Lightning Point

Lightning Point is a 2011 Australian science fantasy teen drama television series created and co-produced by Jonathan M. Shiff. The show was filmed in the Gold Coast and Byron Bay. The half-hour series was produced by Shiff for Network 10 in association with Nickelodeon and German public broadcaster ZDF. It was rebroadcast on Network 10 in Australia on 22 June 2012 and again on 5 July 2014. ^{[citation needed]}

Lightning Point
Also known as	Alien Surf Girls
Genre	Teen drama Science fiction Fantasy
Created by	Jonathan M. Shiff
Written by	Simon Butters Sam Carroll Carine Chai Max Dann David Hannam Anthony Morris Chris Roache
Directed by	Colin Budds Evan Clarry
Starring	Philippa Coulthard Lucy Fry Jessica Green Kenji Fitzgerald Paige Houden Andrew James Morley
Theme music composer	Pete Dacy & Jason Bond
Composers	Ricky Edwards Ric Formosa
Country of origin	Australia
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	26
Production
Executive producers	Jonathan M. Shiff Julia Adams Nicole Keeb Arne Lohmann Cherrie Bottger
Producer	Jonathan M. Shiff
Production locations	Gold Coast, Queensland, Byron Bay, New South Wales
Running time	25 minutes
Production company	Jonathan M. Shiff Productions
Original release
Network	Network Ten
Release	22 June (2012-06-22) – 14 December 2012 (2012-12-14)

The series premiered on TeenNick in the United States under its international title, Alien Surf Girls on 29 May 2012,^[1] and aired on Nickelodeon in the United Kingdom on 23 July 2012 under the same name.^[2]

In January 2013, co-star Jessica Green announced on X that the series would not return for a second season.^[3]

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 realize they may not be the first intergalactic visitors on planet Earth.

