The Undersea Adventures of Captain Nemo
Five-minute underwater adventures with Captain Nemo and his young crew.
Rainbow Animation in Toronto, Ontario produced this Canadian animated series in 1975. Each five-minute episode follows Captain Mark Nemo and his young companions, Christine and Robbie, as they explore the ocean depths aboard the nuclear-powered submarine Nautilus.
Quick Facts
- Camera
- Kim Barnard; Dave Pauloff
- Runtime
- 5 minutes
- Creator
- Jean Mathieson; Al Guest (based on a character created by Jules Verne)
- Director
- Jean Mathieson; Al Guest
- Writer
- John Sone
- Richard Oleksiak
- Jean Mathieson
- Al Guest
- Dave Cox
- Don Gillis
- Voices
- Len Carlson; Billie Mae Richards
- Company
- Rainbow Animation
- Country
- Canada
Facts from the source article.
Background
In the fall of 1975, children in the United States and Canada were introduced to the series. In America, it aired as part of Captain Kangaroo on CBS, while in Canada it was shown during each episode of Peanuts and Popcorn on CBC Television. In Quebec, the series ran as Capitaine Marc Simon. It was the first and only Canadian created and fully Canadian animated series to run on a major American network, CBS. Jean Mathieson and Al Guest, who were also the producers, directors, and writers, created the series through their studio Rainbow Animation. The show was a fanciful re-imagining of Jules Verne's character Captain Nemo from his 1870 novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas. Here, Nemo was depicted as a blond, hunky ocean researcher named Mark Nemo who traveled the world's oceans doing scientific research, assisting humans and animals, and thwarting evildoers. Two children, Christine and Robbie, accompanied him and learned about life beneath the sea. Each five-minute cartoon included 30 seconds of opening credits. The episodes attempted to convey information about oceanography or marine biology, and plot lines resolved cleanly without much violence. The series reflected the influence of the 1970s environmental movement, though serious themes were softened by a lighthearted style.
Episodes
Airdates for the episodes are unknown, and the following is not a confirmed airing order. The synopses provided by Magic Shadows Inc. in the syndication package include: Rescue of a Killer, in which Nemo and crew save a killer whale trapped under a cable; Battle of the Giants, where Chris and Robbie become involved in a battle between a giant squid and a sperm whale; Poachers of the Deep, where the Nautilus saves a pod of humpback whales from poachers; Jaws of Death, where a shark menaces a lost baby blue whale; Monsters on the Beach, where the Nautilus prevents pilot whales from beaching themselves; The Invisible Girl, where Chris pioneers a new shark repellent device; Deadly Ribbons, where eels become a danger when the Nautilus intrudes on their breeding grounds; The Floating Peril, where the crew explores the Sargasso Sea; Guess What's Coming For Dinner, where Nemo rescues Robbie from a shark experiment; Killer from the Past, where the Nautilus faces a World War II magnetic mine; The Golden Trap, where sunken treasure is guarded by moray eels; The Floating Gold Mine, where an experimental sea-gold refining ship is attacked by pirates; The Tuna Trapper, where an illegal fishing method is foiled; The Fish Bomber, where a collector who bombs fish has the tables turned; The Devil's Doorway, where the Nautilus is trapped by an undersea volcano; The Coral Maze, where the Nautilus is lost in an underwater labyrinth; The Mine at the Bottom of the Sea, where mining manganese nodules becomes hazardous; Wild Water and Oil, where an oil rig's submersible is trapped during a storm; The Silver Sea, where observing the food chain from an open boat becomes dangerous; The Ice Menagerie, where the crew races a polar bear in the Arctic; Behind Bars, where the Nautilus saves an injured dolphin from sharks; Shark Patrol, where trained dolphins guard a beach; Dolphin Express, where a dolphin saves a diver; Collision at Sea, where the Nautilus becomes a life jacket for an injured whale; and Eyes of the Deep, where the crew investigates deep-sea monsters.
DVD releases
Digiview Entertainment released 48 episodes on DVD in four volumes, each containing 12 episodes. The DVDs were sold in thin cases through Walmart and Amazon.com, retailing for $1.00 each. Volume 1, titled Monsters on the Beach, includes Rescue of a Killer, Battle of the Giants, Poachers of the Deep, Jaws of Death, Monsters on the Beach, The Invisible Girl, Deadly Ribbons, The Floating Peril, Guess What's Coming For Dinner, Killer from the Past, The Golden Trap, and The Floating Gold Mine. Volume 2, The Coral Maze, contains The Tuna Trapper, The Fish Bomber, The Devil's Doorway, The Coral Maze, The Mine at the Bottom of the Sea, Wild Water and Oil, The Silver Sea, The Ice Menagerie, Behind Bars, Shark Patrol, Dolphin Express, and Collision at Sea. Volume 3, Mystery Island, includes Eyes of the Deep, The Bloodhound of the Sea, The Arab Solution, The Undersea Looters, Shadow of Death, The Pearl Snatchers, Circle of Fire, Rapture of the Deep, Fish Farm, Cool It Captain, The Little Island, and Mystery Island. Volume 4, Dangerous Welcome, contains All That Glitters, Queen of the Deep, Don't Raise the Bridge Lower the River, The Big Prize, Go Fetch Killer, Dangerous Welcome, Mystery Triangle, The Meteorite Shower, Snake Charmer, Haul Away Joe, See Through Killer, and The Shark Catalog.
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