SATURDAY NIGHT ABC MOVIE: MACGYVER: LOST TREASURE OF ATLANTIS (TV)
Summary
A television film of “MacGyver,” an action/adventure series about MacGyver, a former Special Forces agent known for his inventive survival skills.
In the ruins of the ancient city of Thera in Greece, MacGyver and Atticus, his college archaeology professor, infiltrate a secret chamber and discover an ancient medallion within a wall sconce, inscribed with the phrase “Atlantis rises” in Greek. MacGyver carefully extracts the medallion, but they accidentally set off a trap which seals them in and causes the room to start filling up with gravel until they are buried up to their heads. Five years later, Atticus gives a lecture in London, England to the Royal Academy of Archaeological Science about the mythical city of Atlantis and its significance in the ancient world. Atlantean religion revolved around an object called the “Torch of Truth,” supposedly possessed of absolute wisdom. Atticus explains that Atlantis was destroyed in a massive volcanic eruption, and a few survivors hid the remaining treasures of Atlantis in a location called the “Tower of Fear,” recording their fate in a book with platinum pages. He goes on to explain that in 590 B.C., the Greek scholar Solon travelled to Egypt and supposedly discovered the platinum book and the Torch of Truth. Solon is said to have locked the Torch of Truth within an ark and subsequently vanished. He is convinced that the medallion he found is the key to the ark, but the Academy board scoffs at his far-fetched conclusions and refuses to finance his next expedition. They decide to keep the medallion and suggest that they revoke Atticus’s tenure, off-put by his obsession with Atlantis.
Several months later, somewhere in the Balkan Peninsula, Atticus talks MacGyver into accompanying him on an archaeological dig despite a civil war raging around them. MacGyver is more reluctant to accompany him in light of their last encounter, but does so anyway. Atticus explains that Solon’s followers started a cult whose descendants lived in what would become modern-day England for centuries, until they were wiped out by invading Romans save for a few survivors who escaped with the ark into the Balkan catacombs. Together they search the catacombs, unaware that soldiers from the civil war have discovered the entrance to the catacombs. MacGyver discovers a secret compartment containing Solon’s ark, and Atticus is overjoyed, reading an inscription on its surface about offering the Torch of Truth to the “Temple of Ages” in order to make the treasure of Atlantis appear. Before they can exit the catacombs, they are stopped by a team of soldiers and captured.
MacGyver and Atticus are tortured; the soldiers believe they are spies and try to extract information. He argues with the military leader about the effects of the civil war in defiance of a United Nations cease-fire, including the ethnic cleansing of countless innocent residents. MacGyver is beaten when he tries to prevent the professor from being harmed, and then the commander leaves them alone, warning them that the exit has been electrified. Once alone, MacGyver reveals that he managed to swipe a cigarette lighter off of one of the soldiers. Atticus reveals to MacGyver that he lied about the Academy approving his expedition and financed it himself, hoping to gain prestige and recognition for finding the Torch of Truth. MacGyver uses the cigarette lighter and a light bulb to create a tiny explosion, destroying the lock to the exit. They knock out the guard and MacGyver uses components of his firearm to free himself and the professor from their chains. They sneak through the facility looking for an escape, but Atticus refuses to leave until he has reclaimed the ark.
They disguise themselves and find the ark, discovering that it possesses some sort of magnetic property. They then attempt to sneak out of the camp, but the enemy soldiers are too numerous for them to get by safely. Instead they sneak into a shed to steal a jeep, but find that it has no engine. MacGyver gets around this problem by strapping disarmed missiles to the back of the jeep just as their escape is discovered and the alarm sounded. The soldiers attempt to break into the shed, and MacGyver takes the opportunity to set a grenade to explode after their escape, setting off the various explosives in the shed. As soon as the shed is opened, MacGyver triggers the missiles’ exhaust and propels himself and the professor out of the shed, allowing them to exit the camp and blowing up the shed in a spectacular fireball. MacGyver finalizes their escape by blowing up the main gate to the camp with a rocket launcher.
