The Deep (TV series)

The Deep is a CGI animated television series based on the comic book created by Tom Taylor and James Brouwer and published by Gestalt Comics. The series was developed by executive producer Robert Chandler, optioned by Technicolor, and produced by A Stark Production of Australia and the Canadian animation studio Nerd Corps Entertainment (credited to WildBrain). Commissioned by ABC, it premiered on 7two on 1 December 2015 and began broadcasting in Canada the following month on Family Chrgd. On 8 February 2018, a third season of the series was announced. On 26 July 2021, a fourth season was announced with 13 new half-hour episodes.

Synopsis
The series follows the Nektons, a family of adventurous underwater explorers who live aboard a state-of-the-art submarine called the Aronnax and explore unknown areas of the Earth's oceans to unravel the mysteries of the depths. Will Nekton's parents went missing trying to solve the riddle of how to get to the lost city of Lemuria, and the Nektons have refused to abandon it. Now, thanks to family friend Nereus, the Nektons know why they are so attracted to solving underwater riddles; because they are the descendants of Lemurians.

The main story arc involves the family's hunt for Lemuria. The story arc is introduced in the first episode, with finding the Chronicle of the Deep. It continues with interpreting its meaning, finding the pieces of the Ephemycron, encountering various Monumentials, interpreting the Ephemycron, and finally discovering Lemuria. However, not all episodes are part of the main story arc.

In season three, the Nektons discover Lemuria, and the main story becomes irrelevant. In season four, the family seek out William Nektons parents, who found Lemuria several months before them. Like previous seasons, not all episodes are part of this arc. Williams parents are found eaten by a monumental nautilus (very much alive), the nautilus is searching for a key to the sea, which keeps everything in balance.

The Nekton family

 * Antaeus 'Ant' Nekton (voiced by Vincent Tong) is Nekton's youngest child and the son of Will and Kaiko Nekton. He has a pet fish named Jeffrey. He is adventurous, a believer in all things mythical and paranormal, and is always eager to explore the mysteries of the deep. As the youngest of the Lemurian royal family, he is the "Chosen One" according to Nereus and is able to use various Lemurian devices.
 * Fontaine Nekton (voiced by Ashleigh Ball) is Ant's older sister. Like Ant, she is bold, fearless, and adventurous. She enjoys winding Ant up in various ways, but always looks out for him. Smiling Finn has a crush on her.
 * William 'Will' Nekton (voiced by Michael Dobson) is Ant and Fontaine's father and Kaiko's husband. Once an Olympic swimmer, Will is now a passionate oceanographer. Like generations of Nektons before him, Will has devoted his life to uncovering the secrets of the sea.
 * Kaiko Nekton (voiced by Kathleen Barr) is Antaeus and Fontaine's mother and William's wife. A marine biologist, she pilots the Aronnax and is shown to have great mechanical engineering skills.
 * Jeffrey (vocal effects provided by Haley Joel Osment) is Ant's pet Yellowback Basslet and best friend. He was rescued by Ant, who started to follow him. He seems to possess an unusual degree of intelligence and sometimes gets involved in adventures of his own while the Nektons are absent.
 * Jacques and Katherine Nekton William Parents went missing before episode 1 (season 1) and are reunited with their family in episode 13 series 4. They arrived in Lemuria a few weeks before William and Kaiko arrived, but then were eaten by a nautilus. They were finally reunited with their family in the last episode of season/series 4

Protagonists

 * Professor Fiction (voiced by James Higuchi) is the Nekton's scientific adviser, as well as the builder of the Aronnax and the Knights. His inventions usually require tweaking and testing but are extremely effective when working correctly.
 * Bob Gorman (voiced by Michael Kopsa) is a close friend of the Nektons.
 * Jess Gorman (voiced by Shannon Chan-Kent) is the daughter of Bob Gorman, Fontaine's best friend, and Ant’s crush.
 * Commander Pyrosome (voiced by Nicole Oliver) is the leader of the World Oceans Authority, generally only appearing by video call.
 * Kenji Nokumura (voiced by Lee Tockar) is a Japanese man who lives alone on an island. Previously worked as a prop designer in kaiju films.
 * Nereus (voiced by Lee Tockar) is an eccentric old bearded man who gives the Nektons vague (but often unexpectedly useful) advice on their search for Lemuria. He is mysterious and often gives the Nektons advice in riddles. He sometimes arrives or appears unexpectedly, which initially unnerves the Nektons. In "Lemuria,” it is revealed that he is ~6000 years old and the brother of the last Queen of Lemuria. He is the founder of the Order of Guardians, which he made with the survivors of Lemuria and their descendants, for the purpose of preserving their culture.

