Mystic | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Genre | |
Created by | Amy Shindler and Beth Chalmers |
Based on | Pony Club Secrets by Stacy Gregg [2] |
Directed by |
|
Starring |
|
Composers |
|
Country of origin |
|
Original language | English |
No. of series | 3 |
No. of episodes | 29 |
Production | |
Executive producers |
|
Producers |
|
Cinematography |
|
Editors |
|
Running time | 30 minutes [1] |
Production companies |
|
Original release | |
Network |
|
Release | 14 July 2020 – present |
Mystic is a New Zealand environmental teen drama television series produced by Libertine Pictures and Slim film+television for CBBC, TVNZ and the Seven Network. [2]
Created by Amy Shindler and Beth Chalmers, it is based on Pony Club Secrets , Stacy Gregg's series of pony novels, the first of which is Mystic and the Midnight Ride (2007). Set on the fictional peninsula of Kauri Point, New Zealand, Mystic tells the story of Issie Brown and her new-found friendships with the town's teen horse riders, and their efforts to save Kauri Point from an industrial development that threatens it. [1] It stars Macey Chipping. The series premiered on CBBC and BBC iPlayer in the UK on 14 July 2020. [3] Mystic season two launched in November 2021 and series three in July 2022.
Season two won Best Children's Programme at the Asian Academy Creative Awards in 2022 and in 2023, Season three picked up the award for Best Children's Programme at the NZTV awards.
On 2 October 2018, NZ on Air announced their decision to fund 13 28-minute episodes of Mystic for up to $1,000,000. [6]
Gilly Poole, Suzanne Crowley and Tina Cleary were the series' casting directors. [4] On 10 March 2020, it was announced that Macey Chipping and Laura Patch would play Issie Brown and her mother respectively, alongside a New Zealand cast of Phil Brown, Jacqueline Joe, Kirk Torrance, Cathy Downes, Jonny Brugh, Antonia Robinson, Max Crean, Josh Tan and Harriet Walton. [1] [7]
The series was scheduled to start filming in New Zealand in January 2020, [2] and on 10 March 2020, it was revealed that filming had begun in Auckland, New Zealand. [7] Filming halted when New Zealand went into lockdown in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, [8] and on 5 April 2020, the BBC reported that Chipping had temporarily returned to the UK. [9] Eight episodes from the first season were completed pre-COVID, with the other five completed during the pandemic. [10] After the first series had completed airing, Mystic was renewed for second and third seasons. [11] In February 2022, it was announced by Up TV that the show would premiere as part of the original programming catalog of its streaming service platform Up Faith & Family in April, followed by its linear debut 2 months later on June 2, 2022, airing after Heartland .
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | "The Outsider" | Peter Salmon | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 14 July 2020 | |
Issie, having recently moved from London to Kauri Point due to the death of her father, begins to see a horse in various places. She struggles to make sense of it when she realises that nobody else can see the horses but her. She meets Natasha, who takes her to the stables. When Issie asks the people at the stables to help her to look for the horse, Natasha accuses her of taking over, and leaves her. Issie then finds an unknown man trying to take a horse from the stables, and stops him. | ||||||
2 | 2 | "The Bond" | Peter Salmon | Scott Payne | 21 July 2020 | |
Issie's grandmother Mitch complains to mayor Kenny about a building project that will destroy the habitat of the bees that she keeps in her garden. Wanting to celebrate her dead father's birthday, Issie books tickets to visit London with mother Amanda, who is reluctant to go when she learns of them, but eventually agrees. Sam and Amanda go on a date, but Amanda leaves due to feeling like she is betraying her husband. Issie names the horse Blaze, and manages to bond with the horse. She learns that if she goes to London, Blaze will be euthanised, so she makes the decision to stay in Kauri Point. | ||||||
3 | 3 | "The Sacrifice" | Peter Salmon | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 28 July 2020 | |
With the stables preparing for a competition, they are let down by a rider so Issie fills in for them on the new riders category. Issie attempts to ride Blaze while nobody is around, which she reacts badly to. When Blaze is enclosed, Natasha accidentally lets her go, and she runs away. Issie sees visions of where she is, and takes Dan to find her. When Dan questions how she knew where to go, Issie explains that she sees mystic-like visions related to horses. | ||||||
4 | 4 | "The Tides" | Peter Salmon | Samuel E. Shore | 4 August 2020 | |
Issie goes to the beach to find proof that she is having visions of a horse, and Caleb follows her due to the high tides and lack of phone signal. She expresses her sadness to Caleb about being an outsider from the rest of the stables, to which he responds that he feels similarly. He then comes out as gay, and asks her to tell nobody, as he is not out to anybody else. When they return home, Caleb suggests that she finds CCTV footage of the horse. Issie searches through the camera files, and finds footage of Natasha letting Blaze go. | ||||||
