Logo for H2O: Just Add Water
Genre Children's television series, teen drama
Created by Jonathan M. Shiff
Directed by Colin Budds (2006)
Jeffrey Walker
Starring Claire Holt (2006-2008)
Phoebe Tonkin
Cariba Heine
Angus McLaren
Indiana Evans (2009-Present)
Theme music composer Shelley Rosenberg
Opening theme "No Ordinary Girl"
Composer(s) Ric Formosa
Ricky Edwards
Danny Beckerman
Country of origin Australia
Language(s) English
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 52 (List of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Jonathan M. Shiff
Kay Ben M'Rad (2006)
Julia Adams (2007)
Producer(s) Jonathan M. Shiff
Editor(s) Geoff Lamb
Strutts Psyridis
Location(s) Gold Coast, Queensland
Cinematography Bruce Phillips (2006)
Zenon Sawko (2007)
Camera setup Single-camera
Running time 30 minutes
Broadcast
Original channel Network Ten
Picture format PAL, HDTV
Audio format Surround sound
Original run 7 July 2006 – present
H2O: Just Add Water 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 in 2006 and later on Disney Channel Australia, and currently runs on channels in over 120 countries and has a worldwide audience of more than 250 million.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 and by Kate Alexa in series two.
Originally, there were only two series with a total of 52 episodes, but due to popular demand, a third series began filming in late 2008 and will screen in late 2009. Jonathan M. Shiff, executive producer, said that, "there is lots of potential for a third season with normal teenagers who have super powers," and that open water filming may be an option in addition to the filming done at Sea World and Broadwater.Indiana Evans will have a major role in the third series as Bella.
Awards
2008 Nickelodeon Australia Kids' Choice Award for "Best TV Drama Show"
2009 Logie Award for "Most Outstanding Children's Program"
Nominations
2007 Logie Award for "Most Outstanding Children's Program"
2007 Nickelodeon UK Kids' Choice Award for "Best TV Show
2008 Logie Award for "Most Outstanding Children's Program"
Plot
Emma, Cleo and Rikki are sixteen year old girls growing up on the sun-drenched beaches of the Gold Coast. Emma is confident, brilliant, responsible, and athletic. Cleo is slightly insecure, sweet, and awkward while Rikki is an aloof and rebellious new girl.
The girls find themselves stranded at sea one day, floating towards the mysterious Mako Island. The three girls explore the eerie jungle-covered island before deciding to jump into a pool in an ancient cavern under a volcano to escape. As they enter the pool, the light from a full moon illuminates the water, creating a mysterious glow. Discovering an underwater channel, they decide to swim to safety where they are rescued by the harbour patrol. The next day, the three girls discover that life is never going to be normal again; ten seconds after they touch water, they turn into mermaids. After further experimentation, they find they have supernatural powers; Emma can freeze water, Rikki can boil water and Cleo can manipulate the amount and shape of water.
The girls enlist the help of their friend Lewis, who considers himself a scientist, and he attempts to discover the secret behind their transformations.
Everyday situations turn tricky as the girls struggle to cope with their new-found powers, which have numerous advantages and disadvantages, while also trying to keep them a secret from everyone else.
Later on, Emma saves the town's bad boy, Zane, who was trapped in a sinking boat, but a piece of her tail is seen, so Zane looks everywhere near Mako Island for the "sea monster". Rikki and Zane become a couple. Zane sees Emma as a mermaid, but she dye her hair (briefly) and he didn't recognize her. Dr. Denman exposes the girls and Zane is surprised to see Rikki as a mermaid, so he and Lewis save her, Cleo and Emma from danger. At the time of lunar eclipse, the girls lost their powers, but only for twelve hours.
In the second series, a new girl arrives named Charlotte who seems friendly at first. When Cleo leaves Lewis, though, Charlotte quickly moves in and snags him. Charlotte is very controlling and is later revealed to be the granddaughter of Gracie - one of the original three mermaids. Charlotte deliberately becomes a mermaid herself, causing more problems for the girls, most of all Cleo, who later gets back together again with Lewis. On the day of 50 year of the full moon, Charlotte lost her powers.
Characters
Emma Gilbert
Character Actress Series one Series two First Appearance
Emma Gilbert Claire Holt 26 episodes 25 episodes* "Metamorphosis"
Emma, or Em to her friends, first discovers herself being a mermaid one morning while swimming at the beach. She has the ability to freeze any object or liquid containing water. In the second series, under the power of a full moon aligned with various planets, she develops cloud manipulation and the ability to control ice and snow and, with help from Rikki & Cleo, has the power to summon on a hurricane like storm. She liked Byron in the first series. Also, she eventually found love in boy named Ash, who is currently her supervisor at the Juicenet café and was previously a riding instructor who taught Emma's little brother to ride a horse. Emma couldn't stand Ash at first (he was a better horse rider than her), but with prodding from her friends Cleo and Rikki, she realises her love for him, but her mermaid secret is a problem. In the series two finale, she reveals her secret to Ash. Emma moves away in series three.
