The new time-tripping cop show, Life On Mars, will set viewers' minds flashing back to the Seventies - and 1973, the year in which its hero, 21st century detective Sam Taylor wakes up, dazed and confused.

As he struggles to find out if he's travelled in time or is just dreaming, the policeman has to work on cases without any of the modern techniques on which he usually relies. It's a crime-busting world where witnesses are regularly intimidated, it takes two weeks to process forensics and his colleagues will nail their suspect whether they have the evidence or not.

A cross between The Sweeney and Back To The Future is how Life On Mars has been described. Expect to see Ford Cortinas, big hair, dodgy facial hair, wide trousers and even wider collars.

So cast your mind back to 1973. It was the year that Trevor McDonald joined ITN as the first black news reporter, women were allowed on the trading floor of the London Stock Exchange and Princess Anne married Captain Mark Phillips.

Gary Glitter topped the charts with I Love You Love Me Love and Marlon Brando refused his best actor Oscar in protest at the plight of native Americans. Britain joined the European Economic Community and the American Senate began the Watergate hearings.

Arab oil producers doubled the price of oil, petrol ration books were printed (but not used) and Prime Minister Edward Heath introduced the three-day week as the miners' strike cut down coal to power stations.

Top films included The Sting, The Exorcist and the James Bond adventure Live And Let Die - but what were we watching on the small screen? A lot of comedy, for one thing. Those were the days when the TV schedules were packed with comedies and some of the best, most fondly-remembered first saw the light of day in 1973.

Some Mothers Do 'Ave 'Em featured Frank Spencer, a hapless individual described as "an accident waiting to happen". It made a star of Michael Crawford, not least because of his insistence of doing his own stunts. His mannerisms and cry of "Oooh, Betty" also kept impressionists in work for years.

Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais continued the story of best friends Bob and Terry in Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads?, a sequel to The Likely Lads that was every bit as good, if not better, than the original.

Bob now had a girlfriend, Thelma, and a middle class lifestyle, while Terry had joined the Army and acquired a wife.

We first heard Mr Humphries' cry of "I'm free" and Mrs Slocombe's fears about her pussy as the comedy Are You Being Served? debuted. The series began after a pilot episode in the Comedy Playhouse season the previous year. The crude seaside postcard humour kept Grace Brothers department store open for business until 1985, leading to a feature film and a spin-off series.

Man About The House sounded more daring that it was - two attractive young girls share a flat with a young man. This being a British comedy, there was talk but no actual hanky-panky. Richard O'Sullivan was the lone male co-habiting with Paula Wilcox and Sally Thomsett. The series was stolen by Brian Murphy and Yootha Joyce as the landlords, the Ropers, who were justifiably given their own series, George And Mildred.

These comedies live on in repeats, but one of 1973's new arrivals is still going strong, Last Of The Summer Wine, now the world's longest running sitcom that has survived cast departures and changing tastes in comedy.

Comedy also intruded on That's Life as presenter Esther Rantzen joked about phallic-shaped vegetables in between conducting serious consumer investigations. The alternately silly and serious series was planned to run for six weeks but lasted 21 years, making toothy Rantzen a TV star into the bargain.

She had an easier path to success than many of the contestants on New Faces, ITV's answer to Opportunity Knocks. Hughie Green's talent show was known for its clapometer, New Faces became notorious for its judging panel. The four experts - a mix of producers, agents and critics - didn't hold back on their criticism. Some suggested Tony Hatch should change his name to Tony Hatchet Man. Lenny Henry, Les Dennis, Jim Davidson, Victoria Wood, Marti Caine and Gary Wilmot were among those who survived to go on to bigger and better things.

Meanwhile, large furry creatures did their bit for the environment as The Wombles came to BBC1 via Wimbledon Common. Based on stories by Elisabeth Beresford, they not only went "underground, overground, wombling free" but turned up on records and on the big screen on their ecologist crusade.

Not all TV was furry animals and funny shows. The World At War was the landmark historical documentary series telling the story of the 1939-45 war in 26 episodes through eye-witness accounts and archive footage, some not seen before.

The series won awards around the world. Whether Sam Taylor will have time to watch The World At War in between crimefighting duties remains to be seen.

* Life On Mars begins on BBC1 on Monday at 9pm.