The Australian television program, H2O: Just Add Water (H2O for short) is sure to put you in the mood for a swim. The show is quite popular with mermaids and mermaid fans. As such, you may already be very familiar with it. It is my hope that I can share some additional information in this article.
H2O is the product of Jonathan M. Shiff Productions and was shot on location at Sea World along the Gold Coast of Australia. In Australia, the program is broadcast on Channel 10. In the US and the UK, the program is shown on the Nickelodeon Teen network.
The show follows the adventures of three teenage girls that turn into mermaids after visiting the mysterious Mako Island during a full moon. The girls look normal on land, but when they get wet they turn into mermaids. The three agree that this will be their secret, and nobody else should know about it.
Emma (on right, played by Claire Holt) is the confident intelectual, and a member of the school swim team.
Cleo (center, played by Phoebe Tonkin) is shy and awkward, and one who has to work to keep her school grades up.
Rikki (on left, played by Cariba Heine) is the rebel and daring one, and she will not be pushed around.
The girls' ability to keep the secret to themselves doesn't last long. Cleo's friend Lewis (played by Angus McLaren) finds out soon enough, and then tries to discover how it all happened.
Originally, two seasons of the program (26 episodes each) were created and broadcast. The popularity of the show prompted a third season be created. Emma has moved away (Claire Holt was busy with other projects), but Cleo and Rikki soon meet Bella (played by Indiana Evans), who became a mermaid at age 9 in Ireland. Lewis is also absent for part of season three (Angus McLaren was working on a movie).
Wikipedia has a pretty good article on the show, if you haven't found it already.
There are a number of behind-the-scenes videos of H2O on the net, including this one.
The H2O theme song, No Ordinary Girl, is an upbeat tune that can easily become any mermaid's theme song. A shortened version is played at the beginning of each episode. The song and lyrics are available so you can sing along. Mermaids love to sing! The player is just under the "No Ordinary Girl Lyrics Widget" heading on the left side.
This video clip from the very first episode shows the original three girls discovering that they are now mermaids.
A few years ago, I had the opportunity to participate in a Twitter 'Live Tweet' with Phoebe Tonkin (Cleo) and other H2O fans. (Update 12/2012 Chat text)
The show is not for everyone, however. Because the show is targeted at pre-teens and teens, some adult merfolk find it too immature and unable to hold their attention. I quite enjoy the show, myself.
Before buying any DVD's of the show, note that a DVD created for Australia (Region 4) will not play in the US or Canada (Region 1), or Europe (Region 2). Here is more info on DVD regions.
If you can't get enough of H2O, note that producer Jonathan M. Shiff is planning to produce a sequel entitled Mako - Island of Secrets. Look for it in late 2012. More information on this new show can be found at if.com.au and h2o.wikia.com. In this spin-off, a 15 year old boy named Zac becomes a 'merman'. This is bad news for the three (new) mermaids that watch over Mako Island. Many H2O fans are disappointed that Zac will have fin-like feet instead of a fish tail.
As always, your comments and questions are welcome!
Meet me at Mako,
-Mermaid Cynthia
cynthia (at) goldmermaid.com
Actually, pictures confirm that his tail WILL be normal. It is light blue, and has a very floppy/flexible fluke, like the 3 new mermaids' tails, unlike the original tails that have foot pedals, these won't. Also, Zac's fluke won't be dolphin style.
ReplyDeleteHallo Cynthia!
ReplyDeleteI'm from Polish.
I watched all the episodes of the series "H2O Just Add Water".
And all of them have uploaded to kompa.
In writing this text I use a translator, because they do not know English.
I know Russian, Czech and Ukrainian.
When it comes to the existence of "Sirens" as well as their male counterparts "Tritons", I have to write you here.
That is not true.
Because when I was a teenager, I saw with my own eyes one of those people - because for me they are not animals.
But our relatives.
Their appearance is a little different than on the show.
Between his fingers to the film.
A hands them a little different from ours.
Contact with me: pcs.darsoftware @ gmail.com.
Greetings from Polish.