Man from Atlantis

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Man from Atlantis
Patrick Duffy appears as Mark Harris on the cover of this 1970s novel based upon the series
Genre	Drama/Science fiction
Running time	42-44 minutes per episode
Creator(s)	Lee H. Katzin
Starring	Patrick Duffy Belinda Montgomery Dean Santoro Art Lund Victor Buono
Country of origin	United States
Original channel	NBC
Original run	22 September 1977–6 June 1978
No. of episodes	17
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Man from Atlantis was a short-lived American science fiction television series that ran for 17 episodes on the NBC Network during the 1977-1978 season, following on from a successful made-for-television movie that had aired on 1 March 1977. A number of sources append the word The to the title, however the actual on-screen title of the series, plus the title used for spin-off novels and comic books, does not include the article.

The series starred Patrick Duffy as Mark Harris, a survivor from the lost continent of Atlantis. Possessed of superhuman abilities, including the ability to breathe underwater and withstand extreme depth pressures, Harris is subsequently recruited by a secret organization that explores the depths of the ocean in a futuristic submarine, the Cetacean, fighting evil as it goes.

Victor Buono played Mr. Schubert, a recurring villain of the pilot and the series. Belinda Montgomery was Dr. Elizabeth Merrill, the main supporting character, apparently loosely inspired by the 1940s Timely-Atlas comicbook character Betty Dean, who often managed to calm down Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner when he felt angered with the behavior of surface people. Elizabeth fills a very similar role in the movie and series, and in both works of fiction there are strong hints of romantic interest underneath the surface. There are persistent rumors that The Man from Atlantis was originally meant to be a Namor series. Namor himself is a "Man from Atlantis" (actually a king) in the Marvel comics, and artist Frank Robbins had been involved with both characters in the late 1970s.

Man from Atlantis is notable as being the first American TV series to be shown in the People's Republic of China in 1980, with the title 大西洋底来的人, which translates to The Man from the Bottom of Atlantic. It was at the moment when Gang of Four lost power to Deng Xiaoping, and the science research began to get attention, along with economical development. In Brazil it was named O Homem do Fundo do Mar, which translates to The Man from the Deep Sea. It has developed a small cult classic following, mostly science fiction fans of the many 1970's era. The entire series has been released on DVD. [1]

The show's quick cancellation allowed Duffy to start work on Dallas, a popular series in which he'd co-star for the next decade. Belinda Montgomery also went on to a substantial acting career following the series.