Flight 29 Down

Flight 29 Down
Flight 29 Down Title Card
Created by	Stan Rogow D. J. MacHale
Starring	Allen Alvarado Corbin Bleu Hallee Hirsh Jeremy Kissner Johnny Pacar Lauren Storm Kristy Wu
Country of origin	United States
No. of episodes	(list of episodes)
Production
Running time	24 minutes
Original release
Network	Discovery Kids
Release	October 1, 2005 – August 25, 2007

Flight 29 Down is a children's television series about a group of mostly teenagers who are stranded on an island. It was produced by the Discovery Kids Channel. The show was created by Stan Rogow (Lizzie McGuire, Darcy's Wild Life) and D. J. MacHale (Are You Afraid of the Dark?, The Pendragon Book series). The executive producers are Rogow, MacHale, Shauna Shapiro Jackson, and Gina & Rann Watumull. The first two seasons aired on Discovery Kids. The "third season" of the series, which started filming February 5, 2007, was produced as a four part movie, instead of the episodic format of the first two seasons. A promo debuted for Flight 29 Down: The Movie during the second season's season finale.

The show is filmed in O'ahu, Hawaii.

Synopsis

The show follows a group of kids stranded on a South Pacific island after the crash of a small plane while flying to an eco-adventure camping trip in [Micronesia. A plot device of a video diary powered by a solar battery charger allows the kids to talk to the camera about their everyday struggles, the island, and each other.

Arguably, the show is much like the ABC drama Lost, as it is even filmed on a set near the beach on O'ahu that Lost is filmed on.

It can also be thought of as a scripted version of Endurance, a Discovery Kids' reality program. Another program featuring a group of young people stranded on a Pacific island, as a result of an airplane crash, was the premise of the 1969 45-minute long prime time ABC drama, The New People.

Cast

The main cast of Flight 29 Down (from left to right): Johnny Pacar, Kristy Wu, Hallee Hirsh, Allen Alvarado, Corbin Bleu, Jeremy James Kissner, and Lauren Storm.

Main Cast

• Corbin Bleu as Nathan McHugh
• Jeremy James Kissner as Eric McGorrill
• Lauren Storm as Taylor Hagan
• Kristy Wu as Melissa Wu
• Johnny Pacar as Cody Jackson
• Hallee Hirsh as Daley Marin
• Allen Alvarado as Lex Marin

The "Lost" Cast

• Tani Lynn Fujimoto as Abby Fujimoto
• B.K. Cannon as Jory Twist
• Blade Rogers as Ian Milbauer
• John Kapelos as Captain Bob Russell

Characters

Main Characters

Nathan McHugh

In the first season, Nathan brags about how he was in Boy Scouts, therefore thinking that he should be the leader of the group. He starts to develop a crush on Daley, who becomes the leader, and tells nobody, except for his best friend, Melissa, who accidentally tells every one. In the second season, he finds out that Daley doesn't like him, when really, she does. Nathan makes quick decisions -- though they're not always the greatest ones. In one episode, Nathan climbs a tree to attempt to get coconuts for the group when there is actually a big bunch of fruit near the base of the tree. He always tries to fix anything wrong with the group but sometimes goes overboard. He is a mentor as well as a leader.

Eric McGorrill

One of the more rude students at Hartwell, Eric is a bit of a flirt with the girls and is trying to hook up with Taylor. He is more of a slacker and a comedian than anything else. He also tends to manipulate people to get out of various responsibilities. Eric looks at other people's video diaries and announces their secrets to either one person or every one. He hates lugging water, and caused the lighter to break because of it. However, he later fixed it. Eric helps Nathan when he was trapped under the plane, so he has a good side too. He wants to get off the island so he sneaks around taking stuff, though his actions are eventually discovered by Lex who told Melissa. It has also been seen that Eric is extremely allergic to shellfish.

Taylor Hagan

In the first season, Taylor is the one who always complains that the food is bad, that she wants to go home, and so on. She doesn't like doing stuff like getting water or keeping the fire alive. But in one episode, and also later on, we see a new side of Taylor. She knows that you can fish with a shiny bait and how to treat Nathan's rash. In the second season Taylor starts maturing and getting more serious. As things progress, she grows closer to Jackson, learning things about him that he tells no one else. Their friendship causes issues with Melissa, who has a romantic attraction to Jackson, prompting suspicions on her part that Taylor wants to get closer to him even though she knows of Melissa's own feelings. She is separated from Jackson in the end of the episode 'See Ya' when Melissa, Jackson, Eric, and Abby go west. She also seems very close to Eric, who may or may not have romantic interests in her.

