ABC cancels "Life on Mars"

The cast and executive producers of the new series ''Life On Mars'' (L-R) executive producer Josh Appelbaum, Irish born actor Jason O'Mara, actor Michael Imperioli and executive producer Andre Nemec take part in a panel discussion at the Disney ABC Television Group summer press tour in Beverly Hills, California July 16, 2008.

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - ABC's "Life on Mars" won't return for a second season.

The network has decided not to renew the time-travel series, which stars Jason O'Mara as 2008 Detective Sam Tyler working as a cop in 1973 New York.

The show will complete its 17-episode freshman-season order with an episode written as a series finale, wrapping the loose story ends, explaining how Tyler was transported back in time and perhaps bringing him back to his own time.

Filmed in New York, the series boasts one of the strongest acting ensembles on TV with O'Mara, Harvey Keitel, Michael Imperioli and Gretchen Mol.

"Mars" enjoyed strong support from ABC brass and ran in some of the network's premiere schedule slots -- Thursday 10 p.m., after "Grey's Anatomy," and Wednesday 10 p.m., after "Lost."

Still, the show, based on the British series of the same name, didn't click with viewers.

With its serialized nature, many considered "Life" to be better suited as a limited series, the way it aired in the U.K.

(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)