My taste in film and television is more like that of an 8-year-old boy
rather than a 30-year-old woman. Sometimes I feel self-conscious about this,
but in times like these, when more than ever it is imperative to snuggle up
with something cosy to watch, this comes in handy. Today, we look at 'Sea Hunt'
(1958 – 1961). Starring Lloyd Bridges, the show stems from that slightly odd, wonderful
world of Ivan Tors, producer and Hungarian émigré who was passionate about
wildlife-themed television, especially in the water (‘Flipper’!) and quite
often, in Florida. The show, syndicated to 100s of TV stations around the world
with an even greater number of episodes, features Mike Nelson, diver and former
USN frogman who travels the world to help marine biologists and refugees,
discover lost treasure or shipwrecks, even save a few lives. Think a boyscout Western, 'cops and robbers,' or James Bond underwater.
Maybe he felt typecast by his role, but I could happily settle in to rewatch hours of the series, in no small part thanks to Bridges who plays exactly the hero I would have made up as a child (and the kind I love now): tall, strong, handsome, smart, loyal to his friends and tough with his enemies. He could have made a fascinating Captain Kirk, but Lloyd Bridges did more than alright as the William Shatner of the sea. The show also possesses many layers, a depth beneath its sometimes repetitive stories and seemingly peaceful aquamarine waves. It proves to be an early televised exploration of the world of scuba diving, or skin diving, exploring the ocean's amazing depths. It’s also a fascinating format: viewers pay close attention to Bridges’ reassuring voice-over telling most of the story, while treated to a mesmerizingly luminous cinematic experience underwater (thanks to pioneering photography by Lamar Boren), a rich and rhythmic, monochromatic (and watery, bubbly) ballet. Most of all, you’re carried by the sheer child-like pleasure of human exploration, something that surely attracted generations of would-be divers Xo
Comments
Post a Comment