Melissa Wu

Melissa has been the best friend of Nathan since kindergarten, and is one of the only level-headed ones on the island. She has an occasional habit of being overly hard on herself. She also has a crush on Jackson, which he becomes aware of when Taylor reveals it to everyone after Melissa accidentally ruins one of her shirts. She often tries to be everyone's friend, which causes her to lie in one episode. Melissa had a secret crush on Jackson when she wanted to be with him on the way back to school to talk to her friend, Meg that she likes Jackson.

In Season Two she becomes distraught when Jackson and a matured Taylor grow closer. This problem is temporary resolved as Taylor does not go west with Abby though Melissa and Jackson go (as well as Eric). Melissa, Jackson, Eric, & Abby are on the same groups since 1st season of Flight 29 Down.

Cody Jackson

Cody goes by his last name, Jackson. He is a quiet, reserved, 16-year old male who generally keeps to himself (as he was the new kid at Hartwell High). He was befriended by Melissa at school, who extended him the trip invitation. On the island, Jackson brings order to the group when it is needed. As a result, he is elected the leader of the stranded kids and continues to keep the peace. In the second season he passed the responsibilities of leadership to Daley because of all the drama. A love triangle between him, Melissa, and Taylor emerges in Season Two when he begins to grow closer to a matured Taylor. However, in the final moments of the movie, it becomes apparent that he likes Melissa more. Only going by the name Jackson until the Flight 29 Down Movie, before they get saved Melissa asks Jackson if Jackson was his first or last name. Jackson replies, "It's Cody, Cody Jackson."

Daley Marin

The recently elected class president of Hartwell High School, who beat Nathan by 10 votes. She is a hard worker who is fiercely competitive and a bit of a perfectionist. She can seem pushy and sometimes bossy, especially with Nathan. Daley is Lex's step-sister (her father married Lex's mother about a year ago), though this is never elaborated upon. Daley has developed a crush on Nathan, who likes her as well. She, however, is much more secretive about this, confiding about it only to Melissa. Daley tells Nathan that she doesn't like him, because she doesn't want to start a relationship on the island. They do, however, agree to become a couple once everyone is off the island and back home again.B ut when they get back she moves and Nathan falls in love with a girl named Marisa.But when she comes back Nathan has to decide between Marisa or Daley. Anyways Daley is the leader of the group and wants to handle situations in a civilized manner. She is fond of democracy and resolving matters through voting. This ultimately causes a divide in the group. Eric, Jackson and Melissa go to explore the west side of the island with Abby while Nathan, Taylor, Lex and of course democratic Daley stay at the camp.

Lex Marin

The youngest of the group and Daley's younger 10-year old (turns 11) step-brother who is intelligent and very observant, although the group constantly ignores him or put his ideas down, stating that "he's not old enough". Lex seems to get along well with Jackson. He always comes up with the best ideas on how to adapt to the island and make use of its resources. He seems to be the motivation of the group. Whenever everyone else feels like quitting or giving up, Lex comes up with a brilliant idea to help everyone feel better. In the episode "Mazeathon", he creates an obstacle course. For Chilloween, he makes a shower that has warm water to make the island more like home. As shown in several episodes, he misses the others from the plane and wants Abby to find them. In Hotel Tango, Lex surprises everyone by saying it was Daley's fault the group separated and does not want to listen to her anymore.

The "Lost" Characters

Abby Fujimoto

Abby left with Jory, Ian, and Captain Bob Russell to explore the island and look for help. She is never seen again until Episode 10 "Eight is Enough". The others found her dehydrated, sunburned, and unconscious by a tree. The survivors take her in gives her water with crushed aspirin (Lex's idea). In episode 11 "Abby Normal", she and Lex prepare a surprise party for the others. While the others are dancing, Abby sneaks away and leaves a letter saying that she is going to look for the others. She is seen many days later in Episode 24 "Good Luck Abby", she goes through the island taking injuries. In the end, she goes back to camp angry and tells the others they haven't been through anything hard. She stays with the gang until Episode 26 "See Ya", where she goes back to look with the others along with Eric, Jackson, and Melissa. Eric left because he had it with the others, Jackson left because he wanted to be with Melissa, and Melissa left because she wanted to be with Jackson. Abby reunites with Jory and Ian in Episode 29, part three of the Flight 29 Down Movie, "The Hotel Tango".

Jory Twist

Jory left Abby, Ian, and Captain Bob Russell to look for help in the island. She is never seen again until part three of the Flight 29 Down Movie, "The Hotel Tango". As Abby, Eric, Jackson, and Melissa are exploring the ruins of a building, they find Jory at the end of the ruins. She tells Abby that she was okay, but Ian and Captain Russell were not. She also says Russell had gone insane during the flood when he suffered a head injury and Ian broke his leg when he fell through the floor of a building. Out of the four, she is the only lost character not injured. She later helps distract Captain Russell while the others try to steal the boat the Captain had been obsessing over.

Ian Milbauer

Ian left with Abby, Jory, and Captain Bob Russell to find help on the island. He is never seen again until part three of the Flight 29 Down Movie, "The Hotel Tango". He broke his leg when he crashed through the rotting floor of a building. In addition, he also has a fever. While the others attempt to steal the boat, he and Jory distract Captain Russell. He constantly mentioned that "They should just leave me here" and "Go back without me" to which Jory and Melissa both strongly admonish him. On the trip back to the plane, his fever grows steadily worse to the point where he can't ignore the pain.

Captain Bob Russell

Captain Bob Russell led Abby, Jory, and Ian with him into the island to look for help. He is never seen until part three of the Flight 29 Down Movie, "The Hotel Tango". He bashed his head during a flood and is mentally unstable. He tries to burn down the camp to avenge his destroyed boat and airplane, but the others manage to stop him. After the rescuers arrived, he tells Jory he is sorry and helps carry wounded Ian.

Episodes

Main article: List of Flight 29 Down episodes

Season	Ep #	First Airdate	Last Airdate
Season 1	13	October 1, 2005	March 18, 2006
Season 2	13	September 9, 2006	March 10, 2007
Season 3	4	August 25, 2007	August 25, 2007

DVD Releases

Disc One was released during early June, containing the first four episodes from season one. Disc two was released in late August and contained the next four episodes. Disc three is expected to be released in early December and will contain the remaining five episodes of season one. Followed by the three discs, a season one boxset will contain the first three discs. The DVD's are released through Genius Products.

Book Releases

Sequential Releases

Book#	Title	Author	Release Date
1	"Static"	Walter Sorrells	February 2, 2006
2	"The Seven"	John Vornholt	February 2, 2006
3	"The Return"	John Vornholt	June 1, 2006
4	"The Storm"	Brad Strickland	August 3, 2006
5	"Scratch"	Walter Sorrells	November 23, 2006
6	"On Fire"	Walter Sorrells	February 15, 2007
7	"Survival"	Walter Sorrells	June 14, 2007
8	"In Fire"	Walter Sorrells	February 2008

Special Releases

Title	Author	Release Date
Ten Rules: Prequel	Walter Sorrells	October 5, 2006
Flight 29 Down: The Movie	Walter Sorrells	Unknown

Music

Sam Winans composed most of the music of Flight 29 Down. Corbin Bleu, Nathan McHugh, sang "Circles" in the background in "He Said, She Said, He Said." Also, Johnny Pacar, Cody Jackson, sang and played with a guitar "I Won't Stand Alone" in "Chilloween."

Continuity Errors

• In episode eight ("Survival of the Fittest"), Melissa says she only has four shirts but you can see throughout the first and second season she has more than four. Though she may have worn Daley's or Taylor's clothing, this seems unlikely since the clothing she wears aren't shown as being worn by Taylor or Daley, unless they have decided to let her keep the clothes.

• Also in the episode "Survival of the Fittest" Melissa says she has four shirts, but in the first episode "The Arrival" Nathan says they go on a ten day vacation.

• In the Flight 29 Down movie, Taylor said that her watch had run out of batteries, when the watch has not been shown or mentioned in any of the episodes.

• It is mentioned that all the kids were on one plane with the adults on the other. In the episode "Regrets", the two kids playing Jory and Ian are not the same as the first two episodes and "The Hotel Tango".

• In the first two episodes of season one Ian had a beard, and unless he had a razor, he would have had to have used a knife to cut it off.

• In the episode "Chilloween" Jackson plays "I Won't Stand Alone" but in the books he doesn't.

• In the Prequel to the Flight 29 Down books Jackson is 16 going on 17, but in the rest of the series he's 15 and in the show he's 16 the whole time.

Trivia

29 Down is also the code for the Plane, the only difference is that the plane code does not have the "O" 29 DWN

Possible Influences

Flight 29 Down has some similarities to a 2001 children's book trilogy entitled Island by Gordon Korman, which also involves a group of preteens becoming stranded somewhere near Guam (although after a shipwreck).

For example, in each series, the one adult present abandons the kids, and the youngest child is the smartest. Both stories feature an attempt to catch a wild pig, but instead of killing it, the group ends up naming it in Island and letting it escape in Flight 29 Down. In Flight 29 Down the group cracks coconuts with a sharp stick jutting out of the sand; in Island it's a sharp piece of coral. There is also an old WWII building in each series.

However, these similarities may not represent influences and may just be natural ideas in a survival situation. Also, both stories came out after Survivor: The Australian Outback, in which one of the tribes (Kucha) hunted down, killed and ate a wild pig, triggering a widespread protest from animal lovers and a new law to ban such killings, which may have influenced both plot lines.

"Lord of the Flies" by William Golding, has many similar survival techniques and social issues as the show.

Some others have noticed a very similar comparison between this show and that of the ABC series Lost, with Flight 29 Down being a teenage version of Lost.

Arguably, Flight 29 Down may also be based in part upon the sitcom classic Gilligan's Island. Like the elder show, the cast consists of seven characters of assorted backgrounds and personalities who are stranded on a nondescript tropical island and trying to escape. An obvious parallel is the character of Lex Marin to the Gilligan's Island's own Professor. For most of the other characters, the correlations seem less directed to one single character, such as Taylor Hagan being somewhat of a combination of Ginger and Mrs. Howell of Gilligan's Island. The characters ofGilligan's Island represented stereotypical characters of its era; therefore, its logical that characters of Flight 29 Down would not fit into the same molds, since social stereotypes have changed since the 1960s.

Broadcasting

Flight 29 Down debuted on HDNBC as part of Discovery Kids on NBC in HD on October 1, 2005 and was also broadcast on the Discovery Kids cable television channel the following Monday. Originally airing weekly from noon-12:30 p.m. (ET)/11 a.m.-11:30 a.m. (CT) on NBC when not preempted by local stations and shown the following Monday on Discovery Kids on Mondays and Fridays at 8 p.m. (ET) and 11 p.m. (ET), it now airs every weekday on Discovery Kids at 8:00 & 11:00 p.m., also on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. and 8:00 and 11:00 p.m.

The first season was aired on SVT (Sweden) during Summer 2006, as a part of the breakfast show Hej Hej sommar (Hello, Hello Summer). The second season aired in the same program during summer 2007, and started August 7. The show also played in Finland (season 1 and season 2) during Summer 2006 as a part of the breakfast show Summeri. It is also aired on the Belgium channel Ketnet.

The show premiered in Latin America, March 10 2007, at 21:00 on Boomerang (Latin American TV channel) Latin America

The show premiered in Canada on the Family Channel at 6:30 PM on June 2nd, 2007. The show will continue to run weekends at 6:30 PM. Starting September 7, 2007, the Family Channel reported they would run the movie, The Hotel Tango, every Friday for four consecutive weeks, as part of their Summer Graduation programming (in episodic form as opposed to running the whole movie). Something went wrong during the first week, and the first part finally premiered in Canada on September 14, running until October 5, 2007.

External links

• Flight 29 Down: The Movie at IMDb
• Club29Down.net - Flight 29 Down Fan Forum/Fansite
• Showcase Entertainment, Inc. - International Distributor of "Flight 29 Down"
• Very Popular Flight 29 Down Fansite/Flight 29 Down Glitter Graphics
• Fanmade Spinoff, as on YouTube

Template:Flight 29 Down