''Flight 29 Down'' is an American

adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...

comedy-drama Comedy drama (also known by the portmanteau dramedy) is a hybrid genre of works that combine elements of comedy and Drama (film and television), drama. In film, as well as scripted television series, serious dramatic subjects (such as death, il ...

television series about a group of teenagers who are stranded on an island. It was produced by

Discovery Kids Discovery Kids, stylized as discovery k!ds, is a brand name owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Starting as a television block within Discovery Channel, the brand expanded as a separate television channel in October 1996. Discovery Kids on NBC was ...

. The show was created by Stan Rogow (''

Lizzie McGuire ''Lizzie McGuire'' is an American television comedy, comedy television series created by Terri Minsky that premiered on Disney Channel on January 12, 2001. The series stars Hilary Duff as the titular character who learns to navigate the person ...

'', '' Darcy's Wild Life'') and D. J. MacHale (''

Are You Afraid of the Dark? ''Are You Afraid of the Dark?'' is a children's horror anthology television series created by D. J. MacHale and Ned Kandel. The original series aired on Nickelodeon in the United States from August 15, 1992 to February 3, 1996, and also o ...

'', The ''Pendragon'' book series). The executive producers are Rogow, MacHale, Shauna Shapiro Jackson, and Gina & Rann Watumull. The third and final season of the series was produced as a four-part film instead of the episodic format of the first two seasons. The film, ''Flight 29 Down: The Hotel Tango'', aired in August 2007. In addition, the series was broadcast Saturday mornings on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...

as part of the Discovery Kids on NBC brand from 2005 to 2006. The show was filmed on the island of

Oahu Oahu (, , sometimes written Oahu) is the third-largest and most populated island of the Hawaiian Islands and of the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital, Honolulu, is on Oahu's southeast coast. The island of Oahu and the uninhabited Northwe ...

in Hawaii.

Premise

The show follows a group of teens stranded on a South Pacific island in the

Federated States of Micronesia The Federated States of Micronesia (, abbreviated FSM), or simply Micronesia, is an island country in Micronesia, a region of Oceania. The federation encompasses the majority of the Caroline Islands (excluding Palau) and consists of four Admin ...

after they crash their plane (a

De Havilland Heron The de Havilland DH.114 Heron is a small Propeller (aircraft), propeller-driven British airliner that first flew on 10 May 1950. It was a development of the twin-engine de Havilland Dove, with a stretched fuselage and two more Reciprocating e ...

) in a

tropical storm A tropical cyclone is a rapidly rotating storm system with a low-pressure area, a closed low-level atmospheric circulation, strong winds, and a spiral arrangement of thunderstorms that produce heavy rain and squalls. Depending on its lo ...

while flying to an eco-adventure

camping Camping is a form of outdoor recreation or outdoor education involving overnight stays with a basic temporary shelter such as a tent. Camping can also include a recreational vehicle, sheltered cabins, a permanent tent, a shelter such as a Bivy bag ...

trip in

Palau Palau, officially the Republic of Palau, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the western Pacific Ocean. The Republic of Palau consists of approximately 340 islands and is the western part of the Caroline Islands ...

. A plot device of a video diary powered by a

solar Solar may refer to: Astronomy * Of or relating to the Sun ** Solar telescope, a special purpose telescope used to observe the Sun ** A device that utilizes solar energy (e.g. "solar panels") ** Solar calendar, a calendar whose dates indicate t ...

battery charger A battery charger, recharger, or simply charger, is a device that stores energy in an electric battery by running current through it. The charging protocol—how much voltage and current, for how long and what to do when charging is complete� ...

allows the kids to talk about themselves and to the camera about their difficult everyday struggles, the island, and each other. The series bore superficial similarities to '' Lost'', an adult-oriented drama that debuted a year before ''Flight 29 Down'', but ''Flight 29 Down'' never incorporated any supernatural elements as ''Lost'' eventually did. It also has many similarities with ''

The New People ''The New People'' is a 1969 American television series on ABC that focused on a group of young college students who were returning from a trip in Southeast Asia when their plane crashed on an island in the south Pacific Ocean. This program is ...

'' and with

Gordon Korman Gordon Korman (born October 23, 1963) is a Canadian author of children's and young adult fiction books. Korman's books have sold more than 30 million copies worldwide over a career spanning four decades and have appeared at number one on ''The N ...

's ''

Island An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...

'' trilogy.

