New AMC Show Nautilus is a Must-Watch for Doctor Who Fans

Nautilus, a big-budget Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea prequel, was meant to debut on Disney+. Then Disney canceled it. Then Prime Video streamed it internationally in 2024. And now, it's somehow ended up airing on AMC in the U.S.

So yes, we've got a Jules Verne-inspired show made by Disney, seen first on Amazon, and now airing on the same network as The Walking Dead. Try to follow that release schedule without a map.

But here's the thing: Nautilus might actually be good — especially if you're into Doctor Who, steampunk vibes, or watching morally ambiguous men in submarines unravel at sea.

What's it about?

Set in 1857, the series tells the story of how Nemo — played by Shazad Latif — went from enslaved prisoner to submarine pirate with a grudge against the British Empire. The show isn't subtle about its politics, and that's not a complaint. He and a group of captives hijack a one-of-a-kind submersible called the Nautilus and head north in search of treasure, vengeance, and maybe some kind of meaning.

The production isn't phoning it in, either. The Nautilus itself is a steampunk fever dream:

• Gleaming brass interiors
• Spiked exterior hull that resembles a sea monster
• Giant ornate windows straight out of Jules Verne's sketchbook

Visually, it's a better Verne adaptation than most of what's come before — even if the dialogue sometimes leans into CW drama territory.

The cast is solid across the board. Latif is compellingly intense as Nemo, and Georgia Flood holds her own as Humility Lucas, a woman with a terrible name and a solid character arc. Damien Garvey goes full corporate-psychopath as Crawley, the British official who wants Nemo dead for embarrassing the Empire. One episode in, he's already threatening to "hunt you to the ends of the earth," so you know he's serious.

Behind the scenes, Nautilus is created by James Dormer, and while the pilot shows a few rough edges, the pacing is tight and the tone lands somewhere between Doctor Who and Master and Commander. It's pulpy, but self-aware — and thankfully, not afraid to be weird.

Episodes are now airing weekly on AMC, for whatever audience hasn't already watched it overseas. There's no sex, no gore, and not much subtlety — but if you're into high-concept adventure and low-key anti-colonial revenge stories, Nautilus might actually be worth surfacing for.

Just don't expect it to stay afloat on AMC for long. Given how quietly it arrived, it may be one of those shows that sinks without a ripple — even if it deserves better.