''Atlantis'' is a British

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction that involves supernatural or Magic (supernatural), magical elements, often including Fictional universe, imaginary places and Legendary creature, creatures. The genre's roots lie in oral traditions, ...

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

television programme inspired by

Greek mythology Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...

and created by Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy with Howard Overman. It premiered on 28 September 2013 on

BBC One BBC One is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is the corporation's oldest and flagship channel, and is known for broadcasting mainstream programming, which includes BBC News television b ...

. In the show, submarine pilot Jason washes up on the shores of legendary

Atlantis Atlantis () is a fictional island mentioned in Plato's works '' Timaeus'' and ''Critias'' as part of an allegory on the hubris of nations. In the story, Atlantis is described as a naval empire that ruled all Western parts of the known world ...

and must navigate the powerful leaders of the mythological realm. ''Atlantis'' was the biggest new Saturday night drama series launch across all

BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...

channels since 2006, even up on the launch of hit show ''

Merlin The Multi-Element Radio Linked Interferometer Network (MERLIN) is an interferometer array of radio telescopes spread across England. The array is run from Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire by the University of Manchester on behalf of UK Re ...

''. It also managed to draw 1 million viewers away from the highly popular ITV show ''

The X Factor ''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for '' Pop Idol'' (2001–200 ...

'', which aired at the same time in the UK. On 26 October 2013, BBC One ordered a second series of the show, which began airing on 15 November 2014. On 23 January 2015, it was announced that the series had been cancelled.

Plot

In the modern day, Jason, the

protagonist A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a ...

of the show, pilots a one-man submarine to investigate a deep sea disturbance that resulted in the disappearance of his father when he was a child. When he discovers the location, the submarine begins to fail and he is pulled into white light. He wakes up on the shores of the kingdom of

, which is ruled by the traditionalist King

Minos Main injector neutrino oscillation search (MINOS) was a particle physics experiment designed to study the phenomena of neutrino oscillations, first discovered by a Super-Kamiokande (Super-K) experiment in 1998. Neutrinos produced by the NuMI ...

and his power-hungry wife Queen Pasiphae, who seeks the throne for herself. Initially on the run from the authorities, he is given shelter by a pair of unlucky and largely unemployed locals:

Pythagoras Pythagoras of Samos (; BC) was an ancient Ionian Greek philosopher, polymath, and the eponymous founder of Pythagoreanism. His political and religious teachings were well known in Magna Graecia and influenced the philosophies of P ...

– a young intellectual who has yet to uncover his theorem – and the ex- prize fighter

Hercules Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures. The Romans adapted the Gr ...

– a hopeless romantic who spends most of his time in taverns drinking and gambling. The trio live out a series of Greek myths over the show's two season run, encountering monsters, gods, and demigods as they battle to do good and protect the innocent. Along the way, they acquire new allies and friends including Medusa, a palace maid; Ariadne, daughter of the King and heir to the throne; and the mysterious Oracle, who seems unsurprised at Jason's arrival and is in some way connected to him. The Oracle predicts that a world-changing destiny is in store for Jason if he remains on the right path.

Cast

Main

Mark Addy Mark Ian Addy is an English actor best known for his roles as DC Gary Boyle in the sitcom '' The Thin Blue Line'' (1995–96), Andy Richmond in '' Trollied'' (2011–13), King Robert Baratheon in the first season of ''Game of Thrones'' (2011) ...

* Jack Donnelly as

Jason Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece is featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Med ...

Robert Emms Robert Emms (born Robert James MacPherson; 20 May 1986) is a British film, stage and television actor, known for portraying Pythagoras in the BBC One fantasy-adventure series ''Atlantis'', Supervisor Lonni Jung in the Star Wars series '' Andor' ...

* Aiysha Hart as

Ariadne In Greek mythology, Ariadne (; ; ) was a Cretan princess, the daughter of King Minos of Crete. There are variations of Ariadne's myth, but she is known for helping Theseus escape from the Minotaur and being abandoned by him on the island of N ...

