it came from the 1970s!
Continuing my quest to get more folks to potentially nominate it for yuletide here everything you need to know about Man From Atlantis
A mostly-naked man (Patrick Duffy) washes up on shore in California. He's taken to a local hospital but they don't know what to make of him. He has webbed fingers and toes and is dying--until Navy doctor Elizabeth Merrill (Belinda Montgomery) figures out he can breathe underwater. She saves his life, and takes him back to her lab for testing. He appears to have amnesia, and so she calls him "Mark Harris".
The Navy conscripts him to help find a missing sub, the SeaQuest, and he discovers it was stolen by Mr Schubert--an insane genius who wants to start World War III to rid the world of people so he can start civilisation anew. Mark foils Schubert's plans, and rescues the scientists and crew Schubert had held prisoner in his underwater lair, and then is free to return to the sea. However, Mark returns to Elizabeth because he's in love with her eager to learn more.
Fast-forward one year and Elizabeth has taken Mark (with the Navy's blessing) to the Foundation For Oceanic Research, and together, fight crime.
(Also, SHE DIGS HIM. Just a little.)
The series spawned four tie-in novelisations (the first of which is actually quite good--better than the MOW, and the others aren't too shabby either), and a Marvel comic book series as well (but, erm... yeah, the less said about that, the better).
ETA: and someone, God love them, made a techno remix of the theme. OH INTERNETS, HOW YOU REWARD MY QUESTIONABLE TASTE IN VINTAGE GENRE TELLY!!!
On-set interview, part 1
On-set interview, part 2
On-set interview, part 3
On-set interview, part 4
Buy it on DVD!
WB Shop
Episode Guide
Movies of the Week
"Man from Atlantis"
After a violent storm at sea, the inert body of a man is found on the beach near the Naval Undersea Center. But this is no ordinary man. Equipped with webbed hands and gills instead of lungs, he can breathe underwater, swim faster than a dolphin and dive to incredible depths. He is nursed back to health by Doctor Elizabeth Merrill and given the name Mark Harris. In return Mark agrees to work for the Foundation of Ocean Research and his first assignment is to seek out a missing submarine carrying top military officials. Swimming to incredible depths, Mark discovers an enormous undersea habitat constructed by Mr. Schubert, a maniacal scientist who plans to destroy all the nations of the world with their own nuclear weapons through an ingenious method of mind control.
"The Death Scouts"
Mark investigates the disappearance of three scuba divers and becomes involved with a pair of aliens who are the advance force of an alien invasion.
"Killer Spores"
When a space capsule crashes in the ocean near the Cetacean, Mark and Elizabeth agree to investigate. When they arrive Mark is rendered unconscious by a screeching sound. They discover hundreds of strange, blue, intelligent spores that take over Mark's body attempting to find a way back into space. However they don't know Mark will die if he does not return to water within a few hours.
"The Disappearances"
A demented scientist, Dr. Mary Smith, abducts and drugs top scientists from around the world -- including Elizabeth Merrill -- to work on a secret project.
The Series
"Melt Down"
Schubert threatens to cause world wide flooding by using powerful microwaves to melt the earth's polar ice caps unless the government turns Mark Harris over to him.
"The Mudworm"
When a multi-million dollar underwater probe malfunctions and begins attacking any ship that travels near it, Mark must reason with its highly advanced brain and convince it to stop.
"Hawk of Mu"
Mark, investigating a power outage, discovers a centuries old hawk statue from the legendary civilization of Mu. The statue, when used properly, can remove the power from a large area. Schubert discovers the power of the hawk statue and Mark must prevent him from taking it.
"Giant"
The oceans are leaking through a fissure in the ocean floor. A conman named Muldoon agrees to guide Mark through the fissure to investigate. However, Mark is unaware that giants inhabit the other side of the fissure and Muldoon has already stolen gold from one of them.
"Man O'War"
Using his genetic scientists, Schubert produces a giant jellyfish which he intends to release unless his extortion demands are met.
"Shoot Out at Land's End"
Mark is somehow linked with a man named Billy, existing in a wild west town, who appears to be his twin. Investigating, Mark arrives in the town and discovers Billy had the same webbing as Mark but has had it removed.
"Crystal Water, Sudden Death"
Schubert attempts to make a satellite weapon to knock out the Earth's communications. However, to power the weapon he needs the energy crystals protected by a forcefield under the ocean. The crystals actually power the forcefield that protects an underwater city.
"The Naked Montague"
An underwater landslide transports Mark to Verona, Italy ... in the days of Romeo and Juliet.
"C.W. Hyde"
C.W. develops a Jekyll and Hyde personality after swallowing a mysterious liquid.
"Scavenger Hunt"
Mark encounters Muldoon, who is using a sea monster to make island natives sacrifice young girls to him.
"Imp"
An impish little man enters an underwater station and causes the crew to become irrational simply by touching them. After three crewmen die the F.F.O.R. hears Duke, the last crewman talking, over the radio in a childish manner and investigates. Mark swims over and brings Duke over to the Cetacean, not knowing the imp has stowed aboard.
"The Siren"
While investigating the mysterious loss of three ships in one part of the ocean, Mark and the crew of the Cetacean encounter a submarine operated by a modern day pirate. The pirate has captured a mermaid that can produce a hypnotic siren song, which mesmerizes anyone who hears it, even Mark.
"Deadly Carnival"
Mark goes undercover to investigate members of a carnival planning to break into a museum. The only way to break into the museum is through an underwater tunnel of which only Mark can swim. When he is approached, he refuses. The owner of the carnival is then kidnapped and threatened unless Mark helps.