At London University, MacGyver reunites with Kelly Carson, an archaeology biology professor whose grandfather is the head of the board of the Academy of Archaeological Science. She is incredulous when MacGyver informs her that he and Atticus may have discovered Solon’s ark. She agrees to analyze a sample of material scraped off of a scratch on the ark. While walking through the campus together they run into her grandfather, Professor Simon Carson, who recognizes MacGyver. He still does not believe Atticus’s claims but is curious about the discovery of the ark. Professor Carson has spent much of his time in Greece, but returned briefly to convince Kelly into accepting tenure. While analyzing the sample, Kelly expresses discontentment that her grandfather has a great deal of control over her life; she feels that teaching is no longer satisfying and wants a “challenge” to excite her. She also confesses that she used to have something of a crush on MacGyver, embarrassing him somewhat. Kelly discovers evidence of odd trace elements in the sample, indicating that the ark may have been constructed in Cornwall, near where the cult of Solon first formed. They go to the Academy to inform Atticus of their findings and inspect the ark along with Atticus and Simon, unaware that they are being watched by a mysterious third party.
The Balkan Embassy declares the ark a national treasure and accuses Atticus and MacGyver of thievery, demanding that it be returned at once. Atticus argues against this finding, but MacGyver discovers that the medallion they discovered in Thera is magnetic, similar to the ark. Atticus excitedly uses the medallion to unlock the ark, but finds that it is empty. Simon believes that this proves his assertion that Atticus’s search for Atlantis is foolhardy, but Atticus believes he can solve the riddle inscribed on the ark if he takes it back to Thera. Kelly decides to work alongside Atticus and MacGyver, much to Simon’s dismay. The ark is returned to the Balkans and Atticus is evicted from the Academy. MacGyver, Atticus, and Kelly theorize that the cult of Solon opened the ark and removed the Torch of Truth long ago. A mysterious individual disguised as a janitor shoots the Academy director with a tranquilizer dart, and he hits an alarm button as he falls unconscious. MacGyver attempts to prevent him from stealing the ark and medallion, chasing him through the building and out into the street, even leaping onto the roof of his car as he drives off. Their chase through the streets of London ends when he gets away on a boat. However, the thief accidentally dropped the medallion at the museum, where it is recovered by Atticus.
London police investigate the theft, pointing out that the ark and medallion are worth millions on the black market. The thief is identified as Yanos Zavros, a former Greek general who was court-martialed after becoming the leader of a militant fringe movement attempting to claim the territory of Macedonia. It is believed that Zavros is using profit from stolen artifacts to fund his militia. Atticus is shocked to hear that Zavros is associated with Lord Cyril Cleeve, another student of his and a member of the nobility. Cyril cannot be arrested directly, as there is no evidence specifically linking him with any criminal activity. In private, Atticus reveals to MacGyver and Kelly that he hid the medallion in his office before the police arrived, and they are angry, believing that Atticus is putting himself in danger by lying to the authorities. Atticus takes them to his office to recover the medallion and says that he believes that Cyril is attempting to use the ark to find the treasure of Atlantis which it speaks of. He believes that they have only two days to find the treasure, explaining that the first line of the riddle inscribed on the ark refers to an upcoming alignment of the planets in the solar system, at which point the treasure’s location will be revealed. He deduces that the treasure lies somewhere in ruins near Thera, in proximity to an active volcano, and that they must present the Torch of Truth there in order to obtain the treasure, theorizing that the Torch is hidden in caves near Exeter, where Solon’s cult first arrived in England.
They travel to the caves and inspect the paintings on its walls for clues. MacGyver and Kelly deduce that an altar within the cave is magnetic, just like the ark and medallion, and he believes that Solon’s cult used the entire cavern as a sort of giant “ark” to contain the Torch after it was moved from its original resting place. MacGyver places the medallion within a large loop of iron ore, where it floats and causes the altar to rotate, revealing a secret passage behind a cave wall. There they discover the Torch, actually a large crystalline object at the end of a metal scepter. They remove the Torch, but are suddenly confronted by Cyril and Zavros. Atticus reveals that he was actually working with Cyril the entire time, much to MacGyver’s shock and disappointment. Cyril and Zavros tie up MacGyver and Kelly and leave them in the cave; Atticus does respond when asked why he betrayed them. Zavros grabs the medallion as he leaves, sealing MacGyver and Kelly in the cave and causing stalactites to start falling around them. MacGyver manages to break their bonds and get himself and Kelly out of the cave before the entrance can shut completely.