Sarah Parish Sarah Parish (born 7 June 1968) is an English actress. She is known for her work on television series including '' The Pillars of the Earth'', '' Peak Practice'', '' Hearts and Bones'', ''Cutting It'', ''Doctor Who'', '' Mistresses'', ''Merlin'' ...

as Pasiphae *

Juliet Stevenson Juliet Anne Virginia Stevenson, (born 30 October 1956) is an English actress of stage and screen. She is known for her role in the film '' Truly, Madly, Deeply'' (1991), for which she was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actress in a Le ...

as the

Oracle An oracle is a person or thing considered to provide insight, wise counsel or prophetic predictions, most notably including precognition of the future, inspired by deities. If done through occultic means, it is a form of divination. Descript ...

Jemima Rooper Jemima Rooper (born 24 October 1981) is an English actress. Having started as a child actress in television series, she has appeared in numerous film and theatre roles. Early life Born in Hammersmith, London, Rooper is the daughter of TV journ ...

Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her wa ...

Amy Manson Amy Manson (born 9 September 1985) is a Scottish actress. She has portrayed Alice Guppy in ''Torchwood'', Abby Evans in ''Casualty'', Lizzie Siddal in ''Desperate Romantics'', Daisy Hannigan-Spiteri in '' Being Human'', Medea in ''Atlantis'', ...

Medea In Greek mythology, Medea (; ; ) is the daughter of Aeëtes, King Aeëtes of Colchis. Medea is known in most stories as a sorceress, an accomplished "wiktionary:φαρμακεία, pharmakeía" (medicinal magic), and is often depicted as a high- ...

Recurring

* Ken Bones as Melas, son of Poseidon and High Priest * John Hannah as Tychon / Aeson * Robert Lindsay as

Daedalus In Greek mythology, Daedalus (, ; Greek language, Greek: Δαίδαλος; Latin language, Latin: ''Daedalus''; Etruscan language, Etruscan: ''Taitale'') was a skillful architect and craftsman, seen as a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and power. H ...

*Joseph Timms as

Icarus In Greek mythology, Icarus (; , ) was the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the architect of the labyrinth of Crete. After Theseus, king of Athens and enemy of King Minos, escaped from the labyrinth, Minos suspected that Icarus and Daedalu ...

* Gary Oliver as Alytarch ;Series 1 *

Hannah Arterton Hannah Jane Arterton (born 26 January 1989) is a British actress and singer. She attended Gravesend Grammar School for Girls and graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in 2011. She has appeared in the television series '' The Five'' ...

as Korinna *Lou Broadbent as Ione * Lucy Cohu as

Circe In Greek mythology, Circe (; ) is an enchantress, sometimes considered a goddess or a nymph. In most accounts, Circe is described as the daughter of the sun god Helios and the Oceanid Perse (mythology), Perse. Circe was renowned for her vast kn ...

* Joe Dixon as Ramos *

Alexander Siddig Siddig el-Fadil (born 21 November 1965) is a British actor and director, known professionally as Alexander Siddig. Siddig is best known for his roles as Dr. Julian Bashir in the television series '' Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', former terrori ...

as King Minos * Oliver Walker as Heptarian *

Ciarán Griffiths Ciarán Joseph Griffiths ( ; born 3 March 1983) is a British actor from Manchester, England. His roles in television include Gary Best in ''The Bill'', Mickey Maguire in '' Shameless'' and Damon Hay in ''Coronation Street''. Biography Griffit ...

as Cyrus * Nora-Jane Noone as Atalanta ;Series 2 *Thomas Coombes as Critias * Lorcan Cranitch as Cilix * Peter de Jersey as Goran *

Ronald Pickup Ronald Alfred Pickup (7 June 1940 – 24 February 2021) was an English actor. He was active in television, film, and theatre, beginning with a 1964 appearance in ''Doctor Who''. Theatre critic Michael Billington described him as "a terrific st ...

Orpheus In Greek mythology, Orpheus (; , classical pronunciation: ) was a Thracians, Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet. He was also a renowned Ancient Greek poetry, poet and, according to legend, travelled with Jason and the Argonauts in se ...

