Sam Tyler, a detective, gets hit by a car and wakes up in 1973 Manchester with the same job but believes he is in a coma. The narrative explores his adjustment to the 1970s setting through costumes, cars, smoking, and music from the era. As a time travel crime drama airing on BBC on Mondays at 9pm, it targets both male and female older audiences who may have nostalgia for or new perspectives on 1970s Britain from experiencing it through the main character.
1. TV Crime Drama Conventions
Name of Drama
Life on mars
Broadcaster –
Scheduling details
Bhorat Nalluri BBC Monday 9:00
Conventions -
Characters
Sam Tyler
Gene Hont
Annie
Narrative A detective that gets hit by a car and gets sent
back in time to the 70s but has the same job. It is
real but actually in a coma
Mise-en-scene -
Locations
Sets
Lighting
Costume
70s
Smoking (smoke everywhere)
Manchester
Old cars, 70s clothing, people smoking inside
Old fashioned
Sound –
Key dialogue
Sound effects
Music
Hearing hospital noises
The song, life on mars
Audiences –
Who is the target
audience?
Male/Female
How might they react
differently?
Will it shape their views of
people, issues or events?
Male and female. Older audience perhaps people
that lived through the 70s
Industry –
Marketing & Promoting
Other platforms?
(DVD/online)
BBC Monday 9:00 Follow on from ashes to ashes.