Lightning Point

Australia

The story

Lightning Point (also known as Alien Surf Girls) is an Australian science fantasy teen drama television series created and co-produced by Jonathan M. Shiff. The show was filmed on location at the Gold Coast and Byron Bay in 2011. The half-hour series was produced by Shiff for Network Ten in association with Nickelodeon Australia and German public broadcaster ZDF, with investment from Screen Australia and Screen Queensland. It was distributed worldwide by ZDF Enterprises. It premiered on Network Ten in Australia on 22 June 2012, and was rebroadcast on the same network from 5 July 2014.

The series premiered on TeenNick in the United States under its international title, Alien Surf Girls on 29 May 2012, and aired on Nickelodeon in the United Kingdom on 23 July 2012 under the same name.

In January 2013, co-star Jessica Green confirmed on Twitter (now known as X) that the series would not return for a second season.

Premise

Zoey and Kiki, two girls from the distant planet Lumina, get stranded in the quiet Australian seaside town of Lightning Point after losing their spaceship. When the town starts experiencing a series of UFO sightings, the girls realise they may not be the first intergalactic visitors on planet Earth.

Development and filming

Lightning Point was announced in late 2010 by Jonathan M. Shiff Productions, described as a "retro surfing sci-fi" series. The series was produced in association with ZDF, Network Ten, and Nickelodeon Australia, with investment from Screen Australia and Screen Queensland. Filming began on 8 November 2010 at Village Roadshow Studios on Queensland's Gold Coast, with additional location filming at Byron Bay, New South Wales.
Hundreds of teenagers nationally auditioned for the lead roles. Producer Jonathan Shiff stated: "We're really excited to be helping our young audience discover a new series of retro surfing sci-fi. It will be something quite different and a lot of fun!"
The series was filmed in 2011, consisting of 26 half-hour episodes. It was shot by director of photography Zenon Sawko.

Casting

The series launched the careers of several young Australian actors. Philippa Coulthard was cast as Amber Mitchell while completing Year 12 at Hillbrook Anglican School in Brisbane. Lucy Fry and Jessica Green were cast as the alien visitors Zoey and Kiki, respectively. Green, who was born in Tasmania, had previously appeared in small roles in Peter Pan and Aquamarine before landing her first major lead role in the series.

Main

Amber Mitchell (Philippa Coulthard) – Amber grew up in Lightning Point, and leads a regular life until two alien girls, Zoey and Kiki from the planet Lumina, turn to her for help. Despite Amber's efforts to help them keep a low profile, the two seem to attract attention everywhere they go. Amber lives with her mother, who works as a police sergeant, and their dog, Piper. She is close friends with Luca but doesn't share his obsession with aliens. When she's not teaching Zoey and Kiki how to act more human, Amber teaches younger kids how to surf.
Zoey (Lucy Fry) – Zoey is intelligent, bold, and impulsive, making it difficult for her to blend in on Earth. She wants to be in control of every situation, something that is challenging on an unfamiliar planet. A natural competitor, she thrives on challenges, constantly pushing herself to the limit as a daredevil surfer. She immediately catches the attention of Brandon, the local surf star, and makes her first Earth enemy—his girlfriend, Madison.
Kiki (Jessica Green) – Kiki is new to both Lightning Point and Earth. Sensitive and curious, she's fascinated by Lightning Point, and wants to experience everything it has to offer. She loves connecting with nature, especially on a surfboard, and getting to know the local creatures, human and otherwise. She wants to understand what it really means to be human. She often feels homesick for Lumina, but when she starts to grow closer romantically with Amber's best friend Luca, she realizes that staying on Earth a little longer might not be a bad idea.
Luca Benedict (Kenji Fitzgerald) – Luca is a bit of an outsider in Lightning Point. He doesn't surf, and he has a keen interest in extraterrestrial alien life, which makes him an easy target for Brandon and his friends. It seems that Amber is the only person who really understands Luca, because they have been best friends and neighbors since they were young. When Zoey and Kiki arrive, Luca notices strange signs of alien activity and becomes determined to uncover the truth. But as Kiki and Luca grow closer romantically, Luca's conviction about the presence of aliens becomes stronger.
Madison (Paige Houden) – Madison considers herself the hottest girl in Lightning Point, so she's not thrilled when two beautiful surfers named Kiki and Zoey show up on her turf. Madison is used to getting what she wants, and she's not about to let anything threaten her place in the social hierarchy. When Madison senses romantic sparks between her boyfriend, Brandon, and Zoey, she'll do anything to make Zoey look bad.
Brandon Benedict (Andrew James Morley) – Outgoing and popular, Brandon is a local celebrity. He's the best surfer in town—although Zoey's arrival in Lightning Point could change that. Brandon is fascinated by the mysterious new girl and her impressive surfing skills, and his girlfriend Madison takes an instant dislike to Zoey. He was adopted by the Benedicts after his parents died in a boating accident when he was a child. Brandon teases his brother Luca for believing in UFOs and space aliens.

Recurring

Olivia Mitchell (Simone Bennett-Smith) – the local Police Sergeant and Amber's mother.
Liam (Reece Milne) – Brandon's friend and rival to Amber, Kiki, and Zoey.
Gina (Da Yen Zheng) – Madison's best friend.
Mia (Lia Fisher) – the owner of the local diner. She is from the United States.
Josh (Erin Mullally) – a boy who Amber has a crush on. He has a little brother named Sean.
Mr. Phillips (Anthony Standish) – a high school teacher.
Piper the Dog (Java) – the local police dog and Amber's pet.
Bandit the Horse (Elmo) – Luca's horse. Kiki has a liking for him.

Episodes

A compilation movie has been made representing the series with scenes pertaining to the series' overall story arc and was broadcast on Nickelodeon Australia on 24 February 2013.

Home media and streaming

The series is available for purchase on Amazon Prime Video (under the title Alien Surf Girls) and Apple TV. In Germany, the series is available to stream via ZDF's on-demand services ZDF select and ZDFtivi on Amazon Prime Video Channels.
The full series is also available to watch for free on YouTube, with official playlists in both English and German having been published. Additional language playlists are also available on the platform.
A compilation film condensing the series' main story arc was broadcast on Nickelodeon Australia on 24 February 2013.