H₂O: Just Add Water facts for kids

H2O: Just Add Water
Genre	Children / teen drama Fantasy
Created by	Jonathan M. Shiff
Directed by	Colin Budds Jeffrey Walker
Starring	Cariba Heine Claire Holt Phoebe Tonkin Angus McLaren Indiana Evans Luke Mitchell
Theme music composer	Shelley Rosenberg
Opening theme	"No Ordinary Girl" - Ellie Henderson (series 1) - Kate Alexa (series 2) - Indiana Evans (series 3)
Ending theme	"No Ordinary Girl"
Composer(s)	Ricky Edwards Ric Formosa
Country of origin	Australia
Original language(s)	English
No. of series	3
No. of episodes	78 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s)	Jonathan M. Shiff Kay Ben M'Rad (series 1) Julia Adams (series 2–3)
Producer(s)	Jonathan M. Shiff Joanna Werner
Cinematography	Bruce Phillips (series 1) Zenon Sawko (series 2–3)
Editor(s)	Geoff Lamb Strutts Psyridis Philip Watts
Camera setup	Single-camera
Running time	23–25 minutes
Production company(s)	Jonathan M. Shiff Productions
Distributor	ZDF Enterprises (Australia) CBS Studios International (United States)
Release
Original network	Network Ten
Picture format	PAL (576i); HDTV (720p/1080i)
Audio format	Surround sound
Original release	7 July 2006 (2006-07-07) – 16 April 2010 (2010-04-16)
Chronology
Related shows	Mako: Island of Secrets '

H₂O: Just Add Water, often called H₂O, is an exciting Australian TV show for kids and teens. It was created by Jonathan M. Shiff. The show first aired in Australia on Network Ten in July 2006. It became very popular and was shown in over 120 countries. More than 250 million people around the world have watched it!

The series was filmed at Sea World and other places on the Gold Coast. It's about three teenage girls who discover a magical secret. Their lives change forever when they become mermaids with special powers over water. The show was so popular that a third series was made, even though only two were planned at first.

The Mermaids' Secret: What Happens in H2O?

The story of H2O: Just Add Water begins with three teenage girls: Rikki Chadwick, Emma Gilbert, and Cleo Sertori. They get stuck on a mysterious place called Mako Island. While there, they find a hidden pool inside a dormant volcano. As a full moon passes above, its light shines down into the pool, touching the girls.

After being rescued, the girls go back to their normal lives. But things quickly change! They discover that ten seconds after touching water, they turn into mermaids. This means bathing, swimming, or even getting caught in the rain becomes a big challenge.

New Powers and Keeping Them Hidden

The girls soon learn they have amazing powers over water.

• Rikki can control heat, making water warm or even boil.
• Emma can freeze water and even create ice.
• Cleo can change the shape and amount of water.

They ask Cleo's smart friend, Lewis McCartney, to help them. He tries to understand their new abilities and helps them keep their secret safe from everyone, including their families. They have to learn to live with their new mermaid lives, which has both good and bad sides.

New Friends and Rivals

In the second series, a new girl named Charlotte Watsford arrives. She becomes a rival to Cleo, especially when she starts dating Lewis after Cleo and he break up. Charlotte also gains mermaid powers. She gets all three of the original mermaids' powers combined! She becomes the main challenge for the girls in this series. In the end, Charlotte loses her powers and Lewis.

The third series sees Emma leave to travel the world with her parents. A new mermaid, Bella Hartley, joins the group. Bella has been a mermaid since she was nine years old. She can turn water into jelly and a crystal-like substance. Rikki and Cleo become friends with Bella.

Saving the World from a Comet

A new boy, Will Benjamin, also comes to Mako Island. He is a skilled swimmer and free-diver. He finds the moon pool and becomes friends with the girls after discovering their secret. The mermaids soon face a new mystery: a strange water tentacle connected to Mako Island. They also learn that Earth is in the path of a comet that could destroy the planet! The girls must use their combined powers to stop the comet and save the world.

