Jonathan M Shiff Productions wraps Reef Doctors; begins Mako Mermaids
Lisa McCune in Reef Doctors
Shooting has begun on a new Australian children’s TV show on the Gold Coast as the production company wraps on a family drama.
Mako Mermaids, a spin-off of the successful children’s show H20 Just Add Water, is a $12.3m 26 half-hour program by Jonathan M Shiff Productions.
Produced by Jonathan M Shiff, the series will be directed by Evan Clarry and Grant Brown and executive produced by Shiff and Julia Adams.
The shooting begins just days after the production company finished shooting on Reef Doctors, a new 13 x one-hour family drama starring Lisa McCune, also for Ten.
Shiff said: “Reef Doctors was undoubtedly our most ambitious project to date and our first foray into long-form series with a broad family appeal. Lisa McCune and our wonderful cast have delivered an extraordinary series showcasing a grand adventure set against Australia’s tropical north. Now we are thrilled to commence immediate production on our next series. Children all over the world love mermaids – but now a merman opens up a whole new world of fantasy and action.”
Set to air on Ten, Mako Mermaids, also known as Mako – Island of Secrets, is made with investment from the network, Screen Australia, Screen Queensland and ZDF Enterprises Germany.
The show follows three mermaids Sirena, Nixie and Lyla whose job it is to protect their magical Mako Island from trespassers but after the arrival of a 16-year old boy Zac who gains his own special powers, the mermaids must get legs and take back Zac’s power.
The production company also has another series, the forthcoming Lightning Point expected for television.
