australian television information archive

The Gift

Episode 1.01
Canada: February 27, 2004 (TVO)
Germany: April 19, 2004 (kika)
Australia: July 02, 2004 (Ten)
Written by Susan MacGillicuddy
Directed by Grant Brown

Toby Johnson and his best pal Russ Skinner arrive for the first day back at Sandy Bay School. When Toby meets a new friend, the fiery Dina, things seem to be going really well, until…

Mr Tesslar, the science teacher, gives Toby and Russ detention. That night they have to stay back and clean out the amphibian tanks. This filthy task is made even worse by the presence of the Teacher's Pet, Elizabeth, as she works on Tesslar's newest piece of scientific equipment... the Magnetic Field Emitter (MFE) machine.

As Elizabeth uses the MFE to scan the interior of some rocks, Russ siphons putrid water from the tank and swallows a mouthful. He runs from the room. Unseen, an escaped frog jumps across the MFE's computer keyboard, randomly tapping out a sequence. The MFE machine scans a strange rock and reflects a blue, flickering ray that hits both Toby and Elizabeth. They fall to the ground, and when Russ returns, they're unconscious.

Later that night, Toby and Elizabeth discover separately that they have an extraordinary new ability; their brains leap into Hyperfunction, giving them solutions to amazing scientific possibilities.

The next day, Mr Tesslar's array of dinosaur fossils gives Toby an idea; he'll clone a dodo! But Elizabeth is determined to outdo him. She augments a dinosaur bone with genetic material from the axolotl tank, and switches the dinosaur bone with the dodo bone.

Toby and Russ return to Toby's bungalow, at the back of his house, to find a hatched T-Rex, ravenous and — to their horror — growing fast. The T-Rex bursts through the walls of the bungalow, rampaging for food — and it looks like Toby and Russ are the main course!

Toby figures that the axolotl DNA, when modified, can be used to reverse the growth process. In the panic of the moment, the new girl, Dina, is recruited to bring home some water from the axolotl tank at school. Using the hormone-impregnated fluid they spray the marauding beast, reducing it in the nick of time until all that remain are just a few cells.

First round to Elizabeth!

Cast: Andre De Vanny as Toby Johnson, Ben Schmideg as Russell, Saskia Burmeister as Dina, Bridget Neval as Elizabeth Hawke, Emma Leonard as Verity, Brook Sykes as Garth, Robert Van Mackelenberg as Carl Tessler, James Barkley as Spike, David Bergin as Phil Johnson, Ella Holmes as Veronica, Lucy Mack-Hancock as Jade, Lee Monik as Sean, Charlene Tjoe as Chloe, Anya Trybala as Bianca

Secrecy

Episode 1.02
Canada: March 05, 2004
Australia: July 09, 2004
Written by Greg Millin
Directed by Grant Brown

Toby confronts Elizabeth about their new powers; he thinks they need help, they should tell Tesslar. But Elizabeth decides to keep her powers a secret, blocking Toby's attempts to tell Tesslar. Toby decides to show him, and the whole school. He devises an anti-gravity machine, fixing it to the school's ride-on lawnmower. Toby's trial flight is a success. The next day, he plans to fly over the oval at lunchtime. Everybody is going to notice that!

With the whole school watching, Elizabeth aborts the take-off and the lawnmower remains lumberingly earthbound. Toby bails out just as it charges into the garden shed, demolishing it with a giant explosion. Toby is marched away in disgrace, protesting in vain that he and Elizabeth are geniuses!

Back at the bungalow, the newly formed trio — Toby, Russ and Dina — face the fact that no one will ever believe them. Elizabeth will see to that. And Elizabeth herself will have to be kept in check. Toby swears them to a pact. Nobody else must ever hear about Toby's ‘genius' — or Elizabeth's either.

