Mirror, Mirror (TV series) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mirror, Mirror |
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| Genre | Teen drama Adventure Time travel |
| Created by | Posie Graeme-Evans |
| Starring | Petra Jared Michala Banas Nicholas Hooper Jeffrey Walker James Ashcroft Nicholas Hammond |
| Country of origin | Australia New Zealand |
| Original language(s) | English Māori |
| No. of episodes | 20 |
| Production | |
| Running time | 24 min. |
| Production company(s) | Millennium Pictures New Zealand on Air |
| Release | |
| Original network | Network Ten |
| Original release | 30 September – 23 December 1995 |
| Chronology | |
| Followed by | Mirror, Mirror II |
Mirror, Mirror is an exciting TV show made in Australia and New Zealand. It tells one big story over 20 episodes, with some thrilling moments that make you want to watch the next episode right away!
Contents
The Story Behind the Show
This cool series was created by Posie Graeme-Evans. She was also one of the main people in charge of making sure the show got made.
Did you know that John Banas, one of the directors, is the father of Michala Banas? Michala plays the character "Louisa" in the show!
Meet the Characters
Here are the main actors and the characters they play:
Main Cast Members
- Petra Jared as Jo (Josephine) Tiegan
- Michala Banas as Louisa Iredale
- Nicholas Hooper as Nicholas
- Peter Bensley as Andrew Tiegan
- Judith McIntosh as Catherine Guthrie Tiegan
- Michele Amas as Primrose Iredale
- Gerald Bryan as Joshua Iredale
- James Ashcroft as Tama Williams
- Jeffrey Walker as Royce Tiegan
- Jason Gascoigne as Titus Iredale
- Nicholas Hammond as Sir Ivor Creevey-Thorne
The Amazing Mirror Story
The story begins in 1995 with fourteen-year-old Jo Tiegan. She finds a special old mirror in an antique shop. The shop owner gives it to her, saying it's "meant for her."
A Magical Connection Through Time
That night, Jo sees another girl in the mirror instead of her own reflection! This girl, Louisa Iredale, is also fourteen. They can both see each other clearly. Louisa writes her name on a book for Jo to read. When Jo tries to write back, her pen starts to disappear into the mirror!
Jo soon discovers that the mirror is a portal. She can travel through it to Louisa's bedroom in 1919! This means they can visit each other's time periods. But there's a catch: the mirror has to be in the exact same spot and facing the same way in both 1919 and 1995.
Two Worlds, One House
In 1919, Louisa lives in a big mansion with servants. Her father works for the New Zealand government. Jo, in 1995, lives in a school building that turns out to be the very same house Louisa lives in! They even share the same bedroom, just in different times.
Jo and Louisa quickly become best friends. Their lives change as they get caught up in a thrilling mystery.
A Dangerous Discovery
After Jo's first trip through the mirror, something dangerous happens in 1995. During a school dig, a container is found in a well. It gets damaged, and two students are accidentally sprayed with a harmful substance. They become very sick. When they see the container is dated "1919," Jo worries that her time travel caused this problem.
Searching for Answers in the Past
Jo asks Louisa to help her find the container in 1919. They want to move it to stop the accident from happening in 1995. The well is in the yard of a nearby house. A British visitor, Sir Ivor Creevey-Thorne, rents this house.
Sir Ivor catches Jo and Louisa looking down the well. He has a teenage boy named Nicholas living with him. Nicholas is from Russia, and Sir Ivor brought him to New Zealand. Nicholas is worried about his family and feels trapped by Sir Ivor.
Nicholas's Secret Identity
Nicholas manages to escape Sir Ivor's house. He finds Jo's encyclopedia at Louisa's home. He's amazed by the color pictures. He looks up information about the Russian Royal Family. To his horror, he reads that the Tsar of Russia and his family were executed.
When Jo and Louisa arrive, Nicholas demands to know if the book is true. Jo confirms it. Nicholas then reveals a shocking secret: he is Alexei Nikolaevich, the son of the Tsar! His family is the one that was executed.
It turns out Sir Ivor is not helping Nicholas. He plans to sell Nicholas to Russian Bolsheviks. They want to take Nicholas back to Russia to publicly execute him, as he is the last surviving member of the Royal Family.
Working Together to Save Nicholas
Jo asks her friend Tama, a science student, for help. When Louisa and Tama meet, they instantly like each other. Jo and Nicholas also start to have feelings for each other.
Sir Ivor had taken Nicholas's family ring, saying he would keep it safe. But then he drops the ring into a container of the same dangerous substance found in the well, right in front of Nicholas! He warns Nicholas not to try and get it.
Later, Nicholas tells Jo that he hid the container in the well. He needs his ring to prove who he is. Jo is upset, thinking Nicholas caused her friends' sickness. But Nicholas promises everything will be okay. With Tama's help and 1995 technology, they find a way to make the dangerous substance safe.
A Dance and a Choice
Sir Ivor holds a fancy ball. While waiting for Nicholas to pour the neutralizer into the container, Nicholas teaches Jo to dance the old way. They share a kiss. Louisa and Tama shyly hold hands.
Back in 1995, Jo's parents are worried. They confront the old antique shop owner. He tells them he expected them and reveals his true identity. He shocks them by saying he and Jo will marry in 1919, and Jo won't return to 1995.
In 1919, Nicholas successfully neutralizes the substance. It will still be harmful for a while, but safe by 1995. Nicholas travels to 1995 to get his ring. But he can't go back to 1919 with it because the ring already exists there.
Nicholas has a choice: return to 1919 without the ring (and without proof of who he is) or stay in 1995 with Jo. After he chooses, the mirror begins to ripple. Everyone must get to the time period they want to stay in before the mirror disappears forever!
Awards and Recognition
Mirror, Mirror won some cool awards!
Awards Won
- Best Children's Program at the 1996 New Zealand Film and TV Awards
- Gold award at the World Television Festival in Houston, United States
- Petra Jared won Best New Talent at the 1996 Australian Film Institute awards
Nominations
- Best Children's Program at the 1996 Australian Film Institute awards
- Finalist at Prix Jeunesse International Festival awards in Munich, Germany
- Michala Banas was nominated for Best Juvenile Performance at the 1996 New Zealand Film and TV Awards
More Mirror Adventures
A second series, Mirror, Mirror II, came out in 1997. It had 26 episodes but told a completely new story with different characters. The only thing similar was a time-traveling mirror in New Zealand. The rules for the mirror were also different in the second series. For example, in the first Mirror, Mirror, only kids could travel through it. But in Mirror, Mirror II, anyone, even adults, could use the mirror!
