July 22, 2013 - TheWrap - BBC America Co-Producing ‘Atlantis’ From ‘Merlin,’ ‘Misfits’ Producers

 

TV | By Jethro Nededog on July 22, 2013 @ 12:01 pm

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The co-production has been ordered for 13 one-hour episodes set to premiere in Fall 2013

BBC America is bringing the underwater adventure of "Atlantis" to its programming slate.
The cable channel announced on Monday that it will be co-producing the fantasy drama with Urban Myth Films, which will join its Supernatural Saturday programming block in Fall 2013.
The series comes from "Merlin" executive producers Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps and "Misfits" EP Howard Overman.

“Atlantis is the perfect series for our long-running successful Supernatural Saturday programming block," senior vice president of programming, Richard De Croce, said in a statement, promising "ambitious adventures this fall."

Mark Addy ("Game of Thrones"), Jemima Rooper ("One Man," "Two Guvnors," "Hex"), Juliet Stevenson ("The Hour"), Sarah Parish ("Hatfields & McCoys"), Robert Emms ("War Horse"), Aiysha Hart ("About Time") and Jack Donnelly ("Dancing on the Edge") will star in the series.
The series takes place in the mythical time of Greek Gods and shoots in Wales and Morocco. Here's the official description:

The city of Atlantis is a mysterious, ancient place; a world of bull leaping, of snake haired goddesses and of palaces so vast it was said they were built by giants. It’s into this strange, compelling realm that the young Jason arrives and an amazing adventure begins, bringing to life the vast store of Greek myths and legends re-imagined in the series.

"Drawing on the Greek Myths for inspiration, we aim to tell classic, action adventure stories in unexpected and exciting ways – weekly mini-movies that we hope will appeal to young and old alike," Overman said.

Co-producing a series has become a way for broadcast and cable networks to offer expensive, high production quality series to its audiences without shouldering all the expenses. In this case, BBC Cymru Wales is taking some of that burden.

BBC America's Supernatural Saturday programming block began in 2011 and features the cable network's science fiction and similar offerings, including "Doctor Who," "Being Human," "Orphan Black" and "Primevil."