Flight 29 Down

Premise

The show follows a group of teens stranded on a South Pacific island in the Federated States of Micronesia after they crash their plane (a De Havilland Heron) in a tropical storm while flying to an eco-adventure camping trip in Palau. A plot device of a video diary powered by a solar battery charger allows the kids to talk about themselves and to the camera about their difficult everyday struggles, the island, and each other. It plays out as "Lost for teens. It also has many similarities with The New People and with Gordon Korman's trilogy Island".

Main cast

Allen Alvarado as Lex Marin

Corbin Bleu as Nathan McHugh

Hallee Hirsh as Daley Marin

Jeremy Kissner as Eric McGorrill

Johnny Pacar as Cody Jackson

Lauren Storm as Taylor Hagan

Kristy Wu as Melissa Wu

The "lost" cast

Tani Lynn Fujimoto as Abby Fujimoto

B.K. Cannon as Jory Cavanaugh

Blade Rogers as Ian Bedawan

John Kapelos as Captain Bob Russell

Lex Marin

The youngest of the group and Daley's younger 10-year-old (turns 11) stepbrother who is intelligent, charismatic, and very observant, although the group constantly ignores him or put his ideas down, stating that "he's not old enough". 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. He has even made a shelter that lasted through many violent storms. 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.

Nathan McHugh

In the first season Nathan brags about being a Boy Scout and thinks he should be the leader. He is very close friends with Melissa and later on in the series develops a crush on Daley. Throughout a few seasons Nathan begins to think he is useless and no help to the others on the island. For example, he accidentally shoots down the signal kite when he is messing around with Lex and he also falls out of a tree trying to get coconuts.

He was portrayed as snobby in the novel, and wore rich people clothes, Slip-on sneakers, converse low-tops, slip-on converse, and canvas Boat shoes is what he wears throughout the books, also he wore water shoes for when going in the water and getting to the raft.

Daley Marin

She's the recently elected class president of Hartwell High School, who beat Nathan by 10 votes. She's a hard worker and a bit of a perfectionist. Daley is Lex's stepsister (her father married Lex's mother about a year ago after her mother died), though this is never elaborated upon. Daley has developed a mutual crush on Nathan. Before which they would always fight. She, however, is much more secretive about this, confiding about it only to Melissa. Daley even kisses Nathan on the cheek once because he saves her from drowning. Daley finally tells Nathan she likes him. She wants to begin a relationship with him on the island. They do, however, they agree to become a couple once everyone's off the island and back home safe again. Daley became the leader of the group ( only after Jackson turned over the responsibility to her ) and wants to handle situations in a civilized manner. The members don't always approve of her ways though. She's too bossy, yells and wants things her way over the others. She's 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. Meanwhile, Nathan, Taylor, Lex and democratic Daley stay at the camp. In the novel she's street smart and very strong minded. She wears street clothes including Converse low-tops. She cheated in the elections and paid all 10 voters to vote for her.

Eric McGorrill

He is more of a slacker and a comedian than anything else. He also tends to manipulate people to get out of various responsibilities and chores. Eric looks at other people's video diaries and announces their secrets to either one person or everyone. He hates lugging water, and caused the lighter to break leaving the group with no source of fire. However, he later fixes it. He wants to get off the island so he sneaks around taking miscellaneous objects. His actions are eventually discovered by Lex who informs Melissa. Due to allergies he wasn't aware of, he becomes extremely ill after eating shellfish. Nearly dying from an allergic reaction until Melissa gives him a shot which saves him. In the novel he's described as a class clown and acts like "the millionaire" from Gilligan's Island. He wears nice clothes, boat shoes, sperry top-siders and wears a straw fedora.

Cody Jackson

Cody goes by his last name, Jackson and he's the antihero of the series. Cody is a 16-year-old male who generally keeps to himself. At school he was befriended by Melissa, who extended him the invitation to join the eco-camping trip. On the island, Cody gives help to the group when it's needed. In the first episode he befriends Lex, and Cody unlike everyone else actually listens to him. As a result, he's elected the leader of the stranded kids (a position which he reluctantly accepts) and maintains to keep the group civil. In the second season due to all the drama, he passed the responsibility of leadership to Daley. It's in this season that a love triangle develops between him, Melissa and Taylor. It began when he grew closer to a matured Taylor. Things changed however in the final moments of the series. It becomes apparent that he wants to get to know Melissa even more- in a sense 'chose' her. This whole time he's only gone by the name Jackson until the Flight 29 Down film; before they get saved, Melissa asks Jackson if Jackson was his first or last name. He replies, "It's Cody, Cody Jackson". He and Melissa become really close, and it's implied they will become romantically involved in the future.

