still quite new and few people had video recorders. So you had to stay in to watch the Sweeney.

Oh and the nearest you could get to a mobile phone was a Trimphone. The GPO had just about got them to work properly by 1973.

BBC Life on Mars - Characters

Life on Mars - cast biographies

DI Sam Tyler John Simm

John Simm was born on 10 July 1970 in Leeds.

John has appeared in many television dramas, including Rumpole of the Bailey 1992, one episode of Heartbeat in 1993, Cracker in 1995, as Jip in Human Traffic in 1999, State of Play in 2003 (which also starred Life on Mars Philip Glenister and Marc Warren), and as Ace in The Canterbury Tales the Knights Tale in 2003. Prior to Life on Mars, Johns most well-known television performance was in the 1997 BBC Drama, The Lakes, as Danny Kavanagh.

John and his partner, Kate Magowan, have a young son called Ryan.

In the past, John played in a band called Magic Alex which supported Echo and the Bunnymen.

DCI Gene Hunt Philip Glenister

Philip was born on 10 February 1963.

Philip too has a long-established television and film career and seems to have rather a liking for police dramas. Like John Simm, Philip has also appeared in an episode of Heartbeat in 1992 as Julian Cantley. He also featured in Bergerac in 1991, as a humble PC in Silent Witness in 1996, as DCI William Bell in State of Play (along with John Simm) and also as DCI David Driscoll in two episodes of Vincent in 2005. His other roles also include the comedy romance, Love Hurts (with Adam Faith and Zoe Wanamaker) in 1992, ITVs Soldier, Soldier in 1996 and as Gunner Hobbs in ITV Hornblower series in 2001. His film roles include the shy photographer, Lawrence Sertain, in award winning, Calendar Girls.

His older brother, Robert Glenister, is also a well-known actor, with roles such as Ash Morgan in Hustle (alongside Marc Warren) and he too has also appeared in an episode of Heartbeat.

Philip is married to the actress, Beth Goddard, (amongst whose many roles include Suze Littlewood in Gimme, Gimme, Gimme) with whom he has two daughters, Milly and Charlotte.

WPC Annie Cartwright Liz White

Liz White was born in 1979 in Rotherham, so obviously Liz will have no memories of 1973 when the series of Life on Mars is set. Liz is a graduate of the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, which was set up by Sir Paul McCartney.

Lizs television appearances include playing Paula Roberts in BBCs A Thing Called Love (alongside Paul Nicholls), Pamela Barnes in the Oscar nominated film, Vera Drake, and as Eileen in Channel 4s, Teachers

Liz is currently rehearsing for the play, Dying For It, which opens at the Almeida Theatre on Thursday 15 March 2007 and runs until 28 April 2007.

DC Chris Skelton Marshall Lancaster

Marshall was born in Macclesfield.

Marshall has recently appeared in six episodes of ITVs Coronation Street, as Slug. He seems to have a liking for medical dramas having also appeared in The Royal, Peak Practice, Doctors and Holby City. Marshall's other television appearances also include The Bill, The Street and Family Affairs.

DS Ray Carling Dean Andrews

Deans first career was as a singer for twenty years. He often worked alongside Jane McDonald. His acting talent was discovered when Ken Loach came to Sheffield to film The Navigators.

Since then, he has gone on to appear in Eastenders, No Angels, Casualty, Wire in the Blood and New Street Law.

WPC Phyllis Dobbs Noreen Kershaw

Noreen was born on 16 October 1950 in Bury.

Besides being a well-established actress, Noreen Kershaw is also well-known for being a television director. Between 2000-2005, Noreen directed twenty episodes of Heartbeat (and she also appeared as Mary McCready in an episode first screened in 2000) and she has also directed episodes of Coronation Street and Emmerdale Farm.

Noreens acting credits are lengthy too. She appeared as Kathy Roach in Channel 4s Brookside between 1988 and 1990 and she also featured prominently in another Liverpool-based television programme, Watching, with Emma Wray and Paul Bown, between 1991 and 1993. Other credits include Boys from the Black Stuff, Albion Market, Peak Practice and Holby City.

Supt Harry Woolf - Kevin McNally

Kevin was born on 27 April 1956 in Bristol. However, he grew up in Birmingham and got his job at Birmingham Repertory Theatre. From there he went onto the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art. Kevins acting career dates back to the 70s and one of his earliest television roles was in Z Cars in 1977. He made his film debut in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me in 1976, when he played the role HMS Ranger Crewman. His other television credits also include I, Claudius, Dr Who, Shackleton and Spooks, to name but a few.

His career on the big screen continues too, with his role as Joshamee Gibbs in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Mans Chest and the soon to be released Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End.

Kevin lives in London, with his partner, the Lovejoy actress Phyllis Logan, who also has a long and distinguished television career (and her recent credits include Sea of Souls, Spooks and Silent Witness) and his two children.

Nelson Tony Marshall

Like the rest of the cast of Life on Mars, Tony has had a long TV career. Some of his earlier television appearances include playing Chris in Only Fools and Horses. He also appeared as Diesel in All Quiet on the Preston Front. Like many other members of the cast, Tony has also appeared in episodes of Casualty and Holby City.