Atlantis High

After discovering The Tribe on one of my upper cable channels, I stumbled upon Atlantis High and quickly became addicted and tender towards this bizarre and utterly charming show. Unlike Tribe or most other teen dramas (read: Saved by the Bell), it doesn't focus on morals or underlying melodrama, instead relying on X-Files conventions with everything from aliens, ninjas, superheroes, conspiracies, cross dressers, and prophecies, to entertain the viewer and give clichés a new spin.

The characters are so different and offbeat, it's sincerely hard not to fall for them; they're each given their chance to shine. From the geek getting the suave secret agent to the two oddballs who hit it off, the show sees nothing as reality, and prefers to be charming rather than maudlin. The episodes themselves lampoon anything they can, and you'll see weddings one day and an assassin duel the next, with a riff on ER the day after. It's all exceedingly random, and is never bellow grin-worthy.

Like Raymond Thompson's other famous TV show, The Tribe, you find overkill of recycled music and footage. "Mr. Quentin" is in every episode, but to see him actually interact with a character or deliver a line of dialogue is a rarity. The reused footage of an owl and the main in the pink wig, picking up a phone are also gems. In a few words, this show makes a quality drinking game.

The sad thing, tho, is that this series was cancelled and left on a cliffhanger. Who took Atlantis? What will happen to Giles and the gang? Alas, we may never know. Still, the experience of "Atlantis High" can't be spoiled, as it isn't so much about where it's going as figuring out just what's going on in the first place. Watch and get hooked.

Does anybody actually understand this show? I found it since it comes on right after my new favorite TV show, The Tribe. A lot of the same talented actors from Tribe are up here, too, but unlike Tribe, I find the plotlines very difficult to follow. But I've resigned myself to the fact that Atlantis High is just a very bizarre show and I'm never going to understand it all of the time. So I'll just sit there confused until the end of the show when, suddenly, it all makes sense and I think "Hey, this was a great show."

Imaginative show. Kind of like American show Pete and Pete. Is this stuff really happening? Is it all in Giles' mind? So funny you can't watch it without laughing outloud! Typical teen cliques and snobbery with an added jolt of supernatural zaniness. Don't miss it!

This is probably the weirdest show I have ever seen. It might just possibly be worth watching. It's certainly worth knowing about and talking to people about. It is funny in a juvenille sort of way. It's bizarrely appealing. I have no idea what the plot is or what is going on in any way at all. But I still watched it. Would I recommend it? Yes... kind of.

Any time there are creative shows that people may not "get" (instead of simple shows) and ATLANTIS HIGH is one of these shows. I'm an adult who stumbled across it and found myself really liking the surreal comedy of the show. I describe it to friends as a kid's version of THE PRISONER as if directed by David Lynch.

Everyone has their secrets. We're not sure where this really is or who these people really are....... hmmmm....... sounds like LOST may have ripped off an Australian kid's show!

Yeah, the acting is over-the-top but that's fine considering the surreal nature of the show and the character of Giles has an annoying lisp. But I can overlook that.