<![CDATA[io9: Man From Atlantis]]> http://cache.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/io9.com.png <![CDATA[io9: Man From Atlantis]]> http://io9.com/tag/man from atlantis http://io9.com/tag/man from atlantis <![CDATA[ What NBC Shows Should Be Revamped By Battlestar, Bionic Producer? ]]> ALF.jpgWith the news that Battlestar Galactica and Bionic Woman producer David Eick will be revamping yet another NBC/Universal property as part of his new deal with the peacock network comes the expected flurry of expectation. Just what old TV show will be the next to feel the grim and gritty grip of Eick's clammy reimagining mind? We've come up with what we feel are the top five candidates, below.

SeaQuest DSV: The original came with a Spielberg pedigree but, let's face it, it was pretty crappy (The quickest indicator? Darwin, the talking dolphin). While any revamp would be missing Roy Scheider and dreamy Jonathan Brandis, you wouldn't have to change much in order to bring the show back: Keep the whole concept about humanity having to move to the oceans after exhausting the rest of the world of its natural resources, and just play it straight. As long as you have at least one guest-shot from Stephanie Beacham.

The Man from UNCLE: Bionic Woman may not have worked out, but why not go whole hog into the spy game instead of hinting at some nefarious background that lacks Oscar Goldman? Play up the distrust between the various nations' spies and bring in some of the paranoia that makes Galactica so compelling, and all you need is a modern Robert Vaughan for success.

manfroma.jpgThe Man from Atlantis: Both Galactica and Bionic Woman like to go for the "what does it mean to be an outsider" theme, and what's more outsider than coming from an undersea kingdom? As a plus for the straight female and gay male viewers, you get to see the main character in swim trunks for the majority of each episode. Downside, of course, is that people will think you're just ripping off that Aquaman episode of Smallville

ALF: A longshot, admittedly, but it's got the sci-fi background Eick likes and what better to indulge Eick production traditions like occasionally sloppy writing and the urge to analyse humanity than a sitcom about an alien living in suburbia? Replace the muppet with state of the art CGI and get Bill Murray or someone to do the voice and I'm seeing cynical lead in to The Office every Thursday night.

The Golden Girls: Okay, I know, this sounds unexpected, but think what Eick's touch could do with this set-up - Four old women facing up to their mortality, shot with steadicam, talking about how horrible it is to get old and remembering happier days. One of them can have an incurable disease or something, and every third episode, we can have one of them thrown out an airlock when things get slow. The result, a Golden Girls for the 21st Century: Dark, unrealistic and almost endlessly depressing. Mr. Eick, I think we've found your project. I'll be waiting for my 10% finder's fee.

]]>
Mon, 21 Apr 2008 07:30:00 PDT Graeme McMillan http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=381916&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[ Hot Half-Naked Patrick Duffy Blows Up Undersea Base ]]> The climax to the pilot of The Man From Atlantis is like a super-low-budget version of The Spy Who Loved Me. Patrick (Dallas) Duffy's hunky Atlantean bod distracts a hippie college professor supervillain, allowing Duffy to flood the hippie's undersea lab and stop an evil countdown with just 3 seconds left. The lack of dialog only makes the bad hippie's looks of "I wanted you, and you ruined me" more poignant. Computers blow up, sailors escape in their submarine, priceless Greek statues are submerged. Click through for more underwater homoeroticism and another Atlantis clip.

In tribute to our earlier Hulk-vs.-phone-booth clip, here's another guy from Atlantis encountering a payphone for the first time and getting totally trapped. Plus a Navy researcher has fed all of Duffy's data into a computer, which spits out a shocking pronouncement.The Man From Atlantis may not even make it into the top 10 list of Gayest Scifi Shows of the 70s, but it's up there. Duffy spends most of his time wearing tight wet trunks, and there's one great scene where half a dozen soldiers line up to watch him swim around a little pool, over and over.

And then there's the flirtation as Evil Hippie tries to convince Duffy to join his, um, side. "My affliction is a result of a warped adulthood, coupled with an insatiable desire to be friendly," the supervillain tells the mostly naked and shiny-wet Duffy. "And I do want to be friendly with you." He adds, "I liked you when we first met. But now that I know more about your innards, I really like you." But it's all to no avail. It's always the cute ones who break your heart and blow up your undersea base.

]]>
Wed, 23 Jan 2008 06:20:17 PST charliejane http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=347855&view=rss&microfeed=true