If the muscle car, the 8-track tape, the retro policeman's uniform, and the flaming ghetto wasteland did not convince Sam Tyler that the car accident altered his reality, then the sight of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, still standing in all their iconic glory in the golden afternoon sunlight, certainly gives him pause.

Welcome to "Life On Mars", ABC's Americanized version of the British cult series of the same name. The network proceeded cautiously with this version pilot episode after jettisoning its first, Los Angeles-based attempt.

This version, set in New York, reproduces with incredible detail the look and feel of the original BBC series, down to the haircuts and clothing of the characters and the title graphic. The lighting, the sets, and the smokey haze of the squad room all harken back, if not frame for frame then certainly in intent, to the British original.

Where this version of Life On Mars stakes a claim for its own identity is in its Americanization. New York of 1973, and indeed the entire United States, is a very different place than Manchester, England, during the same period. And both are as different from our 2008 reality as the planet Mars itself.

The episode opens with Sam Tyler and his girlfriend Maya arguing as they rush to a crime scene, and in a instant we understand who they are, their relationship, the time frame, and how policework gets done in 2008.

But when Maya goes missing, Sam goes on the hunt... and is hit by a car. When he wakes up, he finds himself in another time. The 1973 he finds himself in is a vastly different place, as evidenced by the scenery, the quality of light, and the disonance of sound. Cellphones, Diet Coke, and political correctness haven't been invented yet.

This pilot episode introduces us to the state of the art of police work in 1973. Forensic science is primitive at best. Political correctness does not exist. Sexism, racism, and violence are the status quo, and the first rule of police work is that there are no rules except those made by the boss, Lt. Gene Hunt.

This pilot episode also compacts some of the more surreal elements of the British series' story arc, including the modern-day crime and missing girlfriend, Sam's interstitial communication with 2008 via television and telephone, and his visual and auditory hallucinations.

Intriguing is that Sam Tyler's first case in 1973 is a precursor to the crimes he was tracking in 2008 -- serial kidnapping and murder of young women. But the suspect in the 2008 crimes are mere children in 1973. And thus we begin what may prove to be an intriguing story arc.

The music selections set the tone, with Chris Connell's "Ground Zero" in the 2008 segment, and the obligatory David Bowie "Life On Mars", The Who's "Baba O'Riley", The Rolling Stones' "Out Of Time", "Signs" by the Five Man Band, and one of my personal favorites, "Little Willy" by The Sweet, in the 1973 segment.

The set dressing is a little heavy-handed but you've got to give the crew credit for attending to the details. Were there really that many hippies loitering in the street in 1973?

Jason O'Mara is convincing as Sam Tyler. Harvey Keitel seems a little old and frail for the role of Lt. Gene Hunt, but he still packs a punch. Gretchen Moll stakes a claim for the role of Annie "No Nuts" Norris, a college-educated police woman trying to make her way in the man's world of police work. A few more faces from The Sopranos are on deck.

I'm intrigued, and I must admit, I expected the worst. Given what I've seen in this first episode, I'll be back for Episode 2 to see if they can sustain the momentum.