Characters

Main

* Lex Marin (Allen Alvarado) is the youngest of the group and Daley's younger 10-year-old (later 11) stepbrother who is highly intelligent and resourceful. * Nathan McHugh (

Corbin Bleu Corbin Bleu Reivers ( ; born February 21, 1989) is an American actor and singer. He began acting professionally in the late 1990s before rising to prominence in the late 2000s for his leading role as Chad Danforth in the ''High School Musica ...

) is a former Boy Scout who finds his survival training less useful on the island. * Daley Marin (

Hallee Hirsh Hallee Leah Hirsh (born December 16, 1987) is an American actress known for her roles as Mattie Grace Johnson on '' JAG'', Daley in the children's series '' Flight 29 Down'', and as the adolescent and young adult Rachel Greene on '' ER''. Earl ...

) is Lex's stepsister, the class president who tries to take charge but frequently alienates the others with her arrogance. * Eric McGorrill ( Jeremy Kissner) is more of a slacker and a comedian who tends to manipulate people to get out of various responsibilities and chores. * Cody Jackson ( Johnny Pacar) is the group's first elected leader, a quiet kid who comes from a poorer part of town and has a mysterious past. * Taylor Hagan (

Lauren Storm Lauren Marlene Storm (born January 2, 1987) is an American actress and acting coach. She is perhaps best known for her role as Taylor Hagan in the television series '' Flight 29 Down'' and as Teresa Kilmer in the 2009 film '' I Love You, Beth Coo ...

) is spoiled, self-centered, and initially oblivious to the danger the group is in. * Melissa Wu ( Kristy Wu) is level-headed and sensitive, harboring a secret crush on Jackson.

The "Lost"

* Abby Fujimoto (Tani Lynn Fujimoto) is one of the survivors who goes on a long journey with Captain Russell, Ian, and Jory to reach the north shore of the island to find something to aide their rescue. When she returns to the main group, she finds herself out of place and sets off on her own again. When she next reappears, she is hardened by her experiences and has a darker attitude. * Jory Cavanaugh ( B. K. Cannon) is one of the survivors who went off to explore the island with Captain Russell. She reappears in the finale. * Ian Bedawan (Blade Rogers) is one of the survivors who went off to explore the island with Captain Russell. He reappears in the finale. * Captain Bob Russell (

John Kapelos John Kapelos (born March 8, 1956) is a Canadian actor from London, Ontario. He is best known for his portrayals of janitor Carl Reed in ''The Breakfast Club''D. J. MacHale, "The Arrival" was written by Stan Rogow.

Series overview

Season 1 (2005–06)

Season 2 (2006–07)

Television film (2007)

Series synopsis

First season

A flight with ten teenagers and a pilot crashes on a tropical island after a storm results in an engine explosion. They all survive the crash. Three of the teenagers and the pilot leave to explore the island. The rest elect a leader and try to survive on their own. A huge monsoon ruins the camp and their communication equipment; however, brief contact with another plane had been established before the destruction.

Second season

The group continue to survive but a storm left their camp in ruins, as well as their plane washed out to sea. One of the characters, Daley, is elected the new leader and she begins a democracy. The plane washes back on shore with a huge hole on its side. The survivors begin to learn that the island was involved in World War II when they find a time capsule from a general who once inhabited the island. They soon figure out there must be some life on the island.

Film

"Flight 29 Down: The Hotel Tango" was released in 2007 as the series finale. The castaways split into two groups. One stays on the beach, and one travels to find life on the island. Just when they think the place is deserted, they find an old concrete hotel used in WWII, along with other old buildings rotting away. They find the pilot, and the two other survivors in the hotel. The pilot has a bad sickness that makes him go crazy. In the end the castaways are saved by the Navy just before Typhoon Melissa hits the island and destroys everything.

Home releases

All seasons have been released on DVD. The first season was released individually in 3 volumes, but later released on a first season package. Season 2 was released in one package and the series finale was released separate from the other DVDs. In 2008, all the seasons have been released on DVD in Sweden by Pan Vision.

