US 'Life On Mars' casts new Annie

Bosses of the US remake of Life On Mars have cast Gretchen Mol as Sam Tyler's love interest Annie Norris.

TV Guide reports that the 35-year-old, best known for her film roles in Sweet And Lowdown and 3:10 To Yuma, has landed the part in the largely recast second pilot which commences shooting next week.

The article shed light on the nature of the character, stating that Annie is "a member of the Police Women's Bureau, making do with menial tasks and combating the sexism of the times... [and her] battle for equality on the force will one day pave the way for Sam's contemporary love, Maya Daniels, to herself become a police officer".

Annie was played by Rachelle Lefèvre in the poorly-received first pilot. Last week, it was announced that Harvey Keitel will replace Colm Meaney as Gene Hunt in the new version.

The original BBC Life On Mars featured Liz White as WPC Annie Cartwright.