Variety confirmed the American revamp of the British sci-fi series will end this season, but ABC has informed producers so they can resolve the story in 17 episodes. Ironically, the British original ran only 16 episodes as a closed-ended series. That show then spun into the 1980s with Ashes to Ashes, a show following Lt. Gene Hunt. No such luck for the American series.

The American version was troubled from the beginning, undergoing a total overhaul and recastings before the pilot aired. It was generally well received by critics, but after a strong showing for its heavily advertised premiere ratings kept dipping.

I’m just going to save the phrase “generally well-received by critics but still canceled” and keep copying/pasting for future reference. Still, if there’s a silver lining here it is that the show will get to wrap up its storyline. Hopefully that’s the beginning of a trend not just at ABC, but at all the networks.

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Jason O’ Mara goes retro as he finds himself on the Lower East Side of Manhattan in 1973 as it was recreated this afternoon on the set of ‘Life on Mars’ which is filming in New York City. Pictured: Jason O’Mara Picture by: Brian Prahl / Splash News

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After the axe fell on not one, not two, but three ABC shows yesterday producers and actors alike were probably reluctant to answer any phone calls if “ABC” was on the caller ID. But Life on Mars and its fans got actually good news as ABC has ordered four more episodes of the British time-travel remake.

USA Today reports that while Mars hasn’t been a ratings smash, ABC’s programming chief Steven McPherson is a huge fan. The show is about a New York detective who is transported to 1973 after a car accident. It’s one of numerous Brit remakes that hit American airwaves this year.

That list also includes two CBS shows: Eleventh Hour and The Ex-List, or as some of our readers have taken to calling it: “That Evil, Evil Show That Took Away Our Sweet Moonlight.” The Ex-List has already become an ex-show, while no announcement has come on Eleventh Hour. It’s been averaging around 11 million viewers and plays in a ridiculously strong lineup with Survivor and CSI. So a pickup for Eleventh Hour would seem to be just a formality, but there’s no word from the Tiffany Network just yet.

Life on Mars will leave its Thursday slot now to be paired with the returning sci-fi super show Lost. Mars seems like a more natural fit in a block with Lost and the move will also put Grey’s Anatomy and its spinoff Private Practice on the same night.

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Tonight, Detective Sam Tyler has to deal with a strange hostage situation that may be connected to his own – strange situation. Also, he gets a phone call from what sounds like his mother in 2008 begging him to wake up.

Life on Mars will soon be leaving its Thursday night digs to be paired with the returning Lost on Wednesday nights. ABC is hoping the two sci-fi shows will play well together, not unlike FOX’s decision to pair up Dollhouse and Terminator on Fridays.

What do you think, readers? Are you ready to follow Life on Mars to a pairing with Lost or is it too soon to be jerking a new show out of its time slot?

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Tonight on Life on Mars, the 125th Precinct is caught in the middle of racial tensions between Black and Puerto Rican factions. A Black girl is thrown off a building and there’s a Puerto Rican murder suspect. The Black Liberation Army wants to handle the matter in its own way and I’m guessing it will not involve Miranda rights or writ of habeas corpus.

As a bonus, Whoopi Goldberg guest stars. After election season on The View, I’m imagining a full-scale riot may be a quieter gig for Whoopi.

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Again, that is an abbreviated ep title. The full title is “Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadows?” Feel free to join me in my petition to get shorter episode titles for Life on Mars.

Anyway, tonight Sam encounters his younger mother after she gets attacked by mobster Nick Profaci. Sam finds Profaci could be involved in the murders of two other women. Also, Profaci and his mob boss might be entangled with some of the cops from the 1-2-5. Lucky Sam already has such a great working relationship with them. Oh wait, he doesn’t.

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Photo by Brian Prahl/Splash News

Actually, the full title of this ep is “My Maharishi Is Bigger Than Your Maharishi.” They’ve really got to quit that with the long episode titles. They don’t fit up there nicely after Life on Mars Tonight.

All kidding aside, tonight a returning Vietnam veteran gets murdered. This brings nothing but bad publicity to the 125th and Lt. Hunt wants this case solved yesterday. So far I really like this show, although I will admit that I have never seen the British version so I can’t really compare the two.

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