5 | 5 | "The Revenge" | Peter Salmon | Steph Matuku | 11 August 2020 | |
Determined to expose Natasha for letting Blaze go from her pen, Issie records Natasha confessing to her actions. She sends it to Dan, to be played in front of the residents of Kauri Point. When Natasha apologises, Issie attempts to stop the recording from playing, but accidentally makes a fool of Dan. While playing with the riders, Natasha tackles Issie to the ground and the pair have a fight. | ||||||
6 | 6 | "The Lost Herd" | Aidee Walker | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 18 August 2020 | |
Issie has a vision of Mystic running through the forest along an old railway track and wonders if it will lead her to Blaze's herd. Issie decides to ride out on Blaze to find the tracks, and Caroline, Caleb, Dan and Natasha join her. As they pass their favourite swimming hole, they notice that it is severely polluted, and filled with dead bees. Dan misses a test due to being out with the others, and it is rearranged for a later date, which intercepts with the Cross-Country Trials. | ||||||
7 | 7 | "The Switch" | Aidee Walker | Stacey Gregg & Kate McDermott | 25 August 2020 | |
At the Cross-Country Trials, the riders discover that a rival team have purposely dropped down a grade in order to win. When Caroline sprains her shoulder, Natasha pretends to be her, riding in her place. Tom learns of their plan, and tells the officials, disqualifying her score, leaving it down to Issie to score well. While riding, she falls from Blaze into the water, and sees a vision of a girl lying on a beach. | ||||||
8 | 8 | "The Storm" | Aidee Walker | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 1 September 2020 | |
When the riders get stuck in the stables during a storm, Natasha suggests playing truth or dare, but Caleb suggests another game. They play sardines, and while searching for people, Issie asks Caleb when he will be ready to announce that he is gay. Caroline overhears the conversation, and although she accepts him, she is hurt that he did not tell her first. Natasha confides in Dan about how she feels lonely, and goes in to kiss him, but he rejects her advances. | ||||||
9 | 9 | "The Secret" | Michael Hurst | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 23 March 2021 | |
When Issie and the gang ramp up their anti-Hexronn campaign, the company fight back, revealing details of Issie's troubled past. | ||||||
10 | 10 | "The Discovery" | Michael Hurst | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 23 March 2021 | |
The kids travel to a remote farm after intercepting a mysterious message. They come face to face with the horse rustler and discover the whereabouts of the Kauri Point Herd. | ||||||
11 | 11 | "The Claim" | Michael Hurst | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 23 March 2021 | |
Dan is forced to step up when there is an emergency at the stables, Natasha joins the Dulmoth Park team, and Issie is distraught when Blaze's legal owner comes to claim her. | ||||||
12 | 12 | "The Truth" | Michael Hurst | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 23 March 2021 | |
Issie and the gang target Frankie in an attempt to find out where Blaze is. | ||||||
13 | 13 | "The Return" | Michael Hurst | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 23 March 2021 | |
Issie tries to find the wild herd, while the rest of the gang attempt to stop Hexronn. |
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 | 1 | "The Tourist" | Aidee Walker | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 19 November 2021 | |
The gang uncovers a new threat to the forest and wild herd. Issie's visions from Mystic become more mysterious than ever and a new arrival in town causes trouble for Issie and Dan. | ||||||
15 | 2 | "The Deception" | Aidee Walker | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers & Martha Hardy-Ward | 19 November 2021 | |
The gang's attempt to stop Tom selling the stables backfires. Issie realises that she's seeing visions of the future. Misunderstandings cause problems between Issie and Dan. | ||||||
16 | 3 | "The Wager" | Aidee Walker | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 19 November 2021 | |
Dulmoth Park have moved in and the escalating rivalry with the KP team ends in a secret race on the dunes. Meanwhile, Tom's in trouble when the racehorse goes missing. | ||||||
17 | 4 | "The Doubt" | Aidee Walker | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers & Samuel E. Shore | 19 November 2021 | |
It looks like Caroline's hopes of becoming an Olympic rider are over after her loss to Nicole in the sand dunes race. Can the KP gang persuade her not to give up on her dream? | ||||||
18 | 5 | "The Betrayal" | Caroline Bell Booth | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 19 November 2021 | |
Family secrets are revealed. Feeling betrayed by her friends, Issie is quick to retaliate when Bianca takes Blaze. Distracted by Gabe, Issie breaks a promise to Natasha. | ||||||
19 | 6 | "The Reckoning" | Caroline Bell Booth | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers & Hamish Bennett | 19 November 2021 | |
It's crunch time for Dan when his leadership skills are tested. Angry with Issie, Gabe and Natasha act recklessly whilst Caleb learns some uncomfortable truths about his idol. | ||||||
