Kudos to produce major new primetime drama for BBC One

Leading indie drama producer Kudos Film and Television (Spooks, Hustle) is to reunite the award-winning team behind 'Hustle' for a new BBC One primetime commission from BBC Wales Head of Drama Julie Gardner.
'Life On Mars' (8 x 1 hour) has been created and written by Matthew Graham, Tony Jordon and Ashley Pharoah, all of whom have a long standing relationship with Kudos, most recently with their collaboration on Kudos’ hit series Hustle, for BBC One. Bharat Nalluri (Spooks, Hustle) will direct the new series.
Life On Mars is the story of passionate, driven 21st century cop Sam Williams. After a car accident in the present day, he wakes up behind the wheel of a Ford Granada in 1973. Has he gone back in time? Is he in a coma? Is he insane?
What follows is Sam’s 21st century account of seventies’ life as he fights and solves crime without the help of today’s modern rules, gadgets or etiquettes. Arriving back in time Sam meets his new boss, hard-nosed CID man Gene Burrows, who solves crime by trusting his instincts and using sometimes questionable methods - at least in Sam’s ultra pc view. Sam also meets the rest of his new team, including WPC Annie Cartright who helps him in his quest to find out the truth about his circumstances, as well as battling the bad guys.
Jane Featherstone, Joint Managing Director at Kudos Film and Television, said: “Life On Mars is a fantastic idea which takes the cop show genre and gives it a unique, humorous and irresistible twist. By taking a character of our time and throwing him headfirst into our recent past, gives us a chance to explore what makes us who we are today. We’re delighted to have reunited the Hustle team and be returning to BBC One primetime.”
Julie Gardner, BBC Wales Head of Drama, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with Kudos - one of Britain's leading independent producers. Life On Mars follows a number of other dramas which have been commissioned from independents via BBC Wales."
Life On Mars will be produced by Kudos’ former Head of Development Claire Parker, who also developed the series, and exec produced by Jane Featherstone and Matthew Graham for Kudos and Julie Gardner and John Yorke for the BBC. Currently in production in Manchester the series is due for delivery in the autumn for transmission later this year. The cast is yet to be confirmed.
Kudos Film & Television is also currently working on a fourth series of Spooks and a second series of Hustle for the BBC.
(GB)