Cast: Andre De Vanny as Toby Johnson, Ben Schmideg as Russell, Saskia Burmeister as Dina, Bridget Neval as Elizabeth Hawke, Emma Leonard as Verity, Brook Sykes as Garth, Robert Van Mackelenberg as Carl Tessler, James Barkley as Spike, David Bergin as Phil Johnson, Simone Clements as Trendy Chick, Vinodh Fernando as Simon, Cara Foley as Claire, Ella Holmes as Veronica, Ibrahim Ibrahim as Vince, Lucy Mack-Hancock as Jade, Lee Monik as Sean, Charlene Tjoe as Chloe, Anya Trybala as Bianca

Election

Episode 1.03
Canada: March 12, 2004
Australia: July 16, 2004
Written by Susan MacGillicuddy
Directed by Grant Brown

Elizabeth gears up for her ascent to power and glory — to be elected Class Rep. She creates an anti-friction spray to oust her competition, the popular Sean Banks, but Dina takes up the fight, and Elizabeth turns the full force of her wrath on her.

Elizabeth uses her anti-friction spray again, causing Dina to go out of control on her rollerblades. But Toby races to the rescue, spraying the wheels of a skateboard with the anti-friction spray, allowing him to crash tackle Dina to safety, in the nick of time. Dina is elected Class Rep, and Elizabeth is foiled.

Cast: Andre De Vanny as Toby Johnson, Ben Schmideg as Russell, Saskia Burmeister as Dina, Bridget Neval as Elizabeth Hawke, Emma Leonard as Verity, Brook Sykes as Garth, Robert Van Mackelenberg as Carl Tessler, James Barkley as Spike, David Bergin as Phil Johnson, Vinodh Fernando as Simon, Cara Foley as Claire, Ella Holmes as Veronica, Ibrahim Ibrahim as Vince, Lucy Mack-Hancock as Jade, Lee Monik as Sean, Che Timmins as Nat, Charlene Tjoe as Chloe, Anya Trybala as Bianca, Natalie Walker as Olivia

Smart Judo

Episode 1.04
Canada: March 19, 2004
Australia: July 23, 2004
Written by Greg Millin
Directed by Grant Brown

Annoyed by Verity's incompetence, Elizabeth decides to find another partner who can provide her with some muscle for her plans. She finds the perfect person in the school bully, Garth. But Garth refuses to have anything to do with her. But then Russ beats him at judo and Elizabeth reveals how — Toby has made a programmable judo suit from smart fabric. Garth can't believe it — Toby and Elizabeth are geniuses?

With Garth on Elizabeth's side, the evil trio are formed. At the final bout in judo class, Elizabeth hijacks Toby's signals to the judo suit, sending Russ out of control. It looks as if Garth is going to win, until Dina arrives and destroys Elizabeth's computer. Russ is freed and manages to throw Garth with the suit offline. Russ gulps, that means he threw Garth on his own…?

Cast: Andre De Vanny as Toby Johnson, Ben Schmideg as Russell, Saskia Burmeister as Dina, Bridget Neval as Elizabeth Hawke, Emma Leonard as Verity, Brook Sykes as Garth, Robert Van Mackelenberg as Carl Tessler, Genevieve Picot as Alexa Vyner, James Barkley as Spike, Vinodh Fernando as Simon, Cara Foley as Claire, Ella Holmes as Veronica, Ibrahim Ibrahim as Vince, Lucy Mack-Hancock as Jade, Lee Monik as Sean, Charlene Tjoe as Chloe, Anya Trybala as Bianca, Natalie Walker as Olivia

Hologram

Episode 1.05
Canada: March 26, 2004
Australia: July 30, 2004
Written by Annie Fox
Directed by Grant Brown

Elizabeth turns her attention to discrediting Dina as the Class Rep. She creates a portable hologram projector, tiny enough to be concealed in a ring, and, having secretly scanned Dina, projects her hologrammatic image in the school grounds, apparently running away from Tesslar's vandalised car.

Tesslar witnesses “Dina” running away from his car and Dina is demoted from Class Rep. Toby almost turns the tables by creating a hologram emitting choker, which projects the image of Elizabeth's head onto Dina, who — posing as Elizabeth — will confess to vandalising the car. But Elizabeth aborts this effort and is declared Class Rep.

