The Lost Islands: episode guide

01 - 06 | 07 - 13 | 14 - 19 | 20 - 26

The Deadly Bargain

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Episode 1.14
Written by Ian Coughlan
Script Editor: Michael Laurence
Directed by Bill Hughes

While his friends frolic in the lagoon, Quell and Quig capture Mark and take him to the Prime Minister who brings the boy before the Q. Intrigued by the scientific books taken from the United World, the Q has a proposal for Mark. Meanwhile, having seen Mark brought back through town, Helen travels to the tree house to inform her friends of Mark's capture. They are just about to set out after Mark when he returns with a message from the Q — if the kids help him with a "special project", he will make them his "special advisors" granting them their freedom on the island. Mark is eager to help but the others are more cautious, suspecting a trap. Tony and David finally decide it is best they spring whatever trap is being set for them and meet with the Q who tells them what he wants an atomic weapon to protect the island from outsiders. Unable to build such a device, Tony offers to build the next best thing, an Ultra Sonic Laser Ray. Tony creates an impressive looking, but non-functioning, weapon to demonstrate to the Q. With help from the others, and some makeshift explosives, the boys put on an impressive display only to be taken into custody by the Q. David is able to keep the guards at bay with the Laser and they are all able to escape.

With: Cornelia Frances as Elizabeth Quinn, Ron Haddrick as the Q

Hanging Five

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Episode 1.15
Written by Michael Laurence
Directed by Bill Hughes

While out for his morning surf at an isolated beach near the valley, Tony encounters a mysterious girl from the village. Relishing his time alone away from the others, Tony doesn't tell his friends about the girl, Bess, when he returns to the tree house. Worried that Tony's trips to the beach may endanger their safety should be be spotted, Mark and Su Ying follow him the next morning and see him with the new girl. Despite Su Ying's reservations, Mark decides they should learn more about the girl, so Anna and Su Ying are sent to speak with Elizabeth and Helen Quinn who inform them that Bess is the legal guardian of the Q.
Captivated by the description of Tony's surfboard, Aaron ventures to the beach to watch him and returns to the village to tell his friend all about it. The tale quickly spreads to Quell and Quig who are eager to capture the kids with the Prime Minister away at Malo. Their hopes are dashed however by the discovery that Tony is with Bess and they could upset the Q by capturing him.
Tony's friends tells him what they've learned about Bess but their good intentions are not received well and he storms off. Meanwhile in the village, Helen warns Bess about the guards' intentions to capture Tony but the warning comes too late — the next morning Bess is captured and Quell and Quig take a boat out into the sea to catch Tony. Tony's friends are able to warn him in time and he surfs into shore escaping the guards whose boat overturns in the waves. Once safe, Tony meets with Bess who tells him it is too dangerous for them to meet again.

With: Diane Berryman as Bess Quartermain, Adam Bowen as ???, Kent Strickland as Master Quimby

The Sea Dragon

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Episode 1.16
Written by Ian Coughlan
Story by Michael Laurence
Directed by Ric Birch

The arrival of a small boat brings a man to the island. The kids race the Prime Minister's men to meet the man and are able to get him to safety. The man, a German school teacher sailing the Pacific, tells the kids his story and promises to arrange a rescue for them once he retrieves his boat and gets off the island. Unfortunately, the Q's men have already stripped his boat of its compass and sails. The kids offer him their sail, a compass and supplies to help him on his way but Mark's suggestion that one of them accompany him is rejected outright as too dangerous.
While waiting for preparations to be made, Christian decides he'd like to visit the village after meeting Helen and Jeremiah. After observing from afar, Christian boldly strides up to the Prime Minister and introduce himself. The Prime Minister does his best to convince Christian of his good will before reporting to the Q. Anna is sent into the village to talk to Christian who assures her he believes the Prime Minister is not evil and that he and the kids are in no danger. Jeremiah simply explains that his imprisonment alone speaks to the Prime Minister's motives.
The kids rescue Jeremiah from the jail and they return to the tree house. The next morning, Christian is no where to be found having departed in the middle of the night.