Antagonists

 * Captain Hammerhead (voiced by Michael Dobson): Captain of the Dark Orca pirate crew. He is the father of Smiling Finn and Mad Madeline. Although he is a pirate and rough with anyone who gets in his way, he tries to be a good father to Finn and Madeline.
 * 'Smiling' Finn Hammerhead (voiced by Samuel Vincent): Son of Captain Hammerhead and reluctant teen pirate. He has a crush on Fontaine, who also has a crush on him and calls him "Pirate Boy".
 * 'Mad' Madeline Hammerhead (voiced by Kazumi Evans): Daughter of Captain Hammerhead and her father's pride and joy. She loves everything related to being a pirate and outwardly detests Ant and the Nektons, though is very jealous of their equipment.
 * Danny Boy (voiced by Brian Drummond): First Mate of the Dark Orca pirate crew. Easily intimidated by Captain Hammerhead. He is a mechanic but struggles with poor equipment and a lack of materials on the Dark Orca, and his repairs and inventions usually break quickly.
 * Proteus (voiced by Brian Drummond): a former member of The Guardians, he appears as the leader of the Guardians initially, until revealed as a traitor in "The Proteus Factor". He becomes an advisor to Alpheus Benthos after the events of "Tartaruga" until Alpheus ejects him from the submarine in "Hidden Secrets".
 * Alpheus Benthos (voiced by Andrew Francis) Descended from a "rogue branch" of the Lemurian royal family, Alpheus considers Ant to be his nemesis and is also attempting to find Lemuria, but for his own benefit. He lives on a nuclear fusion powered sub he built, along with the artificial intelligence A.R.I.A. Nereus once thought Alpheus was the Chosen One. He is usually quite calm and likes to ensure he is always in charge of any situation.
 * Dolos (voiced by Brian Drummond): A selfish, snobby researcher who despises children and only cares about treasure, money, and his pet octopus Hydra. He operates out of the Floating Black Market and will do anything for enough money.
 * Devil Daniels (voiced by Trevor Devall): an internet-famous "monster hunter" and vlogger. His adventures often clash with the Nekton's activities, who hinder him to avoid harm to the targets of his hunts. As well as putting on a fake British accent, Daniels often fakes his adventures and has no consideration for animal welfare. He is cowardly and will do anything to gain and retain viewers—besides placing himself in any real danger.

Non-human characters

 * A.R.I.A. is the highly sophisticated artificial intelligence that operates Alpheus Benthos' submarine. She was created by Alpheus' father and was turned into the AI mind of Alpheus's submarine.
 * The Kraken, or The Terror, is a vast octopus-like creature that is locked up behind the gates of Lemuria. It first appears in "The Gates", and it tries to escape any time the gates of Lemuria are opened whilst also trying to destroy anyone and anything around the entrance. It is a Monumential, but unlike the others, doesn't seem to be simply a much larger version of its normal-sized counterpart.
 * The Monumential Turtle is a gigantic turtle, initially mistaken for the island of Tartaruga, until it awakens and dives below the surface. It later appears in "The Purple Tide", where it nearly eats the Aronnax by mistake; however, the turtle is one of the more benevolent monumentials, as opposed to their usually quite hostile nature.
 * The Monumential Ray is a giant torpedo ray which usually sleeps below Catatumbo Bay, Venezuela. It is capable of generating enormous bolts of lightning, which it directs at anything which gets in its way. This lightning, besides using the Ephemycron, is the only way of opening the gates of Lemuria. It is accompanied by several smaller electric rays.

