From the liner notes

Like Lost or The X-Files, Life on Mars captivated millions of BBC viewers by wrapping a mystery inside a mystery. After a car accident, modern-day police detective Sam Tyler (John Simm, State of Play) wakes up in 1973. Is he crazy, in a coma, or back in time? Whatever the answers, he still has crimes to solve, albeit with low-tech, highly aggressive 1970s methods. He soon butts heads with his boss (Philip Glenister, Cranford), while finding sympathy and possible romance with policewoman Annie (Liz White, The Fixer). With a powerful cast, wry humor, and clever use of period music and details, this hardcore crime drama has earned universal critical praise and fan devotion.