Sam Tyler is a fictional character from the British television series Life on Mars. He is a police officer who mysteriously finds himself transported back to the year 1973 after being hit by a car. In this new time period, he must navigate the challenges of policing in a different era while trying to understand how he ended up there. Throughout the series, Sam grapples with the differences in law enforcement practices and societal norms between his original time and the 1970s. He often interacts with his colleagues, including Gene Hunt, who embodies the tough, no-nonsense attitude of the time. Sam's journey explores themes of identity, morality, and the evolution of policing.