Characters

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

No. in series	No. in season	Title	Directed by	Written by	Australia air date	U.S. air date	Prod. code
1	1	"Wipeout"	Colin Budds	David Hannam	22 June 2012 (2012-06-22)	29 May 2012	101
When Zoey and Kiki, two girls from another world called Lumina, land in Lightning Point, their dreams of surfing Earth's oceans finally come true. As soon as their spaceship lands, they head to the beach where they meet Amber, a local teenage girl teaching a surfing class. Zoey and Kiki convince her to teach them to surf. Amber's best friend Luca finds the alien ship and alien technology within. Kiki and Zoey realise that their plasma card, which controls their ship, is gone. With Amber's help, they track down the card and head back to the spaceship. However, Amber's dog gets a hold of the card, causing the spaceship to implode. Zoey and Kiki are left stranded on planet Earth.
2	2	"Microwave"	Colin Budds	Anthony Morris	29 June 2012 (2012-06-29)	30 May 2012	102
With their spaceship obliterated and no other way of getting home to Lumina, Kiki and Zoey settle into the teenage world of Lightning Point at Amber's house. Amber's mother, Olivia, is surprised by the girls sudden appearance, but is glad Amber finally has some company. Amber hopes Kiki and Zoey can keep a low profile, but her dreams are dashed when local surf king Brandon takes a romantic interest in Zoey and invites her to a barbecue at the request of his girlfriend Madison. At the event, Madison warns Zoey to keep away from Brandon, but just as the tension reaches a peak, Madison turns on the microwave. The energy pulse morphs Zoey into her true alien plasma-like form and traps her in an espy.
3	3	"Wires Crossed"	Colin Budds	Simon Butters	6 July 2012 (2012-07-06)	31 May 2012	103
To blend into human society, Zoey and Kiki start attending Amber's school and find it nothing like school on Lumina. In a desperate attempt to contact home, Zoey devises a plan using "primitive" Earth technology: satellite dishes. Convinced that this plan will work and that human hearing cannot detect the signal, Zoey and Kiki plant their plasma card on the school satellite dish and beam up a signal. However, canine ears can hear it, and when dogs start flooding the school, Amber suspects Zoey and Kiki are behind it. When Piper turns up on the scene as well, Amber takes the only chance she can before Luca and Mr. Phillips find out the real reason behind the dog deluge.
4	4	"Feelings"	Colin Budds	Sam Caroll	13 July 2012 (2012-07-13)	4 June 2012	104
When Kiki is moved to tears by Amber's singing, Amber makes an important discovery: Luminans do not natively experience feelings or emotions, but Zoey and Kiki's human bodies can. Meanwhile, Zoey has fallen in love with the sport of surfing and goes out every day, until Brandon steals her wave and makes her break Amber's prized surfboard. Having never experienced the feeling of anger, Zoey is a ticking time bomb and when Brandon and Madison team up to push her buttons, an unconscious Zoey starts creating miniature earthquakes around Lightning Point. Song featured: "Drift Away" by Amber
5	5	"Good Vibrations"	Colin Budds	Anthony Morris	20 July 2012 (2012-07-20)	5 June 2012	105
Quadrupeds fascinate Kiki and when she finds out that Luca's horse Bandit has been skittish and dangerous to ride ever since they arrived, she feels terrible. Secretly using her alien abilities, Kiki reads Bandit's aura and calms his life-force energy, just in time for Luca to see that Kiki and Bandit now have a special bond of strong friendship. But when Kiki accidentally takes Bandit on a magical ride, she'll need to tread carefully to convince Luca and Brandon that Bandit is no danger. While Kiki is connecting with quadrupeds, Zoey tries to control the primitive Earth appliances in Amber's house, however, Zoey will have a lot of explaining to do when Amber returns home to a house full of rampaging appliances.
6	6	"Crushed"	Colin Budds	Max Dann	27 July 2012 (2012-07-27)	6 June 2012	106
Luca and Kiki have been growing even more romantically closer, leaving Amber sick of being stuck in the middle. As the couple goes on a date, Zoey thinks that romantic love is a waste of time and sets off to follow up on some plasma card research, which may help unlock the mystery of why they came to Lightning Point. When Kiki arrives for the date, Luca is surprised to see that she brought along Amber. Luca is certain that Amber is jealous and there to spoil the fun. But when Kiki experiences the depth of her equally true and strong romantic feelings for Luca, she starts glowing uncontrollably in her plasma form, and Amber has to bring the romantic date to a sudden end.