Meet the Cast of H2O

Main Characters

• Cariba Heine as Rikki: She's the new girl in town and is often rebellious and a bit distant. Rikki can control heat in water, from warming it up to making it boil. Later, she can even control fire and lightning. Cariba Heine was in all three series and even appeared in the spin-off show, Mako: Island of Secrets.
• Claire Holt as Emma (Series 1–2): Emma is confident and responsible, but sometimes a bit bossy. Her power is to freeze water. She later learns to control clouds, ice, and snow. Claire Holt left the show after series two to film another movie. Her character, Emma, was said to be traveling the world.
• Phoebe Tonkin as Cleo: At first, Cleo is shy and doesn't like water much. But she grows to be outgoing and friendly. She can control and shape water, and even increase or decrease its amount. Later, she can also control the wind. Phoebe Tonkin was in all series of the show.
• Angus McLaren as Lewis: Lewis is Cleo's childhood friend and later her boyfriend. He's very smart and loves science. He helps the girls keep their secret and tries to understand how they became mermaids. Angus McLaren was in series one and two, and made a guest appearance in the final episode of series three.
• Indiana Evans as Bella (Series 3): Bella is a new character in series three. She's a singer and performs at Rikki's cafe. Bella became a mermaid when she was nine years old in Ireland. She can change water into gelatin and a crystalline substance. She and Will become a couple during the series.
• Luke Mitchell as Will (Series 3): Will is a skilled swimmer and free-diver. He finds the moon pool on Mako Island and becomes curious about its magic. He becomes friends with the mermaids and is Bella's love interest.

Supporting Characters

• Burgess Abernethy as Zane: He's the rich, arrogant boy in town. In series one, he tries to find out who the mermaids are. He and Rikki have an on-again, off-again relationship. He eventually learns Rikki's secret and protects her. In series three, he and Rikki open a cafe together.
• Cleo Massey as Kim: Cleo's younger sister.
• Alan David Lee as Don Sertori: Cleo and Kim's father.
• Trent Sullivan as Elliot (Series 1–2): Emma's younger brother.
• Jamie Timony as Nate: One of Zane's friends.
• Brittany Byrnes as Charlotte (Series 2): The main rival in series two. She's artistic and smart but can be controlling. She dates Lewis after he breaks up with Cleo. When she becomes a mermaid, she gets all three of the original mermaids' powers. She loses her powers after a fight with the trio.
• Craig Horner as Ash (Series 2): Ash is an equestrian (horse rider) and coach. He forms a relationship with Emma. He learns she is a mermaid in the season finale.
• Penni Gray as Sam (Series 3): Sam works for the National Park. She becomes romantically involved with Don Sertori, Cleo and Kim's father, and they get married.
• Taryn Marler as Sophie (Series 3): Will's older sister and the main rival in series three. She is very ambitious and doesn't like Bella. She tries to cause trouble for the mermaids and for Zane and Rikki's relationship.

Episodes of H2O

You can find a full list of all the episodes from H₂O: Just Add Water here:

List of H2O: Just Add Water episodes

Multimedia from H2O

Soundtracks

There are official music albums (soundtracks) for H2O: Just Add Water.

• The first soundtrack for series two was released in September 2007. It was recorded by singer Kate Alexa. The main song, "No Ordinary Girl," is the show's theme song. Different singers performed this song in each series: Ellie Henderson (series one), Kate Alexa (series two), and Indiana Evans (series three).
• A second soundtrack with music from series three was released in February 2011. It was recorded by actress Indiana Evans.

Books

Several children's books based on the show have been released by Nickelodeon UK:

Awards and Nominations for H2O

The show H₂O: Just Add Water won and was nominated for several awards:

Spin-off Shows

Because H2O: Just Add Water was so popular, new shows were created based on its world. These are called spin-offs.

• In July 2011, a spin-off series called Mako: Island of Secrets was announced. This show follows the adventures of a 15-year-old boy named Zac and three mermaids: Sirena, Nixie, and Lyla. Cariba Heine even made a special guest appearance as Rikki in the final series of Mako: Island of Secrets.
• In May 2015, an animated spin-off for younger children premiered on Netflix. It is titled '.

See also

In Spanish: H2O: Just Add Water para niños