Robert Pugh Robert Pugh (born 3 November 1948) is a Welsh actor, known for his many television appearances, including the role of Craster in the HBO series ''Game of Thrones''. Life and career Pugh was born in Tyntetown, Mountain Ash and attended Ynysbo ...

as Sarpedon *

Vincent Regan Vincent Regan (born 16 May 1965) is a Welsh film and television actor. Early life Regan born 16 May 1965 in Swansea, Glamorgan, Wales. He attended Nicholas Breakspear School, St.Albans, Hertfordshire, then St Joseph's College, Ipswich, before ...

as Dion, Ariadne's general * Emmett J. Scanlan as Delmos *

Clive Standen Clive James Standen (born July 22, 1981) is an English actor best known for playing Bryan Mills in the NBC series '' Taken'' (2017–2018), based on the film trilogy of the same name, as well as Rollo in the History Channel series ''Vikings'' ...

as Telemon, an exiled prince of Aegina *

Anya Taylor-Joy Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy (; born 16 April 1996) is an actress. Born in Miami and raised in Buenos Aires and London, she left school at the age of 16 to pursue an acting career. After a series of small television roles, her Breakthrough ...

as Cassandra * Sian Thomas as

Eurydice Eurydice (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη 'wide justice', classical pronunciation: ) was a character in Greek mythology and the wife of Orpheus, whom Orpheus tried to bring back from the dead with his enchanting music. Etymology Several ...

, the wife of Orpheus

Episodes

Series 1 (2013)

Series 2 (2014–15)

Production

Announced on 11 February 2013, ''Atlantis'' was created to fill the gap left behind by ''

'', a show that was created and produced by Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy. This duo, plus ''

Misfits MiSFiTS was the acronym for the ''Minnesota Society for Interest in Science Fiction and Fantasy''. This organization has now changed its name to GPS, an acronym for Geek Partnership Society. It was founded in 1999 and was the parent non-profit org ...

'' creator Howard Overman, produced ''Atlantis'' through their new company Urban Myth Films. Executive producer for BBC Cymru Wales was Bethan Jones. The drama series was commissioned by

Ben Stephenson Benjamin Stephenson is a television executive, formerly controller of drama at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and currently Head of Television at Bad Robot in the United States. Education Stephenson attended The Hewett School in ...

, Controller of BBC Drama, and Danny Cohen, Controller of BBC One. The cast was announced on 27 March 2013. The series was filmed in

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

and

Morocco Morocco, officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It has coastlines on the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to Algeria–Morocc ...

. A 155,000sq ft warehouse, a former cold store building near

Chepstow Chepstow () is a town and community in Monmouthshire, Wales, adjoining the border with Gloucestershire, England. It is located on the tidal River Wye, about above its confluence with the River Severn, and adjoining the western end of the ...

, was converted into a vast TV studio to house the sets and filming of ''Atlantis''. The first series was filmed between 1 April 2013 and 1 November 2013. On 22 July 2013, BBC America announced that the channel was co-producing ''Atlantis'', and the show was broadcast in the US in autumn 2013 as part of "Supernatural Saturday." Since that date the series was promoted using a

viral marketing Viral marketing is a business strategy that uses existing social networks to promote a product mainly on various social media platforms. Its name refers to how consumers spread information about a product with other people, much in the same way th ...

campaign, with official accounts on

Twitter Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...

Tumblr Tumblr (pronounced "tumbler") is a microblogging and Social networking service, social networking website founded by David Karp in 2007 and is owned by American company Automattic. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content ...

and

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

. On 9 August 2013, the first poster for the series was revealed, and on 16 August 2013 the first teaser trailer for the series aired on BBC One. A week later on 23 August, a second teaser was shown where Jason ( Jack Donnelly) appeared. On 29 August four new teasers were released featuring Jack Donnelly,

and

. On 7 September the first promotional pictures of the cast were revealed and on the same day, the first trailer for the series was aired before ''Strictly Come Dancing'' on BBC One. A week before the first episode, on 21 September, the first clip from the opening episode was released. On 26 October 2013, the BBC confirmed that a second series had been commissioned. The second series had its initial read-through on 11 March 2014, with filming taking place from 17 March 2014 to 10 October 2014. On 3 April 2014, it was announced that

was joining the cast as Dion along with

as Medea.