Holt did not appear in the episode "The Gracie Code, Part 1", but is seen in a flashback.
Holt will miss most of series three due to her filming Messengers 2: The Scarecrow.
Cleo Sertori
Character Actress Series one Series two First Appearance
Cleo Sertori Phoebe Tonkin 26 episodes 26 episodes "Metamorphosis"
Cleo first finds out herself being a mermaid while taking a bath. She has the power to manipulate the form of water and mould it into a different shape. She can mystically create more water to form a "branch" from a small cup. She can also control wind and air currents in series two. She is shy but very bright and a loyal friend. Late in series 1 Cleo and Lewis develop a relationship, but he is too clingy and, with her parents' divorce, she is too stressed to have a boyfriend, so she breaks up with him. A new girl named Charlotte arrives, who is Cleo's friend at first but then Charlotte becomes jealous of Cleo's friendship/relationship with Lewis so Charlotte constantly tries to be with him. Charlotte and Lewis form a relationship, much to Cleo's dismay. Charlotte causes many problems for Cleo in series two, such as stealing her boyfriend, stealing her locket. After Lewis had enough of Charlotte's actions, he breaks up with her and rescues Cleo from sharks. Later in the episode he and Cleo rekindle their relationship.
Rikki Chadwick
Character Actress Series one Series two First Appearance
Rikki Chadwick Cariba Heine 26 episodes 26 episodes "Metamorphosis"
Rikki is the new girl in town in series one. She first discovers she is a mermaid when she was hit by water from the park sprinkler system. She was the last to gain her powers. She is able to boil water or anything containing water. In the second series, she develops the ability to control fire and lightning. She is a rebellious new girl and a self-confessed loner who finds an attraction in the local bad boy, Zane Bennett. They first fall in love when trapped on a balcony together. They briefly date but find they have too many differences at the end of the first series. Shortly into the second series, they rekindle their relationship, although somewhat casually. She was originally at odds with Miriam, Zane's ex-girlfriend, seen only in the first series.
Lewis McCartney
Character Actor Series one Series two First Appearance
Lewis McCartney Angus McLaren 26 episodes 26 episodes "Metamorphosis"
Lewis has been Cleo's friend since they were five, and following the girls' transformation, he also becomes friends with Rikki and Emma. He is academically gifted, thinks of himself as a scientist and has a passion for fishing. He discovers the girls' secret early on in the series and becomes determined to find the cause. He is in love with Cleo, who reciprocates the feeling and the two form a relationship late in series one. At the beginning of series two, Cleo breaks up with Lewis. They stay friends but remain a little embarrassed. Lewis develops a friendship with Charlotte, the new girl, who has a crush on Lewis and becomes his controlling girlfriend. At the end of series two, Lewis dumps Charlotte because of her behaviour towards the other girls, mostly Cleo. After he saves Cleo from a shark reef, they get back together.
McLaren will appear in a limited number of episodes due to filming Packed to the Rafters.
Bella Roberts
Character Actor Series one Series two First Appearance
Bella Roberts Indiana Evans 0 episodes 0 episodes Series three
Bella arrives during series three, having just moved to the area. She is a singer, and has been a mermaid since the age of eight.
Secondary
Charlotte Watsford
Character Actress Series one Series two First Appearance
Charlotte Watsford Brittany Byrnes 0 episodes 24 episodes "Control"
Charlotte is the new girl in town and is the girls' rival during series two. She enjoys various forms of art and appreciates the sciences. She is friendly at first but becomes jealous of Cleo's relationship with Lewis, so she constantly tries to be with him. After Cleo breaks up with Lewis Charlotte pursues him and eventually the two develop a relationship. She is very selfish, controlling and manipulative and gets paranoid very easily and becomes jealous of Cleo. She is later revealed to be the granddaughter of Gracie, one of the original three mermaids. She becomes the fourth mermaid herself, receiving all three of the powers. After this she becomes very dangerous when angry, especially when Lewis breaks up with her to be with Cleo. The 50 year full moon comes and Charlotte reveals to Lewis that that is how Gracie lost her powers. She plans to strip the other girls powers so that she will be the only special one for Lewis. But after being beaten by the girls, she loses her powers forever, and her friendship with Lewis and all other mermaids.