In the novel he's dirt poor, and went to this new school looking like an outsider. He began dressing with only what he could afford, a T-shirt, shorts and for footwear he only had enough for a cheap pair of flip-flops and a pair of sandals, which is what he brought with on the trip. Jackson also goes primarily barefoot after losing and breaking his sandals.

Taylor Hagan

Taylor comes onto the island thinking that being stranded was only temporary. Her life of being pampered and spoiled made her weaker than the others. However, soon she starts show some of her hidden talents. For example, she helps Jackson improve his fishing skills through small notes, then on one particular trek through the island, she discovers a trove of fruit and even gets the fire started when they're in need of it. She believes everyone in the group has a function, something that they're good at. It's because of this she comes to the realization that she's good at parties and having fun. She creates the holiday, Chilloween, which was featured in one of the episodes. In the first season, she proves that she hates being messed with and will go to great lengths to get revenge (revealing Melissa's video diary). A recurring problem in the second season is the relationship she and Jackson develop, much to the dismay of Melissa. By the end of the series, people recognize her as a more competent and genuine person. Throughout the series she becomes hard working and more aware of the others' feelings.

Melissa Wu

Melissa has been best friends with Nathan since kindergarten. She's one of the only level-headed ones on the island. However, tends to have an occasional habit of being overly hard on herself. She has a crush on Jackson, which Taylor reveals 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. She tells her that she likes Jackson. At first Melissa doesn't like Abby, but in time her feelings change and they become friends. There's even a storm named after her called Typhoon Melissa. In Season Two she becomes distraught when Jackson and a matured Taylor grow closer. This problem is temporarily resolved as Taylor does not go west with Abby although Melissa, Jackson and Eric go. Melissa, Jackson, Eric, and Abby are on the same groups since 1st season of Flight 29 Down.

Abby Fujimoto

Abby is one of the smartest of all 9 of the high schoolers on the island. Throughout the show's progression she is the only "lost" character to be featured in more than 2 episodes and was the only one to survive the jungle alone with an injured leg. She also was the only character to brave the jungle alone and come back to the main camp ground on the beach several times. She was once thought to have an attraction to Jackson by Melissa. Abby shares a passion for music, as seen in one episode. In "Abby Normal" she leaves the beach at night while all the 7 main characters are slowly dancing to "Be Strong" by Delta Goodrem. In Season 2, she returns to the beach after a leg wound with a cold demeanor and a "survival of the fittest" outlook that frightens the others. Eventually she splits the cast in two in a quest to find life on the island. Though, in the finale, when they all are rescued, her normal "gentle" demeanor returns as she feels the gang have all been brought closer due to their experiences on the island.

Ian Milbauer

Ian is a surfer from California that is always making smart comments. Ian is one of Abby's best friends on the island.

In the book The Return, Abby remembers that Ian gives her a notepad showing a slight affection for her.

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 the year 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.

DVD 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. With a hidden episode titled "Island Bathroom".

In 2008, all the seasons have been released on DVD in Sweden by Pan Vision.

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

Broadcast

Flight 29 Down debuted on NBC as part of Discovery Kids on NBC on October 1, 2005 and was also broadcast on Discovery Kids on October 3, 2005. On June 3, 2011, it was also aired on The Hub until December 31, 2011.

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 (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 on SIC K.

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

The show's first season also aired on TV3 Slovenia during the Summer of 2007. It is not known if TV3 Slovenia will air the second season or the film, The Hotel Tango.

The show premiered in Canada on Family on June 2, 2007, and will air on CHRGD starting February 7. The show also was aired in Saudi Arabia by MBC3

The first two seasons aired in Japan on NHK 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 on the channel Nickelodeon every Saturday Night.

In Turkey, the show aired on TV8.