'Life On Mars' remake changes Tyler story

The executive producer of the American remake of Life On Mars has gained permission from the BBC to change the "unsatisfying" predicament of Sam Tyler.

Sci Fi Wire reports that Josh Appelbaum made the admission during a television press tour in California, saying: "We talked to the creators of the BBC show and asked if we could change the mythology of Sam Tyler, and we got permission to do it."

Explaining why he removed the ambiguity of the character's predicament, Appelbaum said: "With this mythological element to it, it's not just a cop show, and if he was ultimately just in a coma or it was all a dream, it felt a bit unsatisfying. So we made it a deeper mystery."