Cast: Andre De Vanny as Toby Johnson, Ben Schmideg as Russell, Saskia Burmeister as Dina, Bridget Neval as Elizabeth Hawke, Emma Leonard as Verity, Brook Sykes as Garth, Robert Van Mackelenberg as Carl Tessler, Genevieve Picot as Alexa Vyner, James Barkley as Spike, Vinodh Fernando as Simon, Cara Foley as Claire, Ella Holmes as Veronica, Ibrahim Ibrahim as Vince, Lucy Mack-Hancock as Jade, Lee Monik as Sean, Charlene Tjoe as Chloe, Anya Trybala as Bianca

Amazon Lab

Episode 1.06
Canada: April 02, 2004
Australia: August 06, 2004
Written by Annie Fox
Directed by Grant Brown

Dina is doing a science project with her heartthrob, Sean. Jealous over losing out at working with Sean, Elizabeth sabotages Dina's baseball cap, resulting in clumps of her hair falling out. Dina is horrified. Toby helps, inventing an organic growth accelerant, with the unforeseen result that not only does Dina's hair return, but she grows a beard!

Toby, attempting to make an antidote in class, finds that he can't Hyperfunction whenever he wants. Russ accidentally spills the remnants of the organic growth accelerant onto Ms Vyner's bonsai trees. During the lunch-break, the bonsais rapidly grow, turning the lab into an Amazonian Jungle.

The secret of Toby and Elizabeth's genius could be discovered, so they co-operate to develop the antidote, just in time. Dina's beard disappears and the ‘Jungle' turns into bonsais again. Elizabeth is encouraged that Toby collaborated with her but Toby remains wary.

Cast: Andre De Vanny as Toby Johnson, Ben Schmideg as Russell, Saskia Burmeister as Dina, Bridget Neval as Elizabeth Hawke, Emma Leonard as Verity, Brook Sykes as Garth, Robert Van Mackelenberg as Carl Tessler, Genevieve Picot as Alexa Vyner, James Barkley as Spike, David Bergin as Phil, Vinodh Fernando as Simon, Cara Foley as Claire, Ella Holmes as Veronica, Ibrahim Ibrahim as Vince, Lucy Mack-Hancock as Jade, Lee Monik as Sean, Charlene Tjoe as Chloe, Anya Trybala as Bianca

Invisible Car

Episode 1.07
Canada: April 09, 2004
Australia: August 13, 2004
Written by David Phillips
Directed by Grant Brown

Russ crashes into Mr Tesslar's car on his skateboard, breaking a headlight. The trio can't get it fixed until after school so Toby helps by inventing invisibility paint, making the car disappear. Elizabeth discovers the ruse and moves the unseen car, framing Russ as a car thief. Toby and Dina eventually discover the invisible car parked right in the middle of the basketball court.

They finally make it back to Tesslar's parking bay, to hose off the invisibility paint, when Tesslar reverses Ms Vyner's car, which he has borrowed, smashing into his own — by now fully visible — car, right into the broken headlight. Russ is off the hook.

Cast: Andre De Vanny as Toby Johnson, Ben Schmideg as Russell, Saskia Burmeister as Dina, Bridget Neval as Elizabeth Hawke, Emma Leonard as Verity, Brook Sykes as Garth, Robert Van Mackelenberg as Carl Tessler, Genevieve Picot as Alexa Vyner, James Barkley as Spike, John Carmody as Sgt Willing, Vinodh Fernando as Simon, Cara Foley as Claire, Ella Holmes as Veronica, Ibrahim Ibrahim as Vince, Lucy Mack-Hancock as Jade, Lee Monik as Sean, Charlene Tjoe as Chloe, Anya Trybala as Bianca, Natalie Walker as Olivia

Double Date

Episode 1.08
Canada: April 16, 2004
Germany: April 28, 2004
Australia: August 20, 2004
Written by Helen MacWhirter
Directed by Grant Brown

Dina scores a date with Sean Banks but she's horrified to discover the date clashes with her shift at the café. Toby Hyperfunctions and creates a robot Dina so she can be in two places at once.

The result is a hair-raising time for all of them as the two Dinas get swapped, and very nearly end up in the same room in front of everybody. Things go from bad to worse when Elizabeth realises there's a Dinabot on the loose. She cleverly forces the robot to drink, which causes a major short circuit.