Zane Bennett
Character Actor Series one Series two First Appearance
Zane Bennett Burgess Abernethy 20 episodes 7 episodes "Metamorphosis"
Zane is the local bad boy, and seems to think that he can get away with anything because his dad is rich. He appears to be arrogant, but has been seen to have a softer side. He desperately wants to impress his father, local land developer Harrison Bennett, who is more arrogant. Zane is an excellent swimmer. After becoming trapped on a sinking boat, he is rescued by Emma, and sees the end of her tail before she is able to slip away. Because of this, Zane becomes obsessed with finding the "sea monster". Later on in the first series, to the disappointment of Miriam who assumed that she was with Zane, Rikki and Zane develop feelings for each other after being locked out on a penthouse balcony in a hotel that Harrison Bennett is giving an advertising speech at. While they later break up at the end of the first series because they are "too different" from each other, they rekindle their relationship in the second series after Zane discovers the girls are mermaids. It is found out also that he is very caring. During series three, Zane tries to exploit Mako Island after Rikki breaks up with him.
Ash
Character Actor Series one Series two First Appearance
Ash Craig Horner 0 episodes 10 episodes "Riding for a Fall"
Ash is the current supervisor of the JuiceNet Café (to Emma's disappointment at first, since she wanted the job). Ash is a keen horse rider and has worked as a riding coach. He and Emma have formed a relationship and have gone out on a few dates. In the middle of the second series, in the episode 'Moonstruck', Emma was affected by the full moon (with Cleo and Rikki) and almost revealed her secret by calling him into the bathroom when she was wet with a tail. Luckily, Lewis steps in and stops him. During the series two finale, Emma reveals that she is a mermaid to Ash, and his only reaction was to smile and say, "Cool" before the end credits roll. Ash also has a falling out with Zane in the Juicenet Cafe, causing the girl's group to split for an episode.
Louise Chatham
Character Actress Series one Series two First Appearance
Louise Chatham Christine Amor 10 episodes 1 episodes "Party Girls"
Louise Chatham, or Miss. Chatham as she's typically called, is a mysterious elderly woman who Cleo meets while working at the marine park. She hints to Cleo that she knows the girls secret and warns them about the effects of the full moon. Later, an altercation that she has with Zane leads to her boat being declared unseaworthy and Emma invites her to stay at her place. That night, however, Miss Chatham sneaks out at night and sails off with her boat. After an altercation on the boat with Zane, she suffers a heart attack and is taken to a hospital by Lewis. Before going to a retirement residential home, she reveals to the girls that she once was a mermaid too, but that "the burden became too great", so she "had to give it up", hinting that there is a way to give up their powers.
[edit] Dr. Linda Denman
Character Actress Series one Series two First Appearance
Dr. Linda Denman Lara Cox 3 episodes 0 episodes "The Denman Affair"
Dr. Denman is a Marine Biologist who finds one of Cleo's mermaid scales that Lewis left behind, after he applied for a job working for her so he could use her equipment to study it. She tries to get Lewis to tell her where he found the samples, but he refuses to reveal the source. In the end, she offers to Lewis prestige and a fast track through school and a large wage to travel with her for her work (especially her work on the scale) but he decides to stay with Emma, Cleo, and Rikki. In the series one finale, she returns and sets up underwater cameras around Mako Island, discovering the girls' mermaid secret, which she shares with Zane and Zane's father Harrison. But in the end, she believes that the girls have lost their powers after going into the Moon Pool during a lunar eclipse, though in truth they only lost their powers for 12 hours.
Max K. Hamilton
Character Actor Series one Series two First Appearance
Max Hamilton Martin Vaughan 0 episodes 4 episodes "The Gracie Code (Part 1)"
An elderly man (who is a scientist like Lewis and 50 years ago published studies similar to the ones that Lewis has done), he was a friend and confidant of the original mermaids. His first appearance was in "The Gracie Code" late in the second series when Lewis discovers his old research on Mako Island. Max reveals that he truly loved Gracie, just like Lewis truly loves Cleo, and that he created the three lockets (that the girls wear) for the three original mermaids. He gives Lewis all his old research and pictures of the original mermaids. He declares that Cleo and Lewis are meant for each other, but Lewis ignores them because he was dating Charlotte at the time. Lewis realises what Max meant when Cleo went missing and Lewis realised how much he cared for her. Max was the one who told Charlotte about mermaids after she declared that she was Gracie's granddaughter. He also revealed that the 50 year moon lines up with all the planets and will possess enough power to take away a mermaid's powers forever with no chance of ever regaining them back.