7	7	"Alien Abduction"	Colin Budds	David Hannam	3 August 2012 (2012-08-03)	7 June 2012	107
When Zoey escapes the washing-up to recharge her energy, Amber and Kiki think nothing of it until a big burst of lightning strikes their house. Rushing upstairs, they find Zoey gone. When another bolt of lightning hits the house and tries to communicate with Kiki, she ends up being trapped in the lightning. Luca's alien hunt has stepped up a notch now that another electrical storm has come to town—the same type of storm as when aliens first visited Lightning Point many years ago. After Kiki and Amber lose track of the storm, they realize that to find Zoey, they will have to team up with Luca.
8	8	"Risky Business"	Colin Budds	Sam Carroll	10 August 2012 (2012-08-10)	11 June 2012	108
Zoey is finding Brandon a challenging surfing adversary. He has started to compliment her on her moves but there is one person who dislikes this change in Brandon: his girlfriend Madison. Zoey is feeling on top of the world, so when Madison casually challenges Zoey to surf the infamous Lighthouse break with her, Zoey accepts. Zoey underestimates the danger of the break and wipes out on her first wave. She panics and can't prevent herself from morphing into her true alien form. She escapes before Madison notices, but just barely. The experience convinces Zoey that she and Kiki can no longer risk surfing. When Madison and Brandon fight, Zoey will be the only one around that can save her from the Lighthouse break.
9	9	"The Cane Field"	Colin Budds	Simon Butters	17 August 2012 (2012-08-17)	12 June 2012	109
As Zoey, Kiki, and Amber head out to the Benedict cane field, owned by Brandon and Luca's family, Zoey is excited and cannot wait to show Kiki and Amber the energy anomaly she found deep inside the cane. But when Zoey and Kiki test the invisible Luminan energy column with their plasma card, the card's own energy field is hijacked. After the dust settles, the trio discover that they're standing in the middle of a huge crop circle. While the girls try to figure out how to cover it up, they hear a whirring noise overhead. Brandon and Luca have discovered it too, and are flying a miniature plane with a camera attached over the intricate symbol. Luca finally convinces Brandon that this is no human feat and there are extraterrestrial aliens in Lightning Point.
10	10	"Circle of Friends"	Colin Budds	Sam Carroll	24 August 2012 (2012-08-24)	13 June 2012	110
With Luca and Brandon dangerously close to their secret, Kiki feels that they have no choice but to stick close to them, to find out what they really know. So when Madison throws a birthday party for Brandon, they have no choice but to attend. Madison is hoping to win Brandon back with her spectacular event, but when Zoey and the girls arrive, her hopes are crushed. Brandon and Zoey are finally having some time alone where Brandon admits to her that he is adopted and feels out of place. Zoey learns they have more in common than she first thought. Caught in the moment, Brandon tries to give Zoey a romantic kiss, but she hastily leaves and pretends that nothing happened. While Kiki sticks by Luca, he makes a huge admission: he has mutually romantic feelings for her. Kiki is swept off her feet in the romantic moment. But when Luca takes her to the crop circle, she thinks the game is up. Instead, Luca romantically kisses Kiki for the first time.
11	11	"Close Encounter"	Colin Budds	Max Dann	31 August 2012 (2012-08-31)	14 June 2012	111
Zoey is sick of waiting and decides to take charge of finding a way home. Back at the cane field, Zoey and Amber test out the energy field one more time. It was not just there to unlock a symbol, but is a signal pathway that goes straight to Lumina. While Zoey and Amber are completing their tests, Brandon spies a mysterious energy cloud over the cane field. Before Zoey and Amber can react, Brandon barrels through the cane. Zoey runs, but makes too much noise and gives away her position. She is forced to morph into plasma form to conceal her identity. Now that Brandon has seen the alien plasma light, he is more determined to catch them. Luca and Kiki are closer than ever and after another magical date, Kiki admits to Amber that she's becoming almost human, and perhaps a little sad that the alien girls are close to finding a way home.
12	12	"Kiki Revealed"	Colin Budds	Anthony Morris	7 September 2012 (2012-09-07)	18 June 2012	112
