The Return of Captain Nemo

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The Return of Captain Nemo is a 1978 American science fiction adventure TV miniseries. It was produced by Irwin Allen and Warner Bros. Television and was shown on CBS as three 60-minute episodes. The story is loosely based on Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas and was later edited into a 102-minute theatrical version called The Amazing Captain Nemo.

Plot in simple terms
- Captain Nemo, frozen in suspended animation, is revived by a modern U.S. government agency during naval exercises in 1978.
- Nemo agrees to help protect U.S. interests and battles the mad scientist Professor Waldo Cunningham.
- Cunningham uses his submarine Raven and a weapon called the Delta beam to threaten Washington, D.C.
- Nemo’s ship, the Nautilus, is revived and upgraded, and Nemo fights to stop Cunningham.
- The adventure takes Nemo to Atlantis, which has moved under the ocean, where he meets the Atlantean King Tibor and the Great Council.
- In the end, Nemo and his ally Tom Franklin defeat Cunningham, rescue the Atlantis people, and Nemo promises not to disturb Atlantis again.

Cast (highlights)
- José Ferrer as Captain Nemo
- Burgess Meredith as Professor Waldo Cunningham
- Mel Ferrer as Dr. Robert Cook
- Horst Buchholz as King Tibor of Atlantis
- Tom Hallick as Tom Franklin
- Lynda Day George as Kate

Episodes (brief overview)
- Deadly Blackmail: Cunningham tries to force Washington, D.C. to pay a huge ransom using the Raven. Nemo is revived and helps repair the Nautilus after it’s hidden under a reef.
- Duel in the Deep: Kate, a nuclear physicist, joins the Nautilus. Cunningham heads toward the Mindanao Trench to power his weapon. Nemo travels toward Atlantis and meets the Atlantean Council.
- Atlantis Dead Ahead: Cunningham temporarily controls the Nautilus. Tom is controlled by a mind device but is freed. Nemo and Tibor’s people are freed, and the Nautilus defeats the Raven in a final chase.

Production and reception
- The three-episode miniseries was not successful in ratings and did not lead to a continuing series.
- It is considered Irwin Allen’s last major foray into weekly science fiction television.
- The project earned Emmy nominations for its visual effects work (two nominations).

The Amazing Captain Nemo
- Some parts of the three-episode miniseries were re-edited into a single theatrical release titled The Amazing Captain Nemo.