This is a list of fictional characters that have appeared in BBC One's science fiction/police procedural drama, Life on Mars, and the following series Ashes to Ashes.

Main characters Cast table Character Portrayed by Life on Mars Ashes to Ashes 1 2 1 2 3 Gene Hunt Philip Glenister colspan="5" Sam Tyler John Simm colspan="2" colspan="3" Annie Cartwright Liz White colspan="2" colspan="3" Ray Carling Dean Andrews colspan="5" Chris Skelton Marshall Lancaster colspan="5" Phyllis Dobbs Noreen Kershaw colspan="2" colspan="3" Nelson Tony Marshall colspan="2" colspan="2" colspan="1" Alex Drake Keeley Hawes colspan="2" colspan="3" Shaz Granger Montserrat Lombard colspan="2" colspan="3" Viv James Geff Francis colspan="2" colspan="3" Luigi Joseph Long colspan="2" colspan="3" Martin Summers Adrian Dunbar/Gwilym Lee colspan="3" colspan="1" colspan="1" Jim Keats Daniel Mays colspan="4" colspan="1"

Introduced in Life on Mars Gene Hunt

DCI “Gene Hunt” is played by Philip Glenister in the original British Version of “Life on Mars” and the spin-off series “Ashes to Ashes”. Gene Hunt in “Life on Mars” plays your stereotypical 1970s police officer being homophobic and slightly strange.

Sam Tyler

DCI/DI Sam Tyler is played by John Simm in the original British version of Life on Mars and in the American version he is played by Jason O'Mara. The character of Sam Tyler is the main protagonist within the programme. Sam Tyler was hit by a car in 2006 and woke up in 1973, we follow Sam as he makes discoveries of the world and eventually how he got back and how he changes as a person, in the dramatic closing minutes of “Life on Mars” Sam Tyler takes his own life to return to the world of 1973.

Annie Cartwright WPC/DC Annie Cartwright is portrayed by Liz White. During the first series of Life on Mars, the character was a Woman Police Constable serving in uniform. Early in the second series, DCI Gene Hunt allows her to join CID as Woman Detective Constable. Throughout both series, Cartwright helps the programme's protagonist, Sam Tyler adjust to life in the Seventies. Cartwright is the only person in 1973 who Sam tells that he has travelled back in time, and she treats him sympathetically, believing that he is suffering from severe concussion after being hit by a car. During the first episode of series one, when Sam climbs onto the police station roof, considering suicide, Cartwright convinces him not to jump. Upon Sam first losing consciousness after the car accident which sent him back in time, he sees a fleeting image of a woman in a red dress running away from an attacker. The image is later revealed to be a childhood memory of Annie chasing after Sam's father, and being attacked by him. No references are made to Annie's family in either the first or second series, apart from a mention of an unnamed nephew in "Episode 1", which indicates that she has a brother or sister.

In the US remake, Annie Norris (Gretchen Mol) is a uniformed policewoman with an undergraduate psychology education who has aspirations of making the detective squad. Norris constantly struggles against sexist attitudes about the role of a woman in police work. Owing to her gender, her nickname among the detectives is "No Nuts Norris". She is the only one on the force to whom Sam has revealed that he is from the future – although she does not seem to believe him, she is the most sympathetic of his colleagues; she puts more faith in his claim after a prophecy from Sam saves her life from Vic Tyler in the counterpart episode to the BBC's first series finale. She is promoted to detective in the finale.

Ray Carling DC/DS/DI Raymond Milton "Ray" Carlingfull name given in DCI Keats' report to Chief Superintendent Callahan, on BBC website ; full forename of "Raymond" previously confirmed on his Army enlistment application in ep. 2.6 is portrayed by Dean Andrews.

Ray Carling is shown to be similar in character to his boss, DCI Gene Hunt. During Life on Mars, Carling often prefers Hunt's brutality and corruption over DI Sam Tyler's ideas. Carling has also been described by the BBC's website as Hunt's "right-hand man when it comes to fighting, shooting, gambling and the ladies". Throughout the series, Carling frequently clashes with Sam Tyler regarding his policing methods. It is revealed that Carling had applied for promotion to DI (Detective Inspector), but was passed over for the apparently transferred Sam Tyler, fuelling his grudge against Tyler. During episode 7 of the first series, Billy Kemble is arrested on drug-related charges. In an attempt to make him reveal his supplier, Carling and Chris Skelton force-feed Kemble cocaine, but Kemble has a heart attack and dies in police custody. After an extensive cover-up operation, Hunt angrily demotes Carling to DC (Detective Constable). After a period of time as a DC, Hunt re-promotes Carling to DS in series 2, episode 1, which he remains at for the next decade until 1983 in Ashes to Ashes.