Dinabot suddenly loses her inhibitions, dancing wildly on tables. Toby and Russ manage to spirit the robot away to the beach, where she blows up. But the real damage is to Dina's burgeoning romance with Sean — he tells her she's too wild for a guy like him.

Cast: Andre De Vanny as Toby Johnson, Ben Schmideg as Russell, Saskia Burmeister as Dina, Bridget Neval as Elizabeth Hawke, Emma Leonard as Verity, Brook Sykes as Garth, Robert Van Mackelenberg as Carl Tessler, James Barkley as Spike, Vinodh Fernando as Simon, Cara Foley as Claire, Ella Holmes as Veronica, Ibrahim Ibrahim as Vince, Lucy Mack-Hancock as Jade, Lee Monik as Sean, Che Timmins as Nat, Charlene Tjoe as Chloe, Anya Trybala as Bianca

Birthday Party

Episode 1.09
Canada: April 23, 2004
Germany: April 29, 2004
Australia: August 27, 2004
Written by Peter Kinloch
Directed by Grant Brown

Toby plans to throw a surprise beach party for Bianca's birthday. Everyone is invited, except for Elizabeth. Miffed, she adapts a satellite dish to fire electromagnetic waves into the clouds above the beach, raining out the party.

Toby charges Russ with delaying Bianca's arrival and tracks down Elizabeth to her centre of operations in the Science Lab. Determined to stop her, he makes a giant reflecting balloon and floats it up to the science lab window. The electromagnetic waves are reflected back, where they change the atmospherics in the lab, creating a blizzard and covering Elizabeth with snow.

The weather at the beach returns to brilliant sunshine. Russ arrives, with Bianca the birthday girl. The party starts to swing and Toby brings Bianca the huge shiny balloon as a present.

Cast: Andre De Vanny as Toby Johnson, Ben Schmideg as Russell, Saskia Burmeister as Dina, Bridget Neval as Elizabeth Hawke, Emma Leonard as Verity, Brook Sykes as Garth, Robert Van Mackelenberg as Carl Tessler, James Barkley as Spike, David Bergin as Phil, Vinodh Fernando as Simon, Cara Foley as Claire, John Henderson as Nick, Ella Holmes as Veronica, Ibrahim Ibrahim as Vince, Lucy Mack-Hancock as Jade, Lee Monik as Sean, Che Timmins as Nat, Charlene Tjoe as Chloe, Anya Trybala as Bianca

Love Potion Number Nine

Episode 1.10
Canada: April 30, 2004
Australia: September 03, 2004
Written by David Phillips
Directed by Grant Brown

Toby and Russ are dateless for the school dance. Toby Hyperfunctions and produces a pheromone compound that will make guys irresistible to women. Dina is disgusted and makes Toby promise to ditch the idea. But Garth steals the pheromones, using them at the dance to attract Bianca. Toby manages to get the pheromones back and save Bianca but Russ decides to have some real fun; he releases the pheromones via the smoke machine.

Romantic mayhem ensues and Elizabeth is intrigued that Toby was the instrument of such wickedness. She proposes a working partnership. Toby rebuffs her advances, with Dina stepping in to stand up for him resulting in Elizabeth slipping into a pond. The onlookers erupt in delight. Elizabeth promises that Dina will be sorry. They all will!

Cast: Andre De Vanny as Toby Johnson, Ben Schmideg as Russell, Saskia Burmeister as Dina, Bridget Neval as Elizabeth Hawke, Emma Leonard as Verity, Brook Sykes as Garth, Robert Van Mackelenberg as Carl Tessler, Genevieve Picot as Alexa Vyner, James Barkley as Spike, Vinodh Fernando as Simon, Cara Foley as Claire, Ella Holmes as Veronica, Ibrahim Ibrahim as Vince, Lucy Mack-Hancock as Jade, Lee Monik as Sean, Charlene Tjoe as Chloe, Anya Trybala as Bianca

Nanobots

Episode 1.11
Canada: May 07, 2004
Germany: April 30, 2004
Australia: September 10, 2004
Written by Kris Mrksa
Directed by Grant Brown

Elizabeth is working secretly in the lab on her next project and Tesslar is furious when he finds that some of his science equipment has been tampered with. He declares that the lab will be locked from now on.

