Following the departure of writer/producer David E. Kelley from the American adaptation of the hit BBC series, the new Life on Mars may switch location to New York.

According to reports in the L.A. Times, major changes to the cast are underway, although Jason O'Mara and Colm Meaney will continue as Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt. The original pilot, set in Los Angeles, is now unlikely to be aired. The paper commented that "the series has already suffered an exceptionally bumpy ride into the future, even by the Alice in Wonderland standards of television programme development."

Co-creator Matthew Graham told the Daily Telegraph: "It's been an incredibly convoluted journey. They took on a big job and there were different opinions on where to go. It's been a tortuous process."

Life on Mars is still expected to debut on ABC in the autumn.