Ashley Pharoah, co-creator of the hit BBC series Life on Mars, has hinted that a sequel series called Lazarus might still be revived, despite the BBC denying any plans for a return. In comments reported by The Sun, Pharoah said: 'Something is stirring in the Life on Mars world. I’m sworn to secrecy but the Cortina isn’t ready for the scrapyard just yet.'
Lazarus was first announced in 2020 as a sequel to both Life on Mars and its follow-up Ashes to Ashes, with Philip Glenister and John Simm set to reprise their roles. However, in 2023, co-creator Matthew Graham confirmed the project had been scrapped due to 'financial' reasons. Graham stated on X: 'Some sad news folks. After many months of planning, we will now not be making Lazarus. I can't go into details but the hurdles were financial not creative.'
Despite Pharoah's teasing, the BBC has firmly denied any plans for a return. A spokesperson told The Sun: 'There are no plans for Life on Mars to return to the BBC.' This suggests that any potential revival might occur on a different platform or in a different format.
Life on Mars, which blended sci-fi with period crime drama, originally aired from 2006 to 2007 for two seasons. It was followed by Ashes to Ashes, which ran for three seasons from 2008 to 2010. The creators have long expressed a desire to complete a trilogy, with Pharoah noting: 'We had always planned to do three series, not two.'
