Life on Mars, the "ridiculous" and perfectly-rated BBC drama starring John Simm and Philip Glenister, is leaving Netflix very soon.

The sci-fi police procedural, which aired for two seasons in 2006 and 2007, tells the story of Sam Tyler (Simm), a Manchester-based police officer who wakes up in 1973 after being involved in a car accident.

Finding himself working in the exact same job, Sam attempts to uncover the mystery of his time-travelling act whilst also solving crimes alongside his new boss, the brutal and corrupt Gene Hunt (Glenister).

After a period of time on Netflix, fans - or first-time viewers - don't have long until the series is removed from the streaming service, with its leaving date of April 19 giving you enough time to binge on all 16 episodes.

If you need convincing further, then take a look at the show's impressive approval ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, with each season boasting a perfect 100% score from a combined 29 reviews. The audience ratings aren't too shabby either, with respective scores of 96% and 100% for each season.

john simm in life on mars
BBC

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In a review of the second season, The Australian remarked that the "ridiculous premise" was executed with "gusto and wit", whilst The Guardian opined that the "charm" of the series lay in its "collision of old and new".

"One of the charms of Life on Mars is its reluctance to overindulge in '70s nostalgia," wrote The New York Times, whilst Slate said that the "painless" 16 episodes were filled with "charm, chuckles and savoury plot twists."

life on mars bbc
BBC

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Life on Mars, which has been adapted into several international versions, was followed by sequel series Ashes to Ashes, which followed Alex Drake (Keeley Hawes) as she underwent a similar journey to Sam, but travelling back to 1981.

It was recently confirmed that John Simm's Brighton-based crime drama, Grace, has been renewed for a sixth season, with Richie Campbell and Zoë Tapper also returning.

Life on Mars leaves Netflix on April 19.

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Lettermark

Reporter, Digital Spy George is a freelance writer who specialises in Movies and TV. After graduating with a degree in Film Studies and Journalism from De Montfort University, in which he analysed the early works of Richard Linklater for his dissertation, he wrote for several websites for GRV Media.  His film tastes vary from blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and John Wick to international directors such as Paolo Sorrentino and Hirokazu Kore-eda, and has attended both the London and Berlin film festivals.