Life on Mars

Galloping inflation, strikes, oversized flares, platform boots, and suffocating heat. It’s almost as if we’re reliving the 1970s. And the perfect TV companion? Look no further than the hugely enjoyable and critically adored sci-fi cop series Life on Mars.  

Sam Tyler (John Simm), a by-the-book, impeccably liberal detective in noughties Manches­ter, is knocked unconscious by a speeding car while listening to David Bowie’s Life on Mars?… and wakes up, dressed in big collar, Chelsea boots and leather jacket, in 1973.  

The two showrunners talked about their work, from writing episodes of UK soap staples EastEnders and Casualty to the development of hit dramas This Life and Life on Mars, to their contribution to established shows Doctor Who and Shameless.

They described television as being a writer’s medium and how their writing credits for US multinationals opened the door to their current roles as producers.

Since graduating with a degree in Theatre Design from Nottingham Trent university, Tuxford has gone on to work for shows including Last Tango in Halifax, Life on Mars and Channel 4 comedy Cardinal Burns.

The job of a production designer, she says, is far-reaching. From finding locations for the shoot, deciding on the visual tone of the piece, and managing the design budget, “you have your eyes all over it.”

“Ultimately you are responsible for every design decision and every visual decision, so the buck stops with you.”