H2O: Just Add Water

H₂O: Just Add Water, also known as H₂O, is an Australian television programme for children, pre-teens and teenagers, that is filmed on location at Sea World and other locations on the Gold Coast. It first screened on Australia's Network Ten and later on Disney Channel Australia, and runs in syndication on channels in over 120 countries and has a worldwide audience of more than 250 million.^[1][2] The show's premise revolves around three teenage girls facing everyday teen problems with an added twist: they're mermaids with powers over water. The theme song "No Ordinary Girl" is performed by Ellie Henderson in series one, by Kate Alexa in series two and by Indiana Evans in series three.

Only two series with a total of 52 episodes were originally planned, but due to popular demand, a third series was filmed. Series one premiered in July 2006, followed by series two in September 2007. Series three first aired in the United Kingdom in October 2009, with the Australian premiere occurring in May 2010.

In July 2011 the production of a 26-episode spin-off was announced.^[3] The new series, Mako: Island of Secrets, follows the adventures of 15-year-old Zac and mermaids Sirena, Nixie and Lyla.^[4]

Plot

Emma Gilbert, Cleo Sertori and Rikki Chadwick are three sixteen-year-old Australian teenage girls who find themselves stranded on the mysterious Mako Island. They eventually find themselves in a pool under a dormant volcano just as a full moon appears overhead, bathing the pool in light. The girls are rescued and return to "normal life", but soon discover their lives have become anything but normal: ten seconds after contact with water, they transform into mermaids with supernatural powers over water. The trio enlist the help of Cleo's friend Lewis McCartney, who attempts to discover the secret behind their transformations.

Everyday situations, such as bathing and rain, become tricky as the girls struggle to cope with their newfound abilities, which have many advantages and disadvantages, while also trying to keep them a secret from everyone else.

Series two introduces Charlotte Watsford, who eventually gains mermaid powers as well and becomes the villain of the show. Series three sees the arrival of Bella Hartley, who has been a mermaid since the age of nine.

Cast

Main characters

• Claire Holt as Emma Gilbert, who has a confident and responsible, if somewhat controlling, personality. She has the ability to freeze water, and later develops the ability to manipulate clouds, ice and snow. Holt appears in series one and two, but left the show to film Messengers 2: The Scarecrow.
• Phoebe Tonkin as Cleo Sertori, who at first is shy and a little awkward, but eventually becomes outgoing and personable. She is able to manipulate and mould the form of water, as well as increase or decrease the amount of water present. She is later able to control the wind. Tonkin appears in all series of the show.
• Cariba Heine as Rikki Chadwick, the new girl in town at the start of the show, who tends to be aloof and rebellious. Her power is the ability to manipulate heat in water, ranging from warming to boiling, which eventually grows to allow control over fire and lightning. Heine appears in all series of the show.
• Angus McLaren as Lewis McCartney, Cleo's childhood friend who is academically gifted and thinks of himself as a scientist. He finds out their secret and he works to understand why the transformations occur. After appearing in both series one and two, McLaren left the show during the third series to begin filming Packed to the Rafters.^[5]
• Brittany Byrnes as Charlotte Watsford, the main antagonist of series two who enjoys the arts and sciences, but is controlling and manipulative. She causes conflict amongst the girls and steals Cleo's boyfriend. Upon transforming into a mermaid, she obtains all of the girls' collective powers, but permanently loses her abilities after a confrontation with the trio and does not return in series three.
• Indiana Evans as Isabella "Bella" Hartley, the new girl in series three. She is a singer and performs at the juice bar. She became a mermaid in the sea caves of Ireland when she was nine, and has the power to change water into gelatine and a crystalline substance. During the series, she and Will develop feelings for each other, and eventually become a couple.

Supporting characters

• Burgess Abernethy as Zane Bennett, who is the vain and arrogant local bad boy. In series one, he becomes obsessed with discovering the identity of the mermaids after catching a glimpse of one. Later, he develops an on-again, off-again relationship with Rikki that is permanently broken in series three.
• Luke Mitchell as Will Benjamin, a skilled swimmer and free-diver who is introduced in series three. While exploring Mako Island, he finds the moon pool and is attacked by the water, causing him to hunt for the cause of the strange event. He is Bella's love interest, becomes closer to the girls once he discovers they are mermaids.
• Craig Horner as Ash Dove, a keen equestrian and riding coach who appears during series two. He forms a relationship with Emma, but does not learn of her being a mermaid until the series finale. Horner does not appear in series three due to filming Legend of the Seeker.

Episode list

Production

There are three different types of mermaid tails used on the show: custom-fitted tails that the girls swim in, a "floppy tail" used for stationary shots, and a "hard tail" for stunts. The custom costumes took six months to build, with the tails and tops made from body casts and comprising individually hand-crafted scales. The finished product weighs between 12 and 15 kilograms (26 and 33 lb). Inside the tail are leg straps where the girls are strapped up and then zipped up. Once in costume, the girls have to be lifted into the water. Attempts were made to minimise the on-screen visibility of the zips on the tails, such as adding extra scales and crafting a ridge of material around the length of the zip. The tail fin itself was designed with a foot pedal to assist the actresses with swimming. This, along with the fin, adds some 60 centimetres (2 ft) to the length of the costume.

Multimedia

DVD releases

Series one and series two have been released on DVD in Region 4 PAL format. Series one comprises six individual DVD sets released between September 2007 and November 2008, and a complete series compilation released in June 2009. Series two comprises three individual sets released between February and September 2009, and a complete series compilation released in November 2009.

Soundtracks

An official soundtrack for series two of the show, titled H2O: Just Add Water and recorded by singer Kate Alexa, was first released on 10 September 2007 in Australia on Liberation Records and has since been made available worldwide. Its lead track, "No Ordinary Girl", is the theme song for the show.

A second soundtrack, featuring music from series three, was first released on iTunes on 17 February 2011^[6] and later worldwide during March 2011. It is also titled H2O: Just Add Water and was recorded by actress Indiana Evans.^[7]

Books

Several children's books have been released by Nickelodeon UK:^[8]

Awards and nominations

Awards

• 2008 Nickelodeon Australia Kids' Choice Award for "Best TV Drama Show"^[9]
• 2009 Logie Award for "Most Outstanding Children's Program"^[10]

Nominations

• 2007 Logie Award for "Most Outstanding Children's Program"^[11]
• 2007 Nickelodeon UK Kids' Choice Award for "Best TV Show"^[1]
• 2008 Logie Award for "Most Outstanding Children's Program"^[12]
• 2009 Nickelodeon Australia Kids' Choice Award for "Fave Drama Show"^[13]

References

External links

• H₂O: Just Add Water – Official website
• H₂O: Just Add Water – ZDF Enterprises promotional website
• H₂O: Just Add Water – Channel Ten website
• H₂O: Just Add Water – Nick UK website
• H₂O: Just Add Water at the Australian Television Information Archive
• H₂O: Just Add Water at the Internet Movie Database
• H₂O: Just Add Water at TV.com