1 9 6 0 – 1 9 6 1 (USA)
32 x 60 minute episodes
This 60-minute black-and-white action-adventure series from CBS featured Hawaii-based freelance salvage divers, Drake Andrews and Larry Lahr.
Effectively a longer, fancier and more expensive version of Sea Hunt (the shows shared the same producer in Ivan Tors), The Aquanauts starred Keith Larsen, a lean and bronzed young man, as Drake Andrews and Jeremy Slate, another finely muscled specimen, as Larry Lahr.
The character of Mike Madison (played by future Tarzan star, Ron Ely) later replaced Drake Andrews, who, it was briefly mentioned on the show, had been “suddenly called back into the Navy for two years’ duty”.
In reality, a World War II-incurred head injury, aggravated by constant exposure to water pressure, caused Larsen to request release from his contract on advice from his physician.
The short-lived series was renamed Malibu Run later in its run when the two divers upped and moved from Hawaii to Malibu.
Drake Andrews
Keith Larsen
Larry Lahr
Jeremy Slate
Mike Madison
Ron Ely
The Captain
Charles Thompson