Patrick Duffy -- "Man from Atlantis"

[ClassyCo]

Before his DALLAS fame, Patrick Duffy starred in the short-lived NBC fantasy/sci-fi drama called MAN FROM ATLANTIS. Four television films were aired between March and June 1977, and thirteen episodes were aired between September 22, 1977, and June 6, 1978.

The premise concerned that of a man suffering from amnesia who is given the name of Mark Harris, and who is believed to be the only surviving citizen of the lost civilization of Atlantis. Mark possesses many extraordinary abilities, such as the ability to breathe underwater, withstand extreme depth pressures, and superhuman strength. His hands and feet are webbed, his eyes are typically sensitive to light, and he swims in a similar fashion of a butterfly stroke or dolphin kick.

I recall my dad talking about this show as "that show Patrick Duffy did before DALLAS", but I've never seen it myself. I haven't checked in a long while, but I don't know if any of the TV movies or episodes are online to view.

Any fans of this show?

 

[LMLDallas78]

I vaguely remember The Man from Atlantis, but I didn't really watch it and I never really got it which says a lot about me as I got Dallas a while later and was very young.

I recall how he used to swim though and his webbed hands and his eyes.

My older brother was a fan and actually I remember him saying to me watch this TV programme about a big rich American family. I imagine he wanted to watch Dallas to see what that bloke from Man From Atlantis was like in it.

Anyway I got hooked he never.

 

[Snarky Oracle!]

Patrick's wistful delivery made it work. But I only saw a couple of episodes. And it's difficult for sci-fi shows to succeed in primetime, although the fanbase loyally watches these shows in reruns for 50 years.

 

[Sarah Danner]

Tubi had it for a while last year and then dropped it. The movies were good; the series not so much.

 

[Billy Wall]

I believe they actually referred to it in one scene on Dallas.

 

[Richard Channing]

Watched a video on it just last week:

 

[Barbara Fan]

It was my 1st introduction to Pat Duffy and he took over from Paul Micheal Glaser (Starsky) as my number 1 TV hunk and the man i would like to marry!!

He appeared a lot in girls magazines particularly Fab 208 and I cut everything out about him - I am surprised i was allowed to watch it as my Dad thought it was "American rubbish"

With hindsight - it wasnt great - but when you are still to be a teenager it was fab!! Those yellow shorts were something to behold.

 

[Mustard]

Man From Atlantis beat Doctor Who in the British TV ratings most of the time in the latter months of 1977. Not all ITV regions had Man From Atlantis up against Doctor Who on the BBC though. The different ITV channels were far more regionalized in those days.

 

[TJP]

The character played by Patrick Duffy's son, Padraic Duffy, in the final season of "Dallas" was named Mark Harris, and the name was an obvious allusion to Patrick's previous rôle on "Man from Atlantis".

 

[Miss Texas 1967]

Out of interest in Patrick Duffy's work, I watched the show a few years back. The premise isn't bad, but the episodes were of very variable quality and enjoyment. Anything with Mr Schubert was totally uninteresting to me, while anything to do with Elizabeth and Mark I found enjoyable.

 

[Seaviewer]

Yes, as a fan of science fiction and superhero shows I watched this when it was on but it didn't stay around long enough to develop a real following.
It was kind of like Star Trek underwater - as was Seaquest DSV some years later.