The ABC show Life on Mars came to an unceremonious end this week after being canceled with just 17 episodes in the can. It may not have gained much of an audience, but it had one of the strangest endings to a major network TV show since Twin Peaks . I won’t give away the ending here, but if your curiosity is piqued, just check out the “Plot” section on the show’s Wikipedia page.

As the show came to an end, producers Josh Appelbaum and Scott Rosenberg talked frankly about their experiences to TVGude.com. Asked about the (mostly excellent) use of music on Life on Mars , they said: “We write every song into the script, not after the fact, because the music is so important. And only one person denied us.”

That person was Tom Waits, who is so adverse to artists having their songs used in commercials that he once said: "If Michael Jackson wants to work for Pepsi, why doesn't he just get himself a suit and an office in their headquarters and be done with it?". Applebaum said they attempted to use Waits’ “Tom Traubert’s Blues” in episode six of the show, but the singer firmly rebuffed them.

“Tom Waits approves all of his licensing, and he sent an email saying he thought the show was [bad],” said the producer. “It was pretty funny.” Anyone getting the shakes from going cold turkey on Life on Mars should check out the British version of the show, which is available here . [ TwentyFourBit ]