Ancient Greece has been having a bit of a run lately what with Dr Michael Scott’s recent primers on Greek culture and society and the like. There are, however, certain parts of the television audience a Hellenistic scholar cannot reach, and they are to be found on a sofa looking for something to watch between Strictly and Casualty. In the event that such viewers choose not to gorge on The X Factor, they can now opt to spend time in Atlantis. Or should that be "Atlantis"?
Atlantis has come along to occupy the fantasy slot previously occupied by Merlin. It opens in the present day as a buff young submariner (Jack Donnelly) chooses to plunge into the ocean depths in search of his old man, long since presumably drowned in his quest to locate the lost city of… yes, you’re ahead there. Sure enough, he beaches in Ancient Greece where the sea laps against the bristling ramparts of a city that looks very much like CGIopolis. So far, so Saturday night.
The good guys wear trousers you won't see on any of the vases
The washed-up hero is called Jason - reassuring evidence that Howard Overman, whom you may know as the creator of Misfits, has been dipping into all the right epics. But maybe look away now, fans of Homer and co. It becomes apparent that this Jason has mislaid his Argonauts, and has instead befriended a pair of locals by the name of Pythagoras and Hercules. As in the factual triangle chappie and the fictional 12 labours guy. Jason is well read enough to have heard of both: “How did you know I’d been thinking about triangles?” says a startled Pythagoras (Robert Emms), while Hercules (Mark Addy) seems nowadays to be channelling the fat, lazy drunkard Falstaff (but let’s not mash things up any further).
The confusing mix of history and myth is the least of Jason’s problems as he’s instantly a fugitive being shot at by heavies in tunics (the good guys in Atlantis wear trousers you won't see on any of the vases). Pretty soon this mythological rewrite goes into full freak-out mode as Jason finds himself having to nip into a cave to grapple with a minotaur. This must be a different minotaur from the one in Minos.
Theseus, having had his myth stolen from him, should probably sue. Everyone else is advised to stick their brains in a pickling jar and enjoy a sunlit entertainment with nice ramparts, good monsters and pleasing triangular banter between the square Jason, the round Hercules and, er, Pythagoras. There's not much to Donnelly's ultra-bland Jason, who has been cast as some sort of promised one come to rescue Atlantis. But it's fun seeing a maths geek having to turn hero, and a hero turn out to be a cowardly braggart. As for the women, Juliet Stevenson is cast in the eye-swivelling role of a loopy oracle, Aiysha Hart is the hot-to-trot young Ariadne (on secondment from Perseus’s story?) and Sarah Parrish is doing another of her sinful harpies. This is essentially The Primetimeid. Get over it. You want the stories straight? Read Roger Lancelyn-Green.
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