When a storm is forecast to hit Lightning Point, Zoey and Kiki know its time—they can send a signal through the lightning, via the energy field and back to Lumina. The trio is sad that their time together is coming to an end as they prepare to leave. Luca and Brandon, buoyed by Brandon's recent sighting, have a plan to catch the aliens. As Amber watches the girls send their signal through the lightning, she stumbles backwards. Amber tries to call out to trapped Kiki and Zoey. Luca and Brandon sprint through the cane field toward the energy surge. Suddenly, they are blasted back by an invisible force. Luca recovers first and sprints on. Kiki realizes they left their plasma card behind and goes to retrieve it. When Luca arrives at the scene, Kiki spots him, panics, and transforms into her plasma state. She looks back at him for a moment before fleeing. Luca now knows Kiki is an alien being from another world.
13	13	"Spaceship"	Colin Budds	Chris Roache	14 September 2012 (2012-09-14)	19 June 2012	113
Kiki and Zoey are anxious. With no reply from Lumina, and Luca knowing who they are, they are no longer safe in Lightning Point. Suddenly, Sergeant Mitchell gets a call from the local police station. There is a disturbance at the cane field, but when the girls arrive, they do not see the type of ship they were expecting—a fishing boat sits in the middle of the cane field. Even worse, Brandon discovered it first and has called the international news media. When Sergeant Mitchell reveals to Brandon that this is the same boat his birth parents disappeared on thirteen years ago, Brandon starts to believe that aliens abducted his true parents and that the aliens on Earth could be responsible.
14	14	"Distracted"	Evan Clarry	Anthony Morris	21 September 2012 (2012-09-21)	20 June 2012	114
Many weeks after the boat was discovered in the cane field, no clues have been found and no further message from Lumina has come. Zoey is frustrated, so she throws herself into surfing. Brandon notices her new energy on the waves and on her behalf, challenges Madison to an impromptu surf competition. The only way Zoey can win is with Brandon's help, and she nervously agrees. Kiki cannot believe that the boat does not hold more secrets. When Amber and Luca refuse to help her, Kiki ventures to the boatyard alone and into the domain of old alien hunter Harry Dean.
15	15	"Poles Apart"	Evan Clarry	Simon Butters	28 September 2012 (2012-09-28)	21 June 2012	115
Amber is happy when her crush, Josh, has noticed her at school. She is excited when he asks her to help organize a Hawaiian fundraiser for his basketball team. However, when Zoey runs late from a surf lesson with Brandon, Amber accidentally stumbles into Zoey's plasma recharge. Suddenly, Amber starts affecting gravity. The only way to control the flying objects is to have Zoey next to Amber at all times. When the trio arrives at the party, they have a lot to answer for if Amber starts to take to the skies.
16	16	"Family Ties"	Evan Clarry	Max Dann	5 October 2012 (2012-10-05)	21 June 2012	116
When Olivia rings Amber about a surprise waiting for her at home, Amber is shocked to see her dad Keith. Amber's parents are divorced, but both Amber and Olivia enjoy having Keith back. Kiki and Zoey have never seen Amber so happy. However, when Keith gives Amber an early birthday present–plane tickets for Amber to live in Hawaii with him—she is torn. Zoey and Kiki do not want to be a burden, so they have to make the choice for her.
17	17	"Alien Attraction"[4]	Evan Clarry	Carine Chai	12 October 2012 (2012-10-12)	29 October 2012	117
Luca is finally letting his guard down with Kiki again, and soon they are back to their old platonic friendship. When Luca becomes curious about Kiki's alien abilities, Kiki wastes no time in showing him some tricks with the plasma card. Kiki cloaks Brandon's boat, sitting idle in the Benedict work shed. However, after Kiki returns the ship, a strange glow emits from the deck and they finally discover that the boat did hold more secrets: a toy lighthouse. While Kiki, Luca, and Amber try to piece together the significance, Zoey starts to warm up to Brandon more. When he tries to kiss her again after a surfing lesson, Zoey bolts from the beach for home.
18	18	"See the Light"[4]	Evan Clarry	Sam Carrol	19 October 2012 (2012-10-19)	30 October 2012	118
The gang decides not to let Brandon know about the toy lighthouse until they learn more about it. Zoey's growing romantic feelings for Brandon make her more sensitive to his desire to reconnect with his birth parents' mysterious past related to aliens.
19	19	"Vanished"[4]	Evan Clarry	Sam Carrol	26 October 2012 (2012-10-26)	31 October 2012	119
