Back to the future

THE BBC TV series Life on Mars ended during the week.

You’re probably aware of the premise involved, even if you haven’t actually seen an episode: a Manchester detective is hit by a car and transported back to 1973. Hence the David Bowie song being used as a title.

But is the detective really in a coma and imagining everything, or has he actually travelled through time and must now solve some kind of riddle to get back to the present? You know it’s television because it’s manifestly unrealistic — the detective focuses on crimes rather than hurtling to the bookies in his Ford Granada to put his life savings on Red Rum for the Grand National (9-1, don’t forget).