Stormworld
A Canadian-Australian sci-fi series about teens stranded on an alien ocean world.
Stormworld is a drama television series that first aired in Australia on the Nine Network in 2008, before debuting on the Canadian channel Space on March 18, 2009, with a second broadcast in August of that year. The story centers on best friends Jason and Lee, who are swept from a boat trip starting in Vancouver, Canada, through a vortex into an alien world called Stormworld. There, they are helped by Flees, a seasoned survivor who navigates the hostile environment in a boat. As new arrivals—dubbed "access crashers" by locals—the boys find shelter at a place known as The Settlement.
Stormworld serves as a destination for people and objects pulled from various worlds. Vortices are created by giant, flying, insect-like creatures called 'Stormriders,' linking Stormworld to other planets. The planet’s surface is a saltwater ocean dotted with islands in a generally hot climate. Fresh water is scarce and vital for survival, making it a highly sought resource. Trade and barter of items brought through the vortices form the basis of the economy.
Three main groups frequently clash: The Settlement, The Arkoddians, and The Drogue. The Settlement is a democratic society located on an island, separate from the Sighing Peaks (which are a specific location elsewhere). It was founded by Werrolda, who serves as leader when Jason and Lee arrive. A beacon on a nearby hill flashes regularly to attract other access crashers. The Arkoddians are a rigidly hierarchical society led by patriarchs, living on a distant island. They need more water per day than humans and some carry lazbolts. Unlike most inhabitants, they appear to have arrived as a group on a large boat. The Drogue are a small band of thugs who raid the Settlement and collect vortex objects, using flybikes armed with energy cannons. The Abiders were an earlier race who placed the Sighing Peaks as a map and likely created a portal off the planet.
Notable characters include Jason (Andrew Jenkins), an athletic, positive leader who pilots the boat Cougar and decides in the final episode to stay behind with Flees and Ogee to lead The Settlement. Lee (Calum Worthy), his best friend, is logical and scientific, and returns to Earth in episode 26. Flees (Valentina Barron) arrived seven years ago with her engineer father after their small aircraft was pulled through a vortex; her father disappeared four years later while kaya
- First aired
- 2008 (Australia), March 18, 2009 (Canada)
- Network
- Nine Network (Australia), Space (Canada)
Lore & Background
The series centers on Jason (Andrew Jenkins) and Lee (Calum Worthy), best friends from Earth who are transported through a vortex while on a boat trip that started in Vancouver, Canada, to the alien world Stormworld. They receive help from Flees (Valentina Barron), a seasoned survivor who arrived seven years earlier with her engineer father. Stormworld is a saltwater ocean with many islands, where fresh water is scarce and central to survival. The inhabitants trade objects brought through vortices created by giant, flying, insect-like creatures called 'Stormriders.'
Reader's Guide
Stormworld consists of 26 episodes that aired weekly on Wednesdays from March to September 2009. The series was shot in Australia and Canada in 2008. Post-production sound and effects were done by Kojo Productions, who sued the production company for more than $265,000 in 2010 for unpaid invoices. Critical response at its Canadian premiere described it as 'a hyper-flimsy sci-fi offering' with 'cheesy low-budget special effects'. Despite this, Andrew Jenkins, Calum Worthy, and Valentina Barron were all nominated for Best Performance in a TV Series at the 2010 Young Artist Awards, with Worthy winning for leading young actor in a drama series.
Did You Know?
- The series was shot in Australia and Canada in 2008.
- Kojo Productions sued the production company for more than $265,000 in 2010 for unpaid invoices.
- Calum Worthy won the Young Artist Award for leading young actor in a drama series in 2010.
- The show's plot involves a vortex created by large beetle-like insects that transport people and objects to Stormworld.
More in Australian science fiction television series 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record