Nickelodeon Goes Down Under for a Splash of Magic in the Television Movie and Series Premiere of H20

Nickelodeon Goes Down Under for a Splash of Magic in the Television Movie and Series Premiere of H20

Live-Action Mermaid Adventures Swim Ashore with Hour-Long Movie Premiere Friday, March 14, at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT), Followed by Series Premiere Sunday, March 16, at 8:30 p.m. (ET/PT)

NEW YORK, March 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Pool parties will never be the same for three Aussie teens who discover their lives are forever intertwined as they face everyday problems with an added twist in the new Nickelodeon live-action, magical mermaid adventure, H2O. The new half-hour series will kick off with a prime-time, hour-long movie on Friday, March 14, at 8:00 p.m. (all times ET/PT), followed by the series premiere on Sunday, March 16, at 8:30 p.m.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080304/NYTU072 )

H2O centers on Emma, Rikki and Cleo, three 16-year-old girls who stumble upon an ancient cavern under a volcano and undergo a transformation that changes their lives forever. The heroines are ordinary teens on land but extraordinary teen mermaids with magical powers under the sea. With the ability to freeze, boil and manipulate water at any time, these mermaids discover that the world is truly their oyster. Shot on location in the Gold Coast Region of Queensland, Australia, the series will air regularly Sundays at 7:30 p.m. on Nickelodeon.

"H2O is a great fit with our TEENick programming, with its hefty combination of aspirational adventure, magic and great relatable characters," said Marjorie Cohn, Executive Vice President Original Programming & Development, Nickelodeon Networks. "Nickelodeon viewers will fall in love with Emma, Cleo and Rikki as they adjust to their newfound powers while trying to keep two feet on the ground."

In the hour-long TV movie, Rikki Chadwick tries to avoid the local bully, Zane Bennett, but escapes his wrath by motor boat. The problem is that Zane's got the key to the engine and he's pushed Rikki away from shore. Rikki's friends Emma and Cleo come to the rescue but the three girls now find themselves floating towards the mysterious Mako Island. With no help in sight, the girls journey through the deserted and scary habitat and stumble upon an ancient cave. The friends quickly discover that the only way out is through an underwater channel leading to the open sea. As they enter the water, the light from a full moon creates a mysterious glow, causing something magical to happen, and life as they know it will never be the same.

In the H2O weekly series, the girls will find that Zane is not the only bully they'll have to face. Miriam, the local bad girl and the school's most popular student, will do her best to make sure the trio's growing popularity doesn't overshadow her own. The series also will find the girls taking action against the capture of sea turtles and risking their lives to rescue others. The girls will continue trying to hide their secret even though otherwise normal events like rainstorms, swim meets and pool parties threaten to expose what they grow to treasure the most.

   Meet the Mermaids:    -- Emma Gilbert (Claire Holt) -- A bona fide leader, Emma's magical power      is the ability to instantly freeze water.  She leads with confidence,      exudes a competitive nature and is a driven individual as evident in      her dedication to regional swimming.  Unfortunately, with her new found      flippers, she'll have to forgo her swim competitions for awhile.    -- Cleo Sertori (Phoebe Tonkin) -- Cleo's magical power is the ability to      turn a drop of water into a bucketful and mold it into any shape.      While initially terrified of swimming, Cleo finds personal strength in      overcoming her fear and in retrospect accepts her new found abilities      with excitement.    -- Rikki Chadwick (Cariba Heine) -- Rikki's magical power is the ability      to boil water with a quick gesture.  She is the new girl in the      neighborhood and is considered 'different' and rebellious in nature.      Rikki is contemptuous of the social hierarchy at the high school that      she attends, and frequently speaks her mind without euphemism.  Rikki      has a strong adventurous streak and is the first to fully embrace the      possibilities of the girls' new powers.    

H2O is produced by Jonathan M. Shiff Productions. H2O first premiered on Nickelodeon in the UK in April 2007, where it has become one of the channel's best performing shows and has made teen sensations of the show's three stars. The series was nominated for 'Best TV Show' at the first ever Nickelodeon UK Kids' Choice Awards in October 2007.

Nickelodeon, in its 28th year, is the number-one entertainment brand for kids. It has built a diverse, global business by putting kids first in everything it does. The company includes television programming and production in the United States and around the world, plus consumer products, online, recreation, books, magazines and feature films. Nickelodeon's U.S. television network is seen in more than 96 million households and has been the number- one-rated basic cable network for 13 consecutive years. Nickelodeon and all related titles, characters and logos are trademarks of Viacom Inc. (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) .

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080304/NYTU072
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Source: Nickelodeon

CONTACT: Mirian Arias, +1-212-846-7653, Mirian.arias@nick.com, or Margo
Zinberg, +1-310-752-8207, Margo.zinberg@nick.com, both of Nickelodeon

Web site: http://www.nick.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: Art and DVD screeners available upon request.

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Profile: International Entertainment