'' (previously titled '''''Fathom''''') is a
Science Fiction Television series that premiered on
NBC on
September 19 ,
2005 . (''Surface'' is also shown in the UK, on
ITV2 .)
During a routine
Submersible dive in the North
Pacific Ocean ,
California Oceanographer Laura Daughtery (
Lake Bell ) is attacked by an unknown life form that appears out of a field of craters on the ocean's floor. Miles Barnett (
Carter Jenkins ), a North Carolina teen, finds himself face to face with the strange
Sea Creature after falling off his water ski during a nighttime outing with his friends. Meanwhile, Richard Connelly (
Jay R. Ferguson ), a
Louisiana man on a fishing trip, loses his brother in a suspicious diving accident when the creature drags him to the depths of the
Gulf Of Mexico .
All around the world, strange things are occurring in the world's oceans. Stars fall from the sky and into the water; a horrific howl tears apart a
South African Lighthouse . In
South Carolina , an unknown carcass washes up on a public beach, prompting the government to evacuate and cordon off the area, claiming it as a beached
Whale killed by
Red Tide Poisoning .
Meanwhile, Daughtery's research is seized by government officials led by Dr. Aleksander Cirko (
Rade Šerbedžija ); after attempting to confront them, she is fired. Curious as to what he's seen, Miles ventures back to the area where he first spotted the creature only to find the water covered in strange pods he classifies as "eggs"; he takes one home and places it in his parents' fish tank. Unable to cope with his brother's disappearance, Connely ventures to South Carolina to see the creature for himself. Connelly meets Daughtery upon arrival after they are both taken into custody due to asking too many questions. When the fish in Miles' tank disappear and the tank breaks, Miles discovers that something has hatched from the egg; he attempts to conceal it but it escapes and causes havoc at his sister's pool party. Daughtery and Connelly sneak onto the beach and bring back a
Hagfish that had been feeding on the carcass. Each returns to his home, and Daughtery sends the fish's stomach contents to be tested. As they wait for the results, reports of strange creatures beaching themselves around the world begin to surface. These three strangers may have stumbled upon the greatest secret in human history.
The creature that hatched from the "egg" that Miles found appears to be some kind of
Iguana -like animal. It has the ability to zap objects with a green electrical charge. Miles's friend Phil names the creature Nimrod, "Nim" for short.
Tagline: ''The fate of the world is in their hands; they just don't know it yet''
See Also: List of Surface episodes