Groups

 * World Oceans Authority: The police and search-and-rescue of the open ocean. They target criminals on the oceans and rescue people in danger, but sometimes call the Nektons for assistance in some situations.
 * Monumentials are large and ancient sea creatures. Often hostile or inherently dangerous, Lemurian scientists used their technology to put them to sleep, containing them for thousands of years. They have begun to wake up and can only be put back to sleep with the Queen's Scepter.
 * The Guardians: A group of people who work to preserve Lemurian culture, established by Nereus after the fall of Lemuria. They are extremely knowledgeable about anything to do with Lemuria but are reluctant to divulge too much. They are quite well equipped, having access to helicopters as seen in "The Proteus Factor", but prefer to travel by rowboat (or other small, open boats) over the ocean. They can communicate via special staffs, which can also be used to block other communications signals. They wear a characteristic dark grey robe with gold-coloured edging. Most are descended from the Lemurians.

Lemurian

 * Ephemycron: An ancient navigational tablet. It aligns with the stars and various markers around the world, placed by Lemurians, before then projecting a map which gives the locations of various points of interest, such as dangerous places to avoid, the locations of Monumentials, and other special sites. The first season revolves around the hunt for all three pieces of it, even though it is only introduced in "The Test". It is the main way of opening the gates of Lemuria, and only the youngest person in each line of the Lemurian royal family (Ant and Alpheus) can operate it.
 * The Chronicle of the Deep: A kind of scroll that contains information about the Lemurian culture and associated artifacts and locations. It was hidden in a cave within an ocean trench, retrieved by the Nektons in "Here Be Dragons". There are several different ways to open it, each of which reveals a different part of the Chronicle.
 * The Sceptre of Queen Dorieas: also known as the Queen's Sceptre, the Sceptre is the only way of truly controlling the Monumentials and is the only way of returning them to their millennia-long sleep after they have awoken. The third season revolves around getting possession of it and using it for the first time. It activates when exposed to water and can reassemble itself if broken, as well as adhere to the hands of the person who is able to wield it.

Nektons

 * Knights: Mechanised suits built by Professor Fiction for use by the Nektons. The White Knight, the first to be introduced, is the simplest design. The Shadow Knight is fast (90 km/h top speed) and has a stealth mode. It is usually used by Ant. The Swamp Knight is a large amphibious Knight model. The Mag Knight, usually used by Will, is the largest and most powerful. The Mimic Knight is a fast and agile Knight which somewhat resembles a mermaid, with an ability to "see" using echolocation and to change colour to blend in with other marine creatures. The Mimic Knight is usually used by Fontaine. The Jeffery Knight is a small fish bowl on a chassis and wheels, which Jeffery can use to get around when out of the water or to give extra protection outside the Aronnax, it is controlled by his swimming. The Knights are usually made from carbon fiber composites.
 * Aronnax: The Nektons submarine. Described as the "world's largest submarine", it serves as the Nektons home, additionally containing a library, medical bay, laboratory, kitchen, several bedrooms, a moon pool, and various other facilities. It has a system of tubes and cavities connected to fish tanks in several rooms, which Jeffery can use to travel around the submarine. It has a "water-powered" engine, and batteries, as well as a traditional screw propeller for forward propulsion, giving it a top speed of 80 km/h. Its hull is made from titanium, allowing it to withstand high temperatures and highly corrosive environments.

Broadcast and release
The series aired on Ici Radio-Canada Télé in Canada, and Universal Kids in the United States. The Deep was aired on CBBC in the UK, RTS Deux in Switzerland, Marvel HQ in India, La Trois in Belgium, Ketnet in Belgium, NRK in Norway, DR in Denmark, SVT in Sweden, YLE in Finland, Okto in Singapore, Super RTL in Germany, TVP ABC in Poland and eToonz in South Africa. In the United States, the series premiered on Netflix on 1 June 2016.

Home media
The series has been released on DVD in Australia by ABC DVD.

Awards
The series has been nominated for several awards, including a BAFTA award in 2018 and four AWGIE awards, for writing. In 2017, it won the AWGIE award for best Children's Television (C-classification) for the episode 'Beware the Sentinels', written by Thomas Duncan-Watt.

Reception
The series was positively received. Emily Ashby of Common Sense Media described the series as a "fantastic family-focused adventure." She also argued that the series has "exceptional messages about working together, solving problems, and finding strength in those who love you" and called it an "excellent pick for families to enjoy together."