MacGyver and Kelly decide to find Cyril’s estate to try to catch up to them. They arrive on the grounds and spot a small private plane in the process of being loaded. MacGyver sneaks into the house and eavesdrops on a conversation between Cyril and Atticus. Atticus is upset that Cyril views the acquisition of the Torch and the treasure as nothing more than the means to acquire monetary gain. Meanwhile, Kelly boards the plane and tosses away the keys, using its radio to try to call for help before she is caught by Zavros. Zavros brings her before Cyril and Atticus, who are surprised to see her alive. While she is interrogated, MacGyver rigs up an elaborate trap using a suit of full plate armor on display in Cyril’s hallway, along with a table, a tea tray, rope, and a lit candle. MacGyver reveals himself before Kelly can be harmed and Atticus is outraged to learn that Cyril attempted to kill MacGyver and Kelly. MacGyver’s trap creates a distraction, giving him and Kelly enough time to attack Zavros and Cyril and escape with the ark. They are joined by Atticus, who appears to have changed his mind about joining Cyril. MacGyver runs for the plane as a means of escape, unaware that Kelly has disposed of the keys. Once he finds out he uses his Swiss army knife to start the ignition, and they take off before Cyril and Zavros can stop them.
Atticus explains that after he was fired from the Academy, he became desperate to find the treasure of Atlantis and turned to Cyril for help, not realizing that he would try to harm MacGyver and Kelly. He is more concerned with proving the existence of Atlantis, as opposed to the profit Cyril seeks to gain from the discovery of the treasure. They travel together to Thera, where they easily perceive the plume of smoke coming from the volcanic crater, where the treasure supposedly lies. At the archaeological dig site they discover Simon lying wounded in a ditch. They call in a doctor to treat Simon, who has a concussion and must be left alone for a time before being moved to a hospital in Athens. Kelly finds that the maps and charts of the volcano have been stolen, frustrating Atticus immensely. MacGyver discovers that the lid of the ark is not magnetic like the rest of it, and makes an incision in the underside of the lid to reveal a metal plate beneath it. Atticus notes that it is platinum (and thus non-ferrous and not magnetic) and that it is a page from the book of Atlantis. They set off together towards the crater, hoping to make it there before the planetary alignment.
They reach the ruined temple of Thera and MacGyver discovers an underground entrance to the inner sanctum. There they discover an orrery and experience a slight tremor; Kelly reasons that the planetary alignment is destabilizing the volcano. They open the main gate to find that the hallway ahead is wreathed in flames as part of a trap to burn anyone who sets foot within. A burned body falls out of the hallway; Cyril appears and identifies the body as Zavros’s. He threatens to shoot them unless they help him get past the hallway. MacGyver figures out that the orrery has a slot at its base, and he inserts the platinum page into it and adjusts the orrery into a configuration which deactivates the fire trap. Kelly notices a red crystal on the orrery, but it is ignored for the time being as Cyril forces everyone into the hallway. Beyond it is a large ornate chamber bearing a wide pool of roiling water and a massive door, which Atticus proclaims to be the “Temple of Ages” spoken of in Solon’s inscription. They find a statue kneeling by the water, but Atticus and MacGyver believe that it is actually Solon’s body preserved in volcanic ash, caught in a volcanic eruption similar to the one which occurred in Pompeii. In his hand is the platinum book, which Cyril promptly snatches for himself. The planetary alignment occurs, but nothing happens. MacGyver realizes that another line of the inscription on the ark refers to a second event which must occur in order to unlock the Temple. They soon discover that this event is a meteor shower, which occurs in tandem with the alignment.
The Temple opens and MacGyver finds that they must insert the platinum pages into various slots in order to unlock the treasure. MacGyver realizes that the “pages” are actually ancient punch cards used to interact with an ancient computer sealed in the temple. They slide the platinum pages in to program the computer, and insert the Torch into a socket in order to power the device, which derives energy from geothermal steam. Activating the device causes a series of chests to rise up from the boiling pool of water, and Cyril moves to claim the treasure for himself. Inside he finds nothing but scrolls of ancient writing, the collected literature and learning of Atlantis. Cyril is furious at this discovery, and Atticus struggles with him to prevent him from destroying more scrolls. MacGyver tackles Cyril and he falls into the water to be boiled alive. The volcanic activity grows worse and they are forced to run away, leaving the scrolls behind. However, boulders crash down and seal off the entrance. Instead, MacGyver tries to harness the geothermal energy in order to effect their escape; he and Atticus plug up a pair of large steam pipes and reactivate the computer, causing steam to build up and propel a rope up to the lip of the crater, allowing him to attach it to the computer mechanism to use as an improvised pulley, carrying them out of the chamber to safety. The computer explodes into flame before MacGyver can reach the top, and Atticus and Kelly pull him to safety before the entire chamber goes up in flames. Months later, Atticus is teaching a class of schoolchildren about the Atlantean civilization and the many technological and social advances that they created, and MacGyver, Kelly, and Simon observe it, happy that Atticus has had his scholarly integrity restored. Includes commercials.