, known from ''

Vikings Vikings were seafaring people originally from Scandinavia (present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden), who from the late 8th to the late 11th centuries raided, pirated, traded, and settled throughout parts of Europe.Roesdahl, pp. 9� ...

'', guest-starred in an episode of the second series. Emmett J. Scanlan, known from ''

Hollyoaks ''Hollyoaks'' is a British soap opera which originally began airing on Channel 4 on 23 October 1995. It was created by Phil Redmond, who had previously conceived the soap opera ''Brookside (TV series), Brookside''. From 2005 to 2023, episodes h ...

'', revealed on his Instagram page that he was joining the second series.

Soundtrack

In December 2015, Silva Screen Records released the soundtrack to the second series on CD and digital download. Composed by Stuart Hancock, the album features 30 tracks and 73 minutes of music score, with the final track, entitled 'Vision of the Future', incorporating Rob Lane's original series title theme. Reviewing this soundtrack release in Synchrotones, Pete Simons wrote "Stuart Hancock's ''Atlantis'' is a magnificent work... What is impressive about ''Atlantis'' is its big cinematic feel; along with its large orchestral performance...the score sounds vibrant and exciting in a way that many similar scores don't."

Broadcast

On 4 October 2014, the first teaser trailer for the second series was released, followed by the first official trailer on 29 October 2014. It premiered on 15 November 2014. In Canada, the series airs on

Space Space is a three-dimensional continuum containing positions and directions. In classical physics, physical space is often conceived in three linear dimensions. Modern physicists usually consider it, with time, to be part of a boundless ...

, premiering 12 October 2013, with the second series returning 15 November 2014. In the United States, the series premiered on 23 November 2013 on

BBC America BBC America is an American basic cable network that is owned by AMC Networks. The channel primarily airs sci-fi and action series and films, as well as selected programs from the BBC (such as its nature documentary series). Unlike the BBC's ...

, with the second series returning 15 November 2014. BBCA aired the remaining six episodes of the cancelled series in June and July 2015 with the last episode, "The Queen Must Die," airing on 8 August 2015. In Australia, the series aired on Fox8. It was originally set to premiere on 30 March 2014, but did not premiere until 4 May 2014. The second series was set to return on 26 April 2015, however, it was postponed until late 2015. In January 2015, the BBC confirmed that the third series, which would have been inspired by Jason and the Argonauts, was not to be commissioned, and on 16 May 2015, the series ended. In the U.K., the series has been made available on

BBC iPlayer BBC iPlayer (stylised as iPLAYER or BBC iPLAYER) is a video on demand service from the BBC. The service is available Over-the-top media service, over-the-top on a wide range of devices, including Mobile phone, mobile phones and Tablet computer ...

and has reaired on

Sky Sci-Fi Sky Sci-Fi (formerly Sci Fi Channel and Syfy) is a British pay television tv channel, channel owned and operated by Sky Limited, Sky, a division of Comcast. Launched as The Sci-Fi Channel, it was relaunched as Syfy on 13 April 2010, as part o ...

. In the U.S. it has been made available on streaming platforms like

Amazon Prime Video Amazon Prime Video, known simply as Prime Video, is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming television service owned by Amazon. The service primarily distributes films and television series produced or co-produced by ...

Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...

and the

The Roku Channel The Roku Channel is an over-the-top video streaming service available in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the UK. The service was launched in 2017, and is owned and operated by Roku, Inc. It is the most popular free ad-supported streaming televisio ...

Notes

References

External links

*
Atlantis
at the

's website * * *
Atlantis
on Facebook
Atlantis
on Twitter
Atlantis
on

{{Argonautica 2010s British drama television series 2013 British television series debuts 2015 British television series endings Television series about Atlantis BBC television dramas British adventure television series British fantasy drama television series LGBTQ speculative fiction television series Cultural depictions of Jason Cultural depictions of Medusa Cultural depictions of Pythagoras British English-language television shows Greek and Roman deities in fiction Television series about Heracles Television series based on classical mythology Television series set in ancient Greece Television shows filmed in Morocco Television shows filmed in Wales Works about Medea Television series about submarines