When Amber suggests a house party to celebrate Zoey and Brandon's relationship, everyone except Madison is excited. Madison and Brandon get into an argument and the plasma card suddenly activates, causing Madison to disappear. Zoey and Kiki realize that the card is ancient and has not been used by their kind for many years. They discover that Brandon activated the card, and reveal to Amber and Luca that only Luminan DNA can activate the technology; leading all to discover that Brandon is a Luminan/human hybrid.
20	20	"Power Up"[4]	Evan Clarry	Sam Carrol	2 November 2012 (2012-11-02)	1 November 2012	120
Kiki and Zoey are relieved to find that Brandon cannot use the plasma card properly due to being only half Luminan from his birth mother. The only way to ensure that they are out of danger is to destroy the card. When Zoey is nearly caught by Brandon trying to steal it, Luca has to take matters into his own hands.
21	21	"Heartbreak"[4]	Evan Clarry	Simon Butters	9 November 2012 (2012-11-09)	7 November 2012	121
With Brandon fully charged, Zoey can't help but feel that Brandon needs to know the truth about her. While Amber teaches a surf class with Josh's precocious younger brother Sean, Zoey prepares to tell him. Before she can reveal her secret, a storm rolls over Lightning Point and Brandon leaves. While Zoey is left dumbstruck, Luca knows the real reason he rushed off: to use the storm to catch the aliens, and fully recharge so he can be at full strength to take them down.
22	22	"Connections"[4]	Evan Clarry	Anthony Morris	16 November 2012 (2012-11-16)	7 November 2012	122
Brandon is furious with everyone, especially Zoey, for lying to him. When Luca tries to calm him down, Brandon's temper flares and it starts a fire in the middle of the cane field. Luca's horse Bandit is spooked and bolts through the forest, carrying Luca with him. Throwing Luca to the ground, Bandit leaves him unconscious before returning to the farm where Kiki and Amber are waiting. Leaping onto Bandit, Kiki is convinced that she can find Luca by following Bandit's life energy trail. When the aura trail runs out, Kiki has to stretch deeper into her alien energy reserves to have any chance of finding Luca before nightfall.
23	23	"Surf's Up"[4]	Evan Clarry	Max Dann	23 November 2012 (2012-11-23)	14 November 2012	123
The day of the Lightning Point Junior Girls Surfing Competition everyone is ready to compete except Zoey. It's only after Kiki reminds Zoey that she should surf because she loves it and not because of a trophy that Zoey comes around. Madison hopes to stop Zoey from claiming her trophy, and the scores are tied just before the last ride.
24	24	"Meltdown"[4]	Evan Clarry	Sam Carrol	30 November 2012 (2012-11-30)	14 November 2012	124
Brandon is excited by his alien energy and he starts to recharge more frequently than he should, causing an overflow in his Luminan abilities. At a dinner place, Brandon suddenly can't help but radiate energy into the atmosphere. The energy starts to affect the dinner in supernatural ways and the whole town begins to gather outside. Kiki and Zoey are forced to tell Brandon that he is half Luminan before they absorb the excess energy into their own plasma fields to save him. The force is so strong that the dinner is engulfed in white light, and Zoey and Kiki's true plasma forms are revealed to everyone.
25	25	"Investigation"[4]	Evan Clarry	David Hannam	7 December 2012 (2012-12-07)	21 November 2012	125
Brandon is finally ready to learn who he truly is. As Zoey speaks to him, she becomes more and more convinced that Brandon has secrets locked inside his memories. If they want a chance of getting home, Zoey will have to incover them out. Meanwhile, Sergeant Mitchell is close on the alien trail and is dangerously close to Brandon's secret. After Sergeant Mitchell interrogates Brandon, Zoey, Kiki, and Amber are warned to stay away from him. But first Zoey learns Brandon's greatest secret of all, which is a spaceship hidden above the ocean near the lighthouse.
26	26	"Flight"[4]	Evan Clarry	Chris Roache	14 December 2012 (2012-12-14)	21 November 2012	126
Amber, Zoey, and Kiki surf for the last time on Lightning Point's waves. Zoey and Kiki plan to leave for Lumina tonight with Brandon, who is in search of his Luminan mother and human father. Just as Brandon is recharging, Sergeant Mitchell discovers the alien technology. He detains Brandon and confiscates the boat and card. Zoey and Kiki rescue Brandon but he decides to give up his powers and transfer his energy to Zoey and Kiki so they can leave without him. Brandon creates an extraterrestrial diversion, and Kiki and Zoey sail the boat to the lighthouse with Luca and Amber's help. Suddenly, a lightning storm hits Lightning Point.

• 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.