Aired under the umbrella of the "ABC Saturday Night Movie."
Details
- NETWORK: ABC
- DATE: May 14, 1994 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 2:00:06
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:32670
- GENRE: Drama, action/adventure
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, action/adventure; Inventions/Inventors; Archaelogy; Art, Greek
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1994
- COMMERCIALS:
- TV – Commercials – AT&T phone service
- TV – Commercials – Alpha-Ceramide skin treatment
- TV – Commercials – Aquafresh toothpaste
- TV – Commercials – Baskin Robbins ice cream
- TV – Commercials – Busch beer
- TV – Commercials – Carl’s Jr. restaurants
- TV – Commercials – Cheer bleach
- TV – Commercials – Chevrolet automobiles
- TV – Commercials – Colgate toothpaste
- TV – Commercials – Dutch Boy house paint
- TV – Commercials – El Torito restaurants
- TV – Commercials – Ford automobiles
- TV – Commercials – Ford automobiles
- TV – Commercials – HomeBase home improvement stores
- TV – Commercials – Honda automobiles
- TV – Commercials – Honey Bunches of Oats breakfast cereal
- TV – Commercials – Hughes supermarkets
- TV – Commercials – Ikea furniture
- TV – Commercials – KC Masterpiece honey dijon mustard
- TV – Commercials – KFC restaurants
- TV – Commercials – Kaufman and Broad homebuilders
- TV – Commercials – Lactaid lactase enzyme supplement
- TV – Commercials – McDonald’s restaurants
- TV – Commercials – Mercury automobiles
- TV – Commercials – MetLife insurance
- TV – Commercials – Micatin athlete’s foot treatment
- TV – Commercials – Monistat vaginal cream
- TV – Commercials – Pepsi soft drinks
- TV – Commercials – Pontiac automobiles
- TV – Commercials – Pull-Ups diapers
- TV – Commercials – Rust-Oleum paint
- TV – Commercials – Ryder truck rentals
- TV – Commercials – Sealy mattresses
- TV – Commercials – Spam meat products
- TV – Commercials – Thompson’s waterproofer
- TV – Commercials – True Value hardware stores
- TV – Commercials – V perfume
- TV – Promos – “ABC 40th Anniversary”
- TV – Promos – “America’s Funniest Home Videos”
- TV – Promos – “Before They Were Stars”
- TV – Promos – “City Slickers”
- TV – Promos – “Day One”
- TV – Promos – “Earthquakes: the Terrifying Truth”
- TV – Promos – “Eyewitness News”
- TV – Promos – “GTE Byron Nelson Classic”
- TV – Promos – “Good Morning America”
- TV – Promos – “Indianapolis 500 Time Trials”
- TV – Promos – “International Race of Champions”
- TV – Promos – “KABC-TV News”
- TV – Promos – “Matlock: The Idol”
- TV – Promos – “NYPD Blue”
- TV – Promos – “One of Her Own”
- TV – Promos – “Policewoman Centerfold”
- TV – Promos – “Sesame Street All-Star 25th Birthday”
- TV – Promos – “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”
- TV – Promos – “The Commish”
CREDITS
- Henry Winkler … Executive Producer
- John Rich … Executive Producer
- Richard Dean Anderson … Executive Producer
- Michael Greenburg … Producer
- John Sheppard … Co-Producer, Writer
- John B. Moranville … Co-Producer
- Dominic Fulford … Associate Producer
- Michael Vejar … Director
- Lee David Zlotoff … Created by
- Ken Harrison … Music by
- Richard Dean Anderson … Cast, MacGyver
- Brian Blessed … Cast, Atticus
- Sophie Ward … Cast, Kelly Carson
- Christian Burgess … Cast, Lord Cyril Cleeve
- Oliver Ford Davies … Cast, Simon Carson
- Tim Woodward … Cast, Col. Petrovic
- Kevork Malikyan … Cast, Zavros
- Geoffrey Beevers … Cast, Academy Director
- Hugh Quarshie … Cast, Inspector Rhodes
- George Jackos … Cast, Sergeant
- Andreas Markos … Cast, Greek Doctor
- Barry McCormack … Cast, Detective