| Creator: | Jonathan M. Shiff |
| Opentheme: | "I Just Wanna Be" by Chantelle Defina &<br />Jack Dacy |
| Endtheme: | "I Just Wanna Be" |
| Country: | Australia |
| Language: | English |
| Num Series: | 3 |
| Num Episodes: | 68 |
| List Episodes: | List of Mako: Island of Secrets episodes |
| Producer: | Jonathan M. Shiff |
| Camera: | Single camera |
| Runtime: | 26 minutes |
| Company: | Jonathan M. Shiff Productions |
Mako: Island of Secrets is an Australian television programme for children and teenagers created by Jonathan M. Shiff. Internationally released as Mako Mermaids, the show is a spin-off of H2O: Just Add Water and is produced by Jonathan M. Shiff Productions in association with Network Ten, ZDF and Netflix, with assistance from Screen Australia and Screen Queensland.[1]
The series follows Zac, a teenage boy who turns into a merman after accidentally falling into a magical pool of water on the fictional island of Mako.
Zac, a teenage boy, decides to camp on Mako Island, unaware that three mermaids, Lyla, Nixie, and Sirena, guardians of the island, are watching him. That night, when the full moon rises, the boy comes into contact with the magic water of the Moon Pool. The following morning, Zac discovers that he has the ability to control and manipulate water. Later, after accidentally falling into the water, he finds that he has also become a merman with a fish-like tail. His new-found merman abilities threaten to expose the existence of merpeople. After being cast out by their pod for allowing Zac to visit the island, the three mermaids, curious about living on land and motivated to remove Zac's powers, venture onto the land and learn to live among humans.
In series 2, the mermaids continue to discover Mako's secrets and learn more about the merman chamber. While Lyla and Nixie go in search of a new home, Sirena is left with Ondina and Mimmi, new mermaids who continue the effort to remove Zac's powers and reclaim the island for their pod. Evie, Zac's girlfriend, faces her own battles when she becomes a mermaid herself, and the others try to help her cope with the change. They also discover that Zac is a born merman and is Mimmi's brother.
In series 3, with Sirena away in Hawaii with her sister Aquata, Zac, Ondina and Mimmi are joined by Weilan, an Eastern mermaid who has fled to Mako for sanctuary from a magical water dragon. The mermaids discover that the dragon is Zac and Mimmi's long lost mother and must find a way to save her.
See main article: List of Mako: Island of Secrets episodes.
The show, announced in July 2011, consists of 26 episodes of 26 minutes each, plus an option for one 90-minute episode. Filming was to begin in April 2012, but it was postponed to the beginning of May. On 8 May 2012, Shiff Productions announced the principal cast and the start of the shoot. Filming ran through 12 October 2012. Mako was scheduled to broadcast in the second half of 2013,[2] with a second series confirmed before the first had screened.[3] Production of the first series totalled .
The show was first announced as Mako: Island of Secrets, then as Secret of Mako Island, and finally as Mako Mermaids for its international release. It debuted domestically on Network Ten as Mako: Island of Secrets on 26 July 2013.[4]
In partnership with Shiff Productions, Netflix is the exclusive internet television provider for the series. The first thirteen episodes were released on 26 July 2013, with the second half of the season airing on 15 September 2013.[5] On 8 November 2013, broadcasts of the show were switched from Network Ten to the free-to-air digital channel Eleven, first airing on Friday mornings at 8:00 a.m. and later changed to Sunday mornings at 11:00 a.m.
A second series was confirmed in February 2013, with production beginning in the second half of 2013 contingent on funding from Screen Australia.[6] The first half of series two premiered on Netflix on 13 February 2015 in North and Latin America, United Kingdom, and other territories.[7] In Australia, the second series screened on Eleven Sunday mornings at 10:00 a.m. from 15 February 2015. The second half of the series was released on Netflix on 29 May 2015.[8] Netflix labelled the first half as series two, while the second half was called series three.
A third series of 16 episodes was announced in 2014,[9] began screening on Eleven on 15 May 2016 and was released on Netflix on 27 May 2016.[10] The series introduced Chinese mermaid Weilan (Linda Ngo),[11] and featured the special guest appearance of Cariba Heine as Rikki Chadwick in the final two episodes.[12]
A movie was planned to be produced after the series ended. However, the plan has been put on hold indefinitely.[13]
Series 3 is listed under Season 4 on Netflix, as Netflix released Series 2 in two separate parts in 2015.
| Countryregion | Channel | Series premiere | Title in country | Source(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Network Ten Eleven | Mako: Island of Secrets | |||
| United Kingdom | Netflix | Mako Mermaids | |||
| United States | Mako Mermaids: An H2O Adventure |