Tesslar gives Dina the key to the lab so she can accept delivery of a plasma ball. Elizabeth Hyperfunctions and uses nanotechnology to create molecular sized robots to take apart and reassemble the plasma ball. Things go from bad to worse when the plasma ball is smashed. Toby comes to Dina's rescue and reprograms the nanobots to reassemble the broken plasma ball in time before Tesslar finds out.

Cast: Andre De Vanny as Toby Johnson, Ben Schmideg as Russell, Saskia Burmeister as Dina, Bridget Neval as Elizabeth Hawke, Emma Leonard as Verity, Brook Sykes as Garth, Robert Van Mackelenberg as Carl Tessler, James Barkley as Spike, Vinodh Fernando as Simon, Cara Foley as Claire, John Henderson as Nick, Ella Holmes as Veronica, Ibrahim Ibrahim as Vince, Lucy Mack-Hancock as Jade, Lee Monik as Sean, Charlene Tjoe as Chloe, Anya Trybala as Bianca, Natalie Walker as Olivia

Surveillance

Episode 1.12
Canada: May 14, 2004
Germany: May 03, 2004
Australia: September 17, 2004
Written by Susan MacGillicuddy
Directed by Grant Brown

Elizabeth continues to use the science lab secretly, utilising the computers to run calculations for a shrink ray. Elizabeth tests the device but it malfunctions and she is almost caught by Ms Vyner. Determined to find who is illicitly using the science lab, Ms Vyner and Tesslar install a security camera, recording anyone who enters the lab.

Elizabeth is unwittingly caught on videotape successfully testing her shrink ray. When Toby finds out that she is going to be caught he realises that he too will be found out. Toby and Elizabeth rush to get to the tape before Ms Vyner. Ms Vyner almost catches them in the act but Elizabeth deflects suspicion onto Russ. Dina is furious at Toby for helping Elizabeth and the trio of friends seems to be broken up.

Cast: Andre De Vanny as Toby Johnson, Ben Schmideg as Russell, Saskia Burmeister as Dina, Bridget Neval as Elizabeth Hawke, Emma Leonard as Verity, Brook Sykes as Garth, Robert Van Mackelenberg as Carl Tessler, Genevieve Picot as Alexa Vyner, James Barkley as Spike, David Bergin as Phil, Vinodh Fernando as Simon, Cara Foley as Claire, Ella Holmes as Veronica, Ibrahim Ibrahim as Vince, Lucy Mack-Hancock as Jade, Lee Monik as Sean, Charlene Tjoe as Chloe, Anya Trybala as Bianca

Centenary Ball

Episode 1.13
Canada: May 21, 2004
Germany: May 04, 2004
Australia: September 24, 2004
Written by Susan MacGillicuddy
Directed by Grant Brown

Elizabeth gets Toby seconded to help her direct the School's centenary celebration but she alienates everybody and Dina leads a walkout of the entire cast — including Toby. Elizabeth is sacked, and Dina made Director.

Elizabeth Hyperfunctions and vows to ruin the celebration — by pitching the school bell so that, when it is rung at the climax of the ceremony, it destabilizes the set. Toby discovers the plan and manages to save Dina from harm. The trio is re-formed, stronger than ever, and Toby tells Elizabeth he will never, ever ally with her — romantically or scientifically. Elizabeth is crushed, but hardens to vow that Toby will pay — they'll all pay!

Cast: Andre De Vanny as Toby Johnson, Ben Schmideg as Russell, Saskia Burmeister as Dina, Bridget Neval as Elizabeth Hawke, Emma Leonard as Verity, Brook Sykes as Garth, Robert Van Mackelenberg as Carl Tessler, Genevieve Picot as Alexa Vyner, James Barkley as Spike, David Bergin as Phil, Vinodh Fernando as Simon, Cara Foley as Claire, Ella Holmes as Veronica, Ibrahim Ibrahim as Vince, Lucy Mack-Hancock as Jade, Lee Monik as Sean, Charlene Tjoe as Chloe, Anya Trybala as Bianca