A mostly-naked man (Patrick Duffy) washes up on shore in California. He's taken to a local hospital but they don't know what to make of him. He has webbed fingers and toes and is dying--until Navy doctor Elizabeth Merrill (Belinda Montgomery) figures out he can breathe underwater. She saves his life, and takes him back to her lab for testing. He appears to have amnesia, and so she calls him "Mark Harris".
Click to viewThe Navy conscripts him to help find a missing sub, the SeaQuest, and he discovers it was stolen by Mr Schubert--an insane genius who wants to start World War III to rid the world of people so he can start civilisation anew. Mark foils Schubert's plans, and rescues the scientists and crew Schubert had held prisoner in his underwater lair, and then is free to return to the sea. However, Mark returns to Elizabeth because he's in love with her eager to learn more.
Fast-forward one year and Elizabeth has taken Mark (with the Navy's blessing) to the Foundation For Oceanic Research, and together, fight crime.
(Also, SHE DIGS HIM. Just a little.)
The series spawned four tie-in novelisations (the first of which is actually quite good--better than the MOW, and the others aren't too shabby either), and a Marvel comic book series as well (but, erm... yeah, the less said about that, the better).
ETA: and someone, God love them, made a techno remix of the theme. OH INTERNETS, HOW YOU REWARD MY QUESTIONABLE TASTE IN VINTAGE GENRE TELLY!!!
On-set interview, part 1
On-set interview, part 2
On-set interview, part 3
On-set interview, part 4
Buy it on DVD!
WB Shop
Episode Guide
Movies of the Week
"Man from Atlantis"
After a violent storm at sea, the inert body of a man is found on the beach near the Naval Undersea Center. But this is no ordinary man. Equipped with webbed hands and gills instead of lungs, he can breathe underwater, swim faster than a dolphin and dive to incredible depths. He is nursed back to health by Doctor Elizabeth Merrill and given the name Mark Harris. In return Mark agrees to work for the Foundation of Ocean Research and his first assignment is to seek out a missing submarine carrying top military officials. Swimming to incredible depths, Mark discovers an enormous undersea habitat constructed by Mr. Schubert, a maniacal scientist who plans to destroy all the nations of the world with their own nuclear weapons through an ingenious method of mind control.
"The Death Scouts"
Mark investigates the disappearance of three scuba divers and becomes involved with a pair of aliens who are the advance force of an alien invasion.
"Killer Spores"
When a space capsule crashes in the ocean near the Cetacean, Mark and Elizabeth agree to investigate. When they arrive Mark is rendered unconscious by a screeching sound. They discover hundreds of strange, blue, intelligent spores that take over Mark's body attempting to find a way back into space. However they don't know Mark will die if he does not return to water within a few hours.
"The Disappearances"
A demented scientist, Dr. Mary Smith, abducts and drugs top scientists from around the world -- including Elizabeth Merrill -- to work on a secret project.
The Series
"Melt Down"
Schubert threatens to cause world wide flooding by using powerful microwaves to melt the earth's polar ice caps unless the government turns Mark Harris over to him.
"The Mudworm"
When a multi-million dollar underwater probe malfunctions and begins attacking any ship that travels near it, Mark must reason with its highly advanced brain and convince it to stop.
"Hawk of Mu"
Mark, investigating a power outage, discovers a centuries old hawk statue from the legendary civilization of Mu. The statue, when used properly, can remove the power from a large area. Schubert discovers the power of the hawk statue and Mark must prevent him from taking it.
"Giant"
The oceans are leaking through a fissure in the ocean floor. A conman named Muldoon agrees to guide Mark through the fissure to investigate. However, Mark is unaware that giants inhabit the other side of the fissure and Muldoon has already stolen gold from one of them.
"Man O'War"
Using his genetic scientists, Schubert produces a giant jellyfish which he intends to release unless his extortion demands are met.
"Shoot Out at Land's End"
Mark is somehow linked with a man named Billy, existing in a wild west town, who appears to be his twin. Investigating, Mark arrives in the town and discovers Billy had the same webbing as Mark but has had it removed.
"Crystal Water, Sudden Death"
Schubert attempts to make a satellite weapon to knock out the Earth's communications. However, to power the weapon he needs the energy crystals protected by a forcefield under the ocean. The crystals actually power the forcefield that protects an underwater city.
"The Naked Montague"
An underwater landslide transports Mark to Verona, Italy ... in the days of Romeo and Juliet.
"C.W. Hyde"
C.W. develops a Jekyll and Hyde personality after swallowing a mysterious liquid.
"Scavenger Hunt"
Mark encounters Muldoon, who is using a sea monster to make island natives sacrifice young girls to him.
"Imp"
An impish little man enters an underwater station and causes the crew to become irrational simply by touching them. After three crewmen die the F.F.O.R. hears Duke, the last crewman talking, over the radio in a childish manner and investigates. Mark swims over and brings Duke over to the Cetacean, not knowing the imp has stowed aboard.
"The Siren"
While investigating the mysterious loss of three ships in one part of the ocean, Mark and the crew of the Cetacean encounter a submarine operated by a modern day pirate. The pirate has captured a mermaid that can produce a hypnotic siren song, which mesmerizes anyone who hears it, even Mark.
"Deadly Carnival"
Mark goes undercover to investigate members of a carnival planning to break into a museum. The only way to break into the museum is through an underwater tunnel of which only Mark can swim. When he is approached, he refuses. The owner of the carnival is then kidnapped and threatened unless Mark helps.