During episode 3 of the second series, Carling is blown up by a car bomb and hospitalized. A short time before the explosion, Sam Tyler claims it is a hoax and not the IRA as he knows from 2006 that they never used dynamite. Carling believes Tyler and investigates, only to be caught in the explosion. He suffers severe post-traumatic stress disorder after his release from hospital and unwittingly compromises Tyler's investigations. He is, however, hailed a hero by the rest of CID. During series 2 he drove a Morris Marina.

Alongside Gene Hunt and Chris Skelton, Carling moved from Manchester to London and joined the Metropolitan Police shortly after the death of Sam Tyler in 1980. Despite Carling openly being racist and sexist during Life on Mars, he is consistently displayed to have an improved attitude throughout Ashes to Ashes. Unlike his disdain for DI Tyler in 1973, he forms a good working relationship with DI Alex Drake and, most of the time, fully respects her authority over him, despite her gender. During the third series in 1983, Carling is promoted to a DI while Hunt is on the run for Drake's shooting, and takes overall charge of CID. When Hunt returns with Drake, he hastily disregards and lampoons Carling's efforts, describing him as looking like a "maths teacher". Carling goes on to ruin a stake-out during a hostage situation, but after the case is solved, Hunt acknowledges that it was a difficult operation and finally applauds his ability and effort. It is also revealed that Ray's father and grandfather were in the army, but Ray never joined himself as he went out drinking on the night he was supposed to sign up and never got around to going because he was scared, his relationship with his father subsequently souring despite his successes in the force. In series 2 in 1982, Carling actually fills out an army application form, but when he asks Alex Drake to write a reference, she takes the form and rips it up into little pieces, convincing him to stay. Ray, along with Shaz and Chris, endures visions of stars and space and hears strange voices, like that of in a pub, and described by Chris as Nelson (Tony Marshall), the publican from Life on Mars, asking him what is he having to drink. Although he initially dismisses it as alcohol-related, he is eventually brought round by Shaz and the three of them share the vision together in the street outside Luigi's. He drives a MkII Ford Granada 2.8S.

Along with Chris and Shaz, it is revealed that Ray Carling had previously died in the real world. As a young DC, he had been struggling with the feeling that he had failed his father and grandfathers, who were all army sergeants, after he failed basic training for entry to the Army. Ray took out his frustrations on a drunk young man outside a pub and ended up killing him, something which his DCI covered up. Ridden with guilt, he committed suicide by hanging himself in a bout of severe depression and alcohol abuse, on 6 May 1972, the day of that year's FA Cup Final.

The character displays homophobic, racist and sexist attitudes throughout Life on Mars. During Life on Mars, Carling has little respect for Sam Tyler, due to their disagreements over policing methods and Tyler's getting the job to which Carling hoped to be promoted. In Episode 5 of series 1, Carling is shown to be a big Manchester United fan, even faking an illness in order to get time off work to attend the Manchester derby match. By 1981, when the first series of Ashes to Ashes is set, Carling resents having a female superior, DI Alex Drake and is still sexist and opposed to having women in CID. However, during the second and third series he is much more willing to work with Drake and respects her as his senior officer and equal colleague. In Ashes to Ashes season 3, episode 3, Carling shows more of his true personality, which he usually hides under bluster and banter. However, as the series moves on, he returns to his usual self until the final few episodes, when he once again becomes more open towards Chris and Shaz as they share the visions they are experiencing. During series 2, it is revealed that Carling is a Freemason, and holds the rank of Tyler. He notes the ironic nature of the title.

Chris Skelton PC/DC Christopher Daniel "Chris" Skeltonfull name given in DCI Keats' report to Chief Superintendent Callahan, on BBC website is portrayed by Marshall Lancaster.

The character of Chris Skelton has been described as a "dogsbody" who is a "cheeky but likeable character" by the BBC's Life on Mars website. Throughout both series of Life on Mars, Skelton finds himself torn between the "old and the new ways of policing", represented by Gene Hunt and Sam Tyler, respectively. He is generally regarded as a waste of space by Hunt throughout both series and plays only minor roles in the storylines that unfold. Skelton finally proves himself in series 2 episode 6, saving Hunt, Tyler and Annie Cartwright (Liz White) from death when he shoots Big Bird. Unlike Ray Carling, Skelton eventually comes to respect Tyler and begins to emulate his modern policing methods, such as tape-recording interviews years before it became standard procedure. Tyler also helps Skelton overcome his clumsiness, nervousness and naivety. During the finale of the first series of Life on Mars, Skelton informs Tyler: "I don't underestimate you Boss, I just don't understand you".

Alongside Gene Hunt and Ray Carling, Chris moved from Manchester to London and joined the Metropolitan Police shortly after the death of Sam Tyler in 1980. By the time in which Ashes to Ashes is set in 1981, eight years since that of Life on Mars set in 1973, Chris' confidence, maturity and policing skills are displayed to have improved. During one episode, he described himself as "cautious rather than nervous" (as opposed to his demeanour in Life on Mars). During the programme, Chris enters into a relationship with fellow officer Sharon Granger. Chris proposes to her in the second episode of season two and they become engaged.