Book releases

Sequential releases

Special releases

Differences between the books and the series

* In the episode "Groundbreaking", the castaways individually approach the box and imagine what would be in it, but in the book ''Scratch'', the survivors have a meeting and explain what they thought the box was filled with. * In the book ''Ten Rules'', Lex's parents had a divorce, but in the film, he mentions that his dad died. * The episode "Survival Of The Fittest" is before the episode "Mazeathon", but in the books, it's the other way around. * The books have parts added to them that are not in the series. * In the book ''Static'', Melissa had the idea to have an election, but in the series, the kids all contributed to the idea. * In the book ''Scratch'', "Groundbreaking" is supposed to be first, but "He Said, She Said, He Said" is before that episode. * In the books, the episodes "The Tide" and "Home Sweet Home" had been cut out in the storyline because they finished building Lex's shelter. * In the book ''Static'', Daley and Nathan go to the back of the plane to get the life raft; in the episode "Arrival", they do not. * In the book ''Scratch'', Melissa tells only Daley that Nathan likes her, not everybody at once. * In the episode "Chilloween", Jackson plays "I Won't Stand Alone" but in the books he doesn't. * In the book actions happen earlier or later it, is twisted * In the episode "Mazeathon", Jackson wears converse low-tops, whereas in the book he wears sandals that blistered his feet, which had him running slower, so he took off the strap sandals to sprint barefoot as opposed to kicking off his chucks. * In Mazethon novel Nathan wore slip-on converse low-tops, while Jackson ran in bare feet. * In the book a slight romance between Abby and Ian is mentioned, but in the series it is not. * In the book, the stories of the "lost" kids are explored more than in the series.

Music

Sam Winans composed most of the music of Flight 29 Down.

, Nathan McHugh, sang "Circles" in the background in the episode, "He Said, She Said, He Said."

Broadcasts

The series aired on

and premiered in the United States on October 1, 2005. The final episode aired on August 25, 2007. After the series ended, reruns continued to air on The Hub until December 24, 2011. The show is available for streaming on

Peacock Peafowl is a common name for two bird species of the genus '' Pavo'' and one species of the closely related genus '' Afropavo'' within the tribe Pavonini of the family Phasianidae (the pheasants and their allies). Male peafowl are referred t ...

and Tubi TV in the United States. 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. It has had reruns as part of the summer program "Sommarlov" both 2012 and 2013. The show aired in

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

(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 Portugal on September 17, 2011, the show airs in English with Portuguese subtitles on

SIC The Latin adverb ''sic'' (; ''thus'', ''so'', and ''in this manner'') inserted after a quotation indicates that the quoted matter has been transcribed or translated as found in the source text, including erroneous, archaic, or unusual spelling ...

. The show premiered in Latin America, March 10, 2007, at 21:00 on

Boomerang A boomerang () is a thrown tool typically constructed with airfoil sections and designed to spin about an axis perpendicular to the direction of its flight, designed to return to the thrower. The origin of the word is from Australian Aborigin ...

. The show's first season also aired on

TV3 Slovenia TV3 was a television channel in Slovenia owned by Modern Times Group (MTG). The channel was eventually suspended on 1 November 2004, but it were later relaunched on 1 October 2006. On 3 June 2008, TV3 began broadcasting in Slovenian digital terr ...

during the Summer of 2007. It is not known if

will air the second season or the film, The Hotel Tango. The show premiered in Canada on

Family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

on June 2, 2007, and on CHRGD on February 7, 2017. The show also was aired in

Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...

by MBC4 It was shown in Brazil by

TV Cultura TV Cultura, or simply Cultura, is a free Brazilian non-commercial public television network headquartered in São Paulo and a part of Father Anchieta Foundation, a non-profit foundation funded by the São Paulo State Government. It focuses on ...

in 2008, from Monday to Friday, at 7 pm (

Brasilia Time Time in Brazil is calculated using standard time, and the country (including its offshore islands) is divided into four standard time zones: Fernando de Noronha time (UTC−02:00), Brasília time (UTC−03:00), Amazon time (UTC−04:00), and Acr ...

), under the title in Portuguese "Resgate Vôo 29" (Flight Rescue 29). The first two seasons aired in Japan on

NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...

from June 2009 to March 2010. It was titled ''Totsuzen! Sabaibaru'' (Suddenly! Survival). The film was aired as season 3. In Australia and New Zealand, the show was aired on

Foxtel NXE Australia Pty Ltd, trading as the Foxtel Group, is an Australian pay television company that operates cable television, direct-broadcast satellite, direct broadcast satellite television, and IPTV streaming services. It was formed in April ...

on the channel

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...

every Saturday Night. In Turkey, the show aired on TV8.

References

External links

* * {{Discovery Kids original programming 2000s American comedy-drama television series 2000s American teen drama television series 2005 American television series debuts 2007 American television series endings American adventure television series American educational television series American English-language television shows Discovery Kids original programming NBC comedy-dramas Serial drama television series American television series about teenagers Television shows about aviation accidents or incidents Television series about being lost from home Television series set on fictional islands Television shows filmed in Hawaii American survival films History of Oahu