First transmitted on Monday 30th January, 2006.
  On 25th January, 2006 'Resource & Archive Centre' Member John, told us:
"Hi Fee,
Did you know about the BBC programe Life on Mars,next week's Episode on Monday 30th January sounds interesting. I quote from the TV Times."This is another nifty story from a show which plays cruel tricks on sam but also gives him the occasional treat...Tonight, our hero gets to meet teen idol Marc Bolan and attempts to save his doomed life." Best wishes".
Many Tanx John :-)
I rushed out straight away to buy the 'TV Times' as the 'TV Quick' we always buy didn't mention this story line & neither did the BBC's own Web Site!
I hope you enjoy the scan :-)
BACKGROUND TO THE SERIES
This terrific series, which we'd been watching since 'Episide One', sees 21st Century British 'Copper' Sam Tyler*(see * note further down) 'transported' back to 1973, after he is involved ironically, in a car crash. Has he travelled back in Time to England in 1973? Or is he still in 2006 in a Coma? The title of the Series comes from the David Bowie song & the Series has been littered with classics from this period including Led Zepplin; The Sweet; Deep Purple; Thin Lizzy, Hawkwind; Slade; & more.
THE MARC BOLAN THREAD
This is only a review of the part of 'Life on Mars' Eposide Four relating to the Marc Bolan Story Line - and rather short it is too, because the Boley Storyline was disappointingly short.
One thing I'm sure you're wondering is - "What did the 'Marc Bolan' Character look like???"
Well, as you can see from the screen captures left & right below - Not very much like Marc Bolan really! On the Plus-Side - Marc was 25 or 26 years old in 1973 & at least the actor looked that sort of age. Certainly in his twenties, all-be-it a bit too tall. But I'm sure you'll all agree that his hair was too long and where was that hint of fringe? And that Shirt? Plain White? No Jacket? Hmmm!
 
 I have to admit I was wondering where they could go with this story-line. After all, how much would 'Sam', who had previously experienced 1973 as a four year-old would be able to tell Marc that would be remembered at least four years later by Marc? I guess I'd hoped Sam would give Marc better advice, or at least more detailed advise than Sam did. I'm sure we can all imagine what sort of things we'd like to say if we'd been in Sam's shoes in that exchange. But then that's Karma, I guess.
HOW SAM MEETS MARC BOLAN
Sam visits a Night Club run by a 'dodgy bloke' called Warren. He and his partner go upstairs to the 'VIP Area' which is where Sam encounters 'Marc Bolan'. All rather short. It had been hoped that maybe later some T-Rex might have entered the programme, but it didn't. So far, even after four weeks we still haven't been treated to any T-Rex blasting from the TV during 'Life on Mars'.
* Tyler? Sam's Surname is 'Tyler' which was one of the surnames Mark Feld briefly used (his full name at the time was 'Toby Tyler') before settling on 'Marc Bolan'. In this same episode Sam goes to visit his mother. He disovers that his 1973 'self' aged four is upstairs with mumps. He flashes his warrant card and rather than say "Hello, Mrs. Tyler, I'm Detective Inspector Tyler" which would have raised difficult questions, he muttered his surname as 'Bolan'. Funny that she didn't reply with "Oh, the same as Marc Bolan??!!" given that his name was very much a 'household' thing in 1973!
Laser Love,
Fee
MEMBERS - WATCH THE VIDEO :: READ THE TV TIMES ARTICLE
 Members - Click Here to Watch and/or Save the Video which is available as usual, in two 'weights' for 'Dial Up' & 'Broadband'.
If you listen carefully to the Video Clip you can catch snitches of 'Marc's' conversation about God appearing in his bedroom with the two girls, as Jean Genie blasts out through the Night Club. Given that so far there has been no T-Rex Music played (though The Sweet have been doing well for air play), maybe the actual quote of Marc's "If God were to appear in my room obviously I'd be in Awe, but i don't think I'd be Humble" the actor playing him was given suggests that the writer of this drama wasn't much of a Bolan Fan, remembering a quote which may have seemed just a tad 'big-headed' to a non-Bolan fan!?
UPDATE
So far after six episodes (up to and including 13th February 2006), there has been just one clip of a T-Rex Song.
Members - Click Here for a Larger Version of the TV Times Scan above.
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