With: Peter Sumner as Christian

Return to Malo

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Episode 1.17
Written by Michael Laurence
Directed by Bill Hughes

Disappointment at being abandoned by Christian, the kids are surprised to see him reappears at their camp. Having moved his boat to a safe location and scouted out the island, Christian is determined to visit the prison island Malo. Tony, David and Anna accompany Christian to Malo and show him the lagoon where the divers obtain the blue weed which gives the Q his long life. Tony takes it upon himself to obtain a sample for Christian. When he returns, David and Christian join him to see a large stockpile of the weed while Anna stays behind. Curious about the blue weed, Anna tastes it... the others return to finds her unconscious.
Christian brings Anna into the village and implores the Prime Minister for medical aide. The Prime Minister assures him the effect of the blue weed will last no more that a few hours and that Anna will be fine, thanking Christian for delivering one the the "brats" he has long pursued. Christian demands to speak to the Q, declaring the Prime Minister to be an ignorant and uncivilised man for having so little regard for the children. To counter the accusations, the Prime Minister challenges Christian to a game of chess, the stakes being the lives or the freedom of Anna and Christian.
Mark, Su Ying and Jeremiah wait at the beach as Christian bests the overconfident Prime Minister. Despite being challenged in front of the assembled onlookers to live up to the deal, the Prime Minister refuses. Christian plays his remaining card: explaining that news will arrives shortly from Malo about a large theft of blue weed, giving his word that it will be released once he and Anna are free.
Christian departs the island for good, promising to send help.

With: Peter Summner as Christian, Cornelia Frances as Elizabeth Quinn

Ye Confounded Wheels

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Episode 1.18
Written by Michael Laurence
Directed by Simon Wincer

Aaron is enthralled by Tony's skateboard and takes it home. He secretly goes out late at night to ride it and narrowly escaping the attention of the guards. Helen brings him home where Tony and a scolding from his brother Jason are waiting. Tony offers to make Aaron a skateboard of his own out of wood and bamboo, materials bound to draw less attention. Before long all of the town's young ones, and those young at heart, are skateboard crazy.
The Prime Minister takes an interest is Aaron and his new contraption, questioning his mother about any encounters her son may have had with "strangers" on the island.
The village is soon overrun by kids on skateboards, but when Quell breaks his arm, and the Prime Minister himself is injured, Aaron is thrown behind bars and a ban on skateboards is issued. At the suggestion of Tony and the others, the village children present the Prime Minister with a petition to repeal the ban. Facing overwhelming support for the children, the Prime Minister must relent, and lifts the ban.

With: Cornelia Frances as Elizabeth Quinn

The Angry Mountain

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Episode 1.19
Written by Michael Laurence
Directed by Howard Rubie

Tremors from the islands volcano have the kids concerned but Helen arrives from the village to reassure them. She says the volcano has been acting up roughly once every twelfth month since the Prime Minister came to power, nine years ago. Each time it is calmed by the Prime Minister following an offering of the villagers valued possessions. This year, the Prime Minister has his eye on a bigger sacrifice — one of the five children!
Sceptical about the Prime Minister's sacrifices, Tony and the others question Jeremiah who reveals the Prime Minister has kept the offerings to the volcano a secret from the Q. Tony suspects The Prime Minister has been keeping the offerings and is determined to learn why.
Following the Prime Minister and his men to the volcano, the kids witness the sacrifice of the villagers best belongings and watch as the Prime Minister hides the goods in a secret cave. As the eruption intensifies, the Prime Minister seeks refuge in the cave. David, Tony and Mark risk their lives to get the Prime Minister out of the well-stocked cave but they all become trapped when the entrance caves in.
Trapped, the crazed Prime Minister reveals his dream to overthrow the Q when he learns the secret of the blue weed, becoming the new ruler of Tambu with more treasure than any man before him. As the boys hope begins to fade, Anna, Su Ying, Jason and Adam Quinn lead them to rescue. Once safe, they all watch as the lava from the volcano engulfs the cave and all of the Prime Minister's riches.

With: Don Pascoe as Adam Quinn, Cornelia Frances as Elizabeth Quinn