Jason O’Mara says he has a lot in common with Sam Tyler, the time-traveling New York detective he plays in the new ABC drama “Life on Mars” (premiering Thursday night at 10 on WCVB, Ch. 5).

“Ultimately, it’s a fish-out-of-water story,” he said. “I’m Irish, and I kind of felt a little bit like Sam Tyler coming over here six years ago. Hollywood is a very different place than anywhere that exists. It’s a whole different gear change.”