Life on Mars backdrop
Mystery•Drama•Sci-Fi & Fantasy

The Best Episodes of Life on Mars

Every episode of Life on Mars ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Life on Mars!

Binge this in 12h 0m•Peaking at 8.0/10

After a car crash, police detective Sam Tyler mysteriously finds himself transported back to 1973 and still working as a detective.

Airs on
ABC
BestEpisodes
WorstEpisodes
BestSeasons
AllEpisodes

Seasons1

All1

Episode Rankings

  1. #1 Fan Favorite
    Click to reveal
    Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 7 - The Man Who Sold the World
    8.0/10(189 votes)

    S1:E7

    When the baby of a prominent family is kidnapped for ransom, Sam Tyler is shocked to discover that his own father, Vic Tyler, may be involved. Sam's discovery leads him to face some deep dark secrets about his childhood.

    Director:Darnell Martin
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  2. Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 15 - All the Young Dudes
    7.8/10(183 votes)

    S1:E15

    When Sam goes undercover as a gang member, he has to reveal a dark side in order to keep his cover. While undercover, Sam is pushed to the limit when he is ordered to bind and shoot a woman.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  3. Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 5 - Things to Do in New York When You Think You're Dead
    7.7/10(188 votes)

    S1:E5

    Racial tensions run high when a young black girl is killed and a race begins between the cops and the BLA to find the supposed killer. Sam teams up with Fletcher Bellow, a young detective in 1971, who is his captain in 2008.

    Director:Michael Katleman
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  4. Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 14 - Coffee, Tea or Annie
    7.7/10(184 votes)

    S1:E14

    When a Pan Atlantic air hostess is found dead, Annie volunteers to go undercover in order to solve a series of homicides. Annie, Sam and Ray, working undercover, are able to find an unlikely suspect.

    Director:David Petrarca
    Writers:Adele Lim, Bryan Oh

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  5. Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 16 - Everyone Knows It's Windy
    7.7/10(161 votes)

    S1:E16

    Crime hits home after Ray and Chris are shot by a gang member. When the shooter is found dead near a bar, Sam becomes the lead suspect since he has been working undercover as part of the gang. With evidence mounting against him, Sam must search for the real killer before it's too late for him

    Director:Alex Zakrzewski
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  6. Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 11 - Home is Where You Hang Your Holster
    7.6/10(169 votes)

    S1:E11

    NYC Councilman Bobby Prince shares a secret with Sam after Prince is caught with a hooker during a raid on a motel. The secret leaves Sam with even more questions as well as the realization he has more in common with Prince than he had ever thought. Meanwhile, Gene Hunt locks down the precinct after a shooting, Maria and her father confront each other, and Ray's wife, Denise, adds tension to the drama.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

    7. Trending NowTRENDING NOW

    The 20 WORST Episodes of Life on Mars

    READ
  7. Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 13 - Revenge of Broken Jaw
    7.6/10(160 votes)

    S1:E13

    When the Weather Underground sends the department bomb threats on the anniversary of their leader's death, Lt. Hunt takes the threats personally. As Sam, Annie and Lt. Hunt investigate, they soon find a connection between a student and Pat Olsen, a professor.

    Director:Unknown
    Writer:David Wilcox

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  8. Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 3 - My Maharishi is Bigger than Your Maharishi
    7.5/10(198 votes)

    S1:E3

    The murder of a returning Vietnam veteran has Lieutenant Hunt outraged, as he demands a quick resolution to what quickly becomes a complicated and controversial case. As Sam and the squad's team of detectives explore the circumstances surrounding the homicide, Tyler is sent down a mysterious path that may provide clues about his own family's past and why he is back in 1973

    Director:Michael Pressman
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  9. Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 8 - Take a Look at the Lawmen
    7.5/10(177 votes)

    S1:E8

    Lt. Hunt's squad and Lt. Nunzio's crew renew their long-standing rivalry due to a bank robbery with a connection to the Russian mob. Meanwhile, Sam is attracted to a pretty, young social worker.

    Director:Brad Turner
    Writer:David Wilcox

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  10. Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 12 - The Simple Secret of the Note in Us All
    7.5/10(162 votes)

    S1:E12

    The detectives at the 1-2-5 investigate the murder of newspaper journalist Joey Conway. Sam is convinced the killer is the same criminal from a case in 2008. He is motivated by flashbacks to the case, which puts him at odds with his coworkers who think someone else is guilty.

    Director:Jean de Segonzac
    Writer:Adele Lim

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  11. Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 4 - Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadows?
    7.4/10(176 votes)

    S1:E4

    Sam finds his mother, Rose, in debt to a local mobster known for killing women that cause him trouble. Sam finds out the cops of the 125 are in cahoots with the mobster and ignore his illegal activities for tips on other mobsters.

    Director:Alex Zakrzewski
    Writer:David Wilcox

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  12. Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 6 - Tuesday's Dead
    7.4/10(179 votes)

    S1:E6

    With a life-and-death hostage situation paralleling own strange circumstances, Sam Tyler is ordered with the rest of the 1-2-5 to diffuse a potentially deadly face-off at a hospital where a crazed gunman is trying to force a doctor to reverse a dangerous operation on the renegade's brother, and the squad are all targeted in the gunman's cross-hairs.

    Director:Daniel Minahan
    Writer:Adele Lim

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  13. Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 9 - The Dark Side of the Mook
    7.4/10(171 votes)

    S1:E9

    Ray's shady brother may have played a role in the number of recent decapitations in which the squad is investigating. but other suspects pop up too, such as a biker, a Wall Street executive and badly disfigured man.

    Director:Rick Rosenthal
    Writer:Bryan Oh

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  14. Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 1 - Out Here in the Fields
    7.3/10(286 votes)

    S1:E1

    Modern-day NYPD Detective Sam Tyler finds himself suddenly hurtled back to the tumultuous times of New York City in 1973 when he's hit by a car while chasing down a criminal.

    Director:Gary Fleder
    Writer:Scott Rosenberg

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  15. Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 10 - Let All the Children Boogie
    7.3/10(188 votes)

    S1:E10

    When rock star Sebastian Grace receives a death threat, Sam and Chris are exposed to the rock-and-roll lifestyle that includes one of Grace's groupies called "Rocket Girl." Things really get strange when Chris finds Sebastian and Rocket Girl waiting for UFOs in the swampy area of New Jersey known as the Meadowlands.

    Director:Michael Katleman
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  16. Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 17 - Life is a Rock
    7.3/10(212 votes)

    S1:E17

    When Sam Tyler receives a phone call that presents him with three tasks he must perform so he can return to his life in the future, he must weigh his alternatives and decide whether to stay in 1973 or go home.

    Director:Michael Katleman
    Writer:Scott Rosenberg

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

  17. Life on Mars Season 1 Episode 2 - The Real Adventures of the Unreal Sam Tyler
    7.2/10(218 votes)

    S1:E2

    Sam investigates a series of fatal robberies at cash-checking stores while evidence points to someone in the squad being involved.

    Director:Michael Katleman
    Writer:Unknown

    Be the first to start the conversation for this episode

Best Episodes Summary

"The Man Who Sold the World" is the best rated episode of "Life on Mars". It scored 8/10 based on 189 votes. Directed by Darnell Martin and written by Unknown, it aired on 11/20/2008. This episode scored 0.2 points higher than the second highest rated, "All the Young Dudes".