Atlantis - Season One

The BBC version of Atlantis comes to DVD and Blu-ray in this collection of the show's First Season. Featuring the misadventures of lost wanderer Jason (Jack Donnelly) along with his new-found Atlantian friends Pythagoras (Robert Emms) and Hercules (Mark Addy), most of the show's initial season sets up the workings of the world and various supporting characters including an Oracle (Juliet Stevenson) who knows far more about Jason's destiny than she's willing to share, the standoffish King Minos (Alexander Siddig) and his evil wife Pasiphae (Sarah Parish), and the beautiful Princess Ariadne (Aiysha Hart) who captures the hero's heart.

Among the uneven First Season's highlights are the opening episode involving Jason fighting The Minotaur, a goofy episode involving Jason being cursed by the goddess Hectate, Jason entering a hero's tournament to prove himself to Ariadne, Hercules' attempt to sacrifice himself for the woman he loves, and the two-part season finale which finally reveals Jason's true parentage.

Although I think it's superior to the recent failed rebooting of Sinbad, the First Season of Atlantis does suffer from a limited budget and inconsistent writing that doesn't always hit their mark. I'd recommend it for sci-fi/fantasy fans interested in checking it out for the first time, but having watched Atlantis on television (and struggled through its weaker episodes) it's not a show I would add to my collection as I don't think it has much appeal for multiple viewings. However, I do plan to stay with the show when it returns for Season Two.

The 3-disc set includes all 13 episodes, and a single behind-the-scenes look at the making of the show's First Season, available on either Blu-ray or DVD.

[BBC Home Entertainment, DVD $29.98 / Blu-ray $39.98]