THE MARKET: Will “Life on Mars” on ABC make it to a fifth episode? The half-hour sitcom will premiere in its regular timeslot on Thursday, October 9 at 10 p.m. ET. Trading will close immediately after its scheduled third episode on October 23 at 11 p.m. ET. If a fifth episode airs, shares are worth $100. If it doesn’t, they’re worth $0.

THE DATA: “Life on Mars” is an import, like many other new shows on network TV this year. Competition in the time slot comes from CBS’s newcomer “Eleventh Hour” and NBC mainstay “ER.” Recent imports like “Coupling” and “Viva Laughlin” have flopped, but re-packaged hits include “The Office,” “Ugly Betty,” “Wipeout,” and of course “Sanford & Son.”

OUR TAKE: The retro-cop drama (about a man teleported back to the 70s) was on the ropes early, according to Wired. But ABC hit the brakes, moved to New York, and brought in he-uge talent in Karvey Keitel, Michael Imperioli, Gretechen Mol, and Lisa Bonet. Look for marketing to ramp up bigtime for what promises to be ABC’s flagship series of the season.

LEARN MORE:
See the “Life On Mars” home page.

“LIFE ON MARS” CONTENT ON YOUTUBE: