Ocean Girl

Plot synopsis:
Neri - the title character - is a young girl with an affinity for water, super-human strength, the ability to swim long distances, and super-human lung capacity. She lives alone on an otherwise deserted island, and sleeps in a nest in a tree. Early in the first season, Neri befriends two Australian boys: Jason and Brett Bates. The Bates brothers live in an elaborate underwater research and environmental protection facility called ORCA (the Oceanic Research Center of Australia), located near Port Douglas, Queensland. At the beginning of the series, their mother, Dr. Dianne Bates, has been assigned to ORCA to study whale song in the hopes of facilitating cross-species communication. A significant portion of the series takes place on ORCA itself, and looks at the activities of its inhabitants, which includes the school-aged children of the resident scientists, such as Jason and Brett. Jason initially discovers Neri while on a whale-tracking expedition with his mother. While attempting to tag a whale using a harpoon from the boat, Jason is startled by a young girl (Neri) who appears in the water and positions herself between Jason and the whale, saying "No, no!" Jason freezes and fails to release the harpoon. Dr. Bates rushes out to the ship's deck, grabs the harpoon and tags the whale, albeit missing the intended target area. Dr. Bates is furious with Jason, and doesn't believe his story about a girl appearing in the water. Actually, no one believes Jason at first and he is ridiculed by the other children on ORCA. Brett is the second character to know of Neri's existence. Brett and Jason's friendship with Neri is at first a highly guarded secret due to Neri's fear of other humans.
As the series progresses, it is revealed that Neri came to Earth on a spaceship with her father when she was young, though his death soon after the ship's crash left Neri to fend for herself. Prior to meeting Jason and Brett, Neri's only friend was a humpback whale (a jali in Neri's native tongue), whom she names "Charley", and with whom she can communicate. Later in the series, Neri's curiosity leads her to explore ORCA, while Dr. Bates's study of Charley's whale song helps her identify Neri as the intended recipient of that song. Eventually, Dr Bates and her assistant, Dr. Winston Seth, become embroiled in Jason and Brett's effort to keep Neri a secret, while also performing numerous tests on Neri to understand how she's able to communicate with whales.
At the same time that the Bates family learn about Neri, a rival research organisation, the UBRI Corporation, are introduced. Headed by the sinister Dr. Hellegren, UBRI have learned that a spacecraft landed somewhere in the vicinity of ORCA, and begin their own search for any personnel that may have survived. Simultaneously, they work on other projects which threaten the natural ecology of the ocean around ORCA. Eventually, they put in play an effort to build the so-called "ORCA City", an elaborate underwater construction that will likely eradicate much of the natural life on the seabed. In response, Dr. Bates's mission changes over the course of the series from cetologist to environmental protectionist. This role becomes more prominent beginning with the third season, when UBRI representatives establish themselves on board ORCA. Accordingly, the series shifts to a more serious tone in its later seasons.
As Neri gradually discovers more of her island and ORCA, she also begins to understand her greater purpose. This self-awakening is particularly enhanced by encounters with others of her kind. In the second season, she discovers her sister, Mera, and the two are given the opportunity to return to their home planet. Mera avails herself of this option, but Neri stays, feeling that she must discover what her father was trying to do on Earth. In the third season, she gains entry into the downed spacecraft that originally brought her to Earth. There, she finds another of her people in suspended animation. The new character, Kal, proves to be the son of the commander of the vessel, and helps her tap into the ship's memory core. She finds the ship's log, in which Kal's mother explains that Neri's father was to repair the damage done to Earth's oceans with an advanced device called the Synchronium. She then dedicates her life to her father's cause, giving her a genuine sense of purpose that she had perhaps lacked earlier in the series. Kal grows jealous of the strong bond between Neri and Jason Bates, and begins hating Neri's friends on ORCA. As protest, Kal leaves the island. Neri and her ORCA mates go looking for him, but are unable to find him as he's been captured by UBRI. UBRI tricks Kal into believing that the male should lead (as he had been indoctrinated into the matriarchal social mores of his people), and he creates an alliance with Dr. Hellegren to steal the Synchronium pieces that Neri and Mera have hidden in a secret cave.
While the primary cast gets new motivations by UBRI's move to ORCA and Kal's appearance on the island, the secondary cast radically changes at the outset of the third season. All of the original kids are replaced by a new crew, and more adults are added to the ORCA staff.
As Neri begins her father's mission, she is drawn farther and farther away from her island. Beginning in the middle of the third season, some episodes are primarily based on land. By the fourth season, some episodes are set in Egypt, and her father's quest eventually leads her back to the "Ocean Planet", her home planet. Most of the plots involving the secondary kids on ORCA are reduced in the final season, in order to allow for greater exploration of Neri's homeworld. Several new characters of Neri's species are introduced. Likewise, the threat of UBRI fades, to be replaced by a new organization, PRAXIS (Preventative Response And eXtraterritorial Intelligence Service) and by rebels on the Ocean Planet. This group is dedicated to protecting against any threats posed by extraterrestrial life, and its agents comes to believe Neri and her people are a problem for Earth. They thus chased Neri and the Bates boys around the world. When a mysterious underwater pyramid is discovered in the ocean, Neri and the Bates boys enter it and discover more about the Ocean Planet, and Neri's mission on Earth.
When the rebellion in the Ocean World is growing, Mera escapes to Earth and is reunited with Neri. But PRAXIS sees this pyramid as a danger to the Earth. Much of the final season is thus concerned with PRAXIS' attempt to attack the pyramid, as well as with a "Red Virus" which is spreading in the oceans of Neri's homeworld, the Ocean Planet. Eventually, in the series finale, Jason, Brett, and Neri are able to repulse PRAXIS' efforts and the rebellion, and Earth is saved. Neri remains on Earth as the ambassador of the Ocean Planet, and she and Jason finally become a couple.
The Bates family, Winston, Neri, Charley, and the ORCA computer H.E.L.E.N. (Hydro Electronic Liaison ENtity) are the only constant characters for the show's entire run. However, the part of Dr. Bates is recast with Liz Burch after the second season — Kerry Armstrong being committed work-wise — and H.E.L.E.N. is "upgraded" in the fourth and final season.

Tags: good versus evil

Review:
Ocean Girl is the most enjoyable and certainly one of the most intelligent children's series that it has been my good fortune to experience.
Made in the time before now, when the producer's of children's TV believed in quality rather than budget, it carries well on all levels.Far more than just an "alien on earth" program.
Ocean Girl deals with friendship and bullies, the environment, family and life.
The plots are in interesting, inventive and attention catching with a strong emphasis on the necessity of protecting our oceans.One of the most important aspects is the high quality of the acting from the main and supporting cast members.
A strong attachment to the characters is easily developed and one genuinely cares about what happens to them.The strong performances and excellent visual effects lend a strong sense of realism to the tales and unlike modern programs adults can enjoy it nearly as much as their children.
The beautifully shot scenes of The Great Barrier Reef, the ocean and the islands also lends a sense of loveliness to the happy scenes.Ocean Girl is a science fiction program, but the language and ideas are no different from today's and the technology is mostly current, although with elements such as AI computers which are perhaps a few short decades beyond us..
Ocean girl was a show on the Disney Channel that my sister and I used to watch when I was probably like 7 or 8.
I really used to love it and looked forward to the new episodes on Monday night.
It was about a girl who lived on an island and could actually communicate with a whale who was her best friend.
She later met 2 teenage boys that lived on an underwater community with their parents, who studied whales.
She also had a sister but she didn't come until later on in the season or maybe even the second season.
I remember that she could also hold her breath for like 4 minutes, and she some times talked to her father who was dead, but I forgot how exactly they communicated.
There were also these "villain" scientists who were also trying to learn about the whales and were competing with the people from the underwater habitat.
While it's been too long since I've seen this show (I was a mere 7th grader when it was on the Disney channel), I remember this show being very intellectual for a children's primetime series.
Neri was a mysterious girl who lived in the ocean (and a nearby island) could communicate with the whale.
Meanwhile there was a group of scientists, complete with an underwater city that boasted a school for the teenage children.
Neri befriended two of the teenage boys of the ocean city, and together they tried to help save "Charlie" - the whale that Neri was friends with.
The show had it's villains - a group of scientists that were competing against the Ocean city for whale research.
This is pretty much all I remember about the series - aside from the fact that i was completely in love with the complicated stories - but it was canceled shortly before it's mysteries and loose ends were finished (Neri's island was a spaceship of sorts, suggesting she was an alien; and she had a sister - and a brother if I'm not mistaken).
I was very young back then when I watched this show, but I remember that it was one of my first TV addictions.
Ocean girl was into that category somehow.
It was intriguing and the audience didn't know the deal most of the times.
I would watch it any time again if I have the chance and I highly recommend it..
In the summer holidays this always used to be on, under the title of 'Ocean Odyssey' if I recall correctly.It was an interesting and entertaining show, with a good central performance from the Ocean girl herself.It's a shame that this isn't repeated on TV now, because it's far better than half of the dross that kids are brought up watching today.You can pick up the DVD's online, and even now it's well worth a watch..
I must have been around 12 or so when this show aired in Portugal on a cartoon channel and I accidentally caught the first episode (how many times does that happen?).
The story is intelligent, with some very intriguing plot twists and it grows with you while approaching themes like ecology, respect for life, acceptance of one another's differences, courage, friendship and love.
It was intriguing, believable for sci-fi and the perfect 12 to 15 yo show, one that parents wouldn't object but I still didn't find boring or childish, in fact both my (then 6 year old) brother and my (obviously adult) mother got glued to it eventually and both enjoyed it their own way.
My 11-year old son and I have gotten hooked on Ocean girl on Netflix, where all 4 seasons are available.
It has nature, beauty, conservation, and it consistently decries the spoiling influence of corporate greed.There are two main characters: the young man Jason is really the main character since most time is spent on him, but the series is named for the beautiful Ocean Girl.
I thought that the Ocean Girl Neri is played in an unusually pure and unaffected way by the beautiful young actress who was also a ballerina, and it shows in how she moves in the water.
The handsome young lead character, Jason, is also an admirable young man in that he honorable and passionate about all the right things -- Neri's right to remain unspoiled in herself and habitat, the ocean, etc, but my one caveat is that he shown as being way too disrespectful and dismissive to his giving and kind researcher mother.
So far, into the 2nd season's 11th episode, I have not yet seen him have anything but a disparaging word towards his mother.
After a few episodes he also complains when Jason is unkind or distancing to his mother.On the upside there is a co-researcher character played by a very likable an actor named Pinder...an Indian guy who displays almost constant cheeriness and a desire to bring people together and to solve problems in kind ways.
He is an excellent role model.The other negative I notice (and I notice this a lot on TV anyway) is that people who do not tan redheads, fair skinned folk) are almost always shown as the ugly aggravating character in the show.
I don't know anything about Australia, but it would appear that red hair and fair skinned people are unpopular, as they now are in America.
I've read it's even worse in Britain.I certainly don't mean to compare this with indignities suffered in race discrimination and even discrimination against heavy people -- they have it much worse, but in this series too we are given the message that fair skinned people, redheads and not-slim are unattractive and aggravating.
I am sure to mention these things to my son when we watch together, as I do when we see magazines and other movies.
On the contrary, an obviously aboriginal boy is a very likable genius character so that is a real plus.Despite these minor downsides, the series has much beautiful scenery and important messages, as well as some really quirky creativeness.
Now he begs for us to watch more together.Highly recommend for family viewing with the proper guidance about certain themes in the series..
I only watched the first 4-5 episodes of season one, I just couldn't get into it and I found the main female character to be a bit of a hypocrite, the script writers try to show us she cares about sea creatures, she says they're her friends, she rescues whales from fishing nets, removes probes scientists have put on them etc but apparently she only cares about the big fish because she puts her spear through the smaller fish and eats them for dinner!.
As a full grown adult at the time I used to watch this series on The Disney Channel on long, boring Sunday mornings when there was nothing else on TV.
Occasionally I would tape episodes when there was a good discussion on the Sunday morning political shows and watch the episode later.
To all of you who were children at the time and remember it, I wish to reassure you that there were many different references in the stories to things that really were more on an adult level.
The series pretty much held up at an adult level.
There was an underlying message of environmentalism and taking care of our planet in addition to the references to mermaids and the general remaking E.T.:The Extra Terrestrial story lines that were common in the 15 years after Steven Spielberg's groundbreaking film.The series only lasted three years.
In year one we were introduced to the Ocean Girl Character.
In year two, it was discovered that she had a sister who had been adopted by a human family and was then taken back to the island by the Ocean Girl.
In year three, it is discovered that there is a spaceship buried under the island, inside of which is a boy who knows nothing about how things work on Earth.
The boy is the key to turning on the spaceship, which sends a distress signal, that brings a ship from the Ocean Girl's home planet and takes the ocean dwelling aliens back home.
This is one of the best TV series to come from Australia.
SPOILER ALERT It centres around Neri, an alien girl from the ocean.
Along with  human kids from the underground city of Orca, she overthrows an organisation called UBRI.The series ran for four seasons, with 13 episodes a season.
It later introduced Neri's sister Mera, another alien called Kal, and Neri's mother Shallamorn..
Read this if you wish to know about the show's fourth season".
I recently watched all four seasons of Ocean Girl on DVD and I loved it!
The heroine of the show Neri is a wonderful character.
She's so peaceful, innocent and beautiful.Neri is a mysterious teenage girl who lives alone on an uninhabited tropical island off the coast of northern Queensland.
Neri has lived alone on this island for as long as she can remember.
Neri is no ordinary girl as she has incredible abilities.
She can also communicate telepathically with a humpback whale she calls "Charley".
Off the coast of Port Douglas is an underwater research and environmental protection facility called ORCA (Ocean Research Centre of Australia).
In the pilot episode of Ocean Girl a marine scientist and cetologist (i.e. whale scientist) named Dr. Diane Bates comes to ORCA along with her sons, teenage Jason and his younger brother Brett.
The Bates brothers encounter Neri and befriend her and agree to keep Neri a secret.
At the same time the Bates brother's mother Dr. Bates and is studying Neri's whale "Charley" and she eventually learns about Neri.
Dr. Bates is able to gain Neri's trust and becomes a surrogate mother to her.
She also attempts to keep Neri a secret while secretly doing experiments on Neri to try and understand her extraordinary physiology.
At the same time a rival research organization called UBRI headed by the corrupt Dr. Hellegren is introduced.
In the last few episodes of the first season, a spy from UBRI steals a copy of recorded whale song and UBRI uses it to trap Charley.
In the last episode of the first season the Bates Brothers reveal Neri to the other children living on ORCA, then the Bates brothers, the other ORCA children and Neri work together and successfully free Charley.Neri doesn't learn her origins until the second season when Neri with the help of the Bates brothers discover a spacecraft buried under the sand on Neri's island.
In the spacecraft they find a holographic recording made by Neri's father explaining that he and Neri are "Ocean People" who come from the "OceanPlanet".
Neri's father was a scientist who came to study and protect the Earth's oceans, but the spacecraft crash-landed on Earth.
Neri's father also explained that there was another member of Neri's family on the spacecraft Neri's younger sister Mera who was a baby at the time and was placed in a capsule which landed somewhere off the coast of Northern Queensland.
The Bates brothers and the other children are eventually able to locate Mera who is living in a foster home.
UBRI also learns about Mera and her abilities but the ORCA children persuade Mera to flee with them before UBRI can take her.
Mera is reunited with Neri and two sisters live together on Neri's island.
The Bates brothers and the other ORCA children are able to thwart UBRI's attempts.
Then two Ocean People come to Earth to take the two girls home.
Mera happily returns to her home planet but Neri decides to stay on Earth to finish her father's work.In the third season of the show Neri and the Bates brothers search further into the buried spacecraft and discover logs revealing that Neri's father had with him this powerful device called the "Syncronium", which has the power to revitalize the worlds oceans and thus save the Earth from destruction.
When the spacecraft crashed all the pieces of the "Syncronium" landed in different areas on the ocean and land.
The Bates brothers, along with several children living on ORCA help Neri locate the pieces of the "Syncronium".
Unfortunately Dr. Hellegren of UBRI also learns about the "Syncronium and wants it for his own selfish reasons.
So the ORCA children have to try and stay ahead of UBRI.For some reason the fourth season of the show wasn't shown in the U.S. I've no idea why as the fourth season is really enjoyable.
Neri and the Bates brothers discover an underwater Pyramid located in the South Pacific built by the Ocean People thousands of years ago.
In this Pyramid is a hologram of Neri's mother Queen Shalamorn of the "Ocean Planet" who informs Neri that her destiny is to become princess of her people.
The Ocean Planet and the Ocean People are finally revealed in this season.
There is great chaos on the Ocean Planet as a deadly plague known as the "Red Virus" has contaminated the planet.
A group of rebel Ocean People led by Malakat (a deranged tyrant) and Shersheba (a depraved member of the Ocean People royal family trying to steal Neri's heritage) lead a coup and make plans to invade and conquer Earth, something the majority of the Ocean People are highly opposed to.
PRAXIS learns about Neri and believes that her people are a problem for Earth.
So the Bates brothers have to protect Neri from the both PRAXIS and the rebel Ocean People, save the Earth and help Neri achieve her destiny as princess of her people.So Ocean Girl is a wonderful show.
I remember watching this show every Monday night!
This much I remember in the first season there was a girl named Nira that could talk to her best friend whale under water (that's also where she lived).
She later befriends to teenage boys who are living in this underwater city with their mom and fellow scientists and i remember a teenage girl that lived there too and she didn't like Nira for the longest time.
There was an enemy of bad scientist too who was trying to conduct experiments on the whales.
In the second season i remember Nira and her friends looking for her long lost sister who had been living with adopted parents and everyone was awed because of how fast she could swim and how long she could hold her breath.
I remember something in sadly the last season about a spaceship and how Nira and her sister were aliens from another planet.
This t.v. show was awesome and I wish I could watch them all over again so i could understand them better....considering i was like in 3rd grade last time i saw an episode..
Ocean Girl an AMAZING show with an amazon cast.
Ocean Girl is about a teenage girl called Neri (Marzena Godecki) who can communicate with a Whale which is called Charlie.
Neri makes friends with two boys who live in an UnderWater research community called Orca.
The boys are Jason Bates (David Hofflin) and Brett Bates (Jefferey Walker) who throughout all the 4 seasons (series) introduce Neri to a load of new people and the world.
Together they work out who Neri is and where she comes from, Find Neri's long-lost sister, save the world (not once but twice), and bring up some important issues concerning the world and the people in it.
This show has a fun, entertaining and it also teaches you a few things all at the same time.
It was and still is a great and amazing show to watch.
:)It follow Neri and the Jason and Brett as well as their mother Dianne (Kerry Armstrong/Liz Burch) (two seasons each)and her Research Assistant Winston (Alex Pinder) on some amazing adventures and meeting some amazing people.
They are constantly trying to keep Neri's secret with the help of some other ORCA teenagers and protect the oceans.
they constantly have to ward off UBRI, which is another research company that is after Neri and Charlie, as well as PRAXIS, which is an Alien Intelligence Agency who is after Neri........did i mention Neri was an Alien from a planet in our language 'The Ocean Planet' and it is revealed in season 4 that she is the Princess of her planet!!........
as well as in season 4 the Earth and the Ocean Planet from the 'Red Virus' which was created by Malikat a Evil person from the Ocean Planet.
Once again i loved this show and i still do (I am only 15 years old at the time of writing this) and i wish that their were more episodes.