20 | 7 | "The Prophecy" | Caroline Bell Booth | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 19 November 2021 | |
When things from Issie's visions start happening in real life, the gang find themselves in a race against time to change the course of the future before tragedy strikes. | ||||||
21 | 8 | "The New Future" | Caroline Bell Booth | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 19 November 2021 | |
In the aftermath of the earthquake, Issie puts her own life in danger to try and rescue Natasha whilst Tom finally accepts he has to sign the KP stables over to Ginty. |
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
22 | 1 | "The Intruder" | Laurence Wilson | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 4 July 2022 | |
Emotions run high after Issie invites an unwelcome guest to Amanda's birthday party. The KP team have something to celebrate and Issie's confused by her latest visions from Mystic. | ||||||
23 | 2 | "The Set-Up" | Laurence Wilson | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 4 July 2022 | |
When tension between Dan and Issie starts affecting Champs training, the KP gang decide to take action. Meanwhile, Mystic seems to be warning Issie about the illegal trawler. | ||||||
24 | 3 | "The Challenger" | Laurence Wilson | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 4 July 2022 | |
Issie's reckless behaviour has disastrous consequences for one of the KP team. Gordon's intrigued when Issie draws a sea serpent statue that she's seen in her visions. | ||||||
25 | 4 | "The Double-Cross" | Laurence Wilson | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 4 July 2022 | |
As the gang plot to unmask the trawler operation, they find evidence suggesting someone local is in league with the crew. Meanwhile, Issie confides in Gordon about her visions. | ||||||
26 | 5 | "The Downfall" | Laurence Wilson | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 4 July 2022 | |
A betrayal by Tom shatters the KP team, jeopardising their chance of competing at The Champs. Caleb and Mitch investigate Gordon and Issie finally speaks her mind to Dan. | ||||||
27 | 6 | "The Conspiracy" | Laurence Wilson | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 4 July 2022 | |
Amanda decides to give Gordon a chance just as Issie starts doubting him. Natasha's the bearer of bad news for Caroline and the true cause of Dora's shipwreck is revealed. | ||||||
28 | 7 | "The Serpent" | Laurence Wilson | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 4 July 2022 | |
As Kauri Point celebrates ‘The Night of the Big Fish', it's not just dolphins who are drawn to the bay. Has Gordon really abandoned his quest to find the sea serpent statue? | ||||||
29 | 8 | "The Spoils" | Laurence Wilson | Amy Shindler & Beth Chalmers | 4 July 2022 | |
Gordon's missing but it's Champs Day and the future of the rescue centre is on the line. Will the KP team give up their chance of glory to help Issie find her grandfather? |
Whale Rider is a 2002 New Zealand drama film written and directed by Niki Caro. Based on the 1987 novel The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera, the film stars Keisha Castle-Hughes as Kahu Paikea Apirana, a twelve-year-old Māori girl whose ambition is to become the chief of the tribe. Her grandfather believes that this is a role reserved for males only.
Nikola Jean Caro is a New Zealand film, television, and music video director and screenwriter. Her 2002 film Whale Rider was critically praised and won a number of awards at international film festivals. She directed the 2020 live action version of Disney's Mulan, making her the second female and the second New Zealand director hired by Disney to direct a film budgeted at over $100 million. Caro's works ranged from music videos, commercials, television dramas, and films, etc.
Rhys Montague Darby is a New Zealand actor and comedian, known for his energetic physical comedy routines, telling stories accompanied with mime and sound effects of things such as machinery and animals. He was nominated for the Billy T Award in 2001 and 2002. He also won the 2012 Fred (Dagg) award at the New Zealand International Comedy Festival, for best NZ show.
Benjamin Harvey Bailey Smith, also known by the stage name Doc Brown, is an English actor, comedian, rapper, screenwriter, songwriter, and voiceover artist. He portrayed DS Joe Hawkins in the television series Law & Order: UK. He is also known for portraying Nathan Carter in the CBBC television series 4 O'Clock Club from 2012 to 2015, and Imperial Security Bureau agent Lieutenant Supervisor Blevin in Andor.
A mystic is a person who practices mysticism, or a reference to a mystery, mystic craft, first hand-experience or the occult.
Tammy Davis is a New Zealand actor, best known for his role as Munter on the hit New Zealand comedy-drama Outrageous Fortune. He grew up in Raetihi, New Zealand.
Pony Club Secrets is a series of junior and intermediate reader children's books published by HarperCollins in the United Kingdom. The series was created by author and journalist Stacy Gregg, and is loosely based on her experiences as a young rider growing up in New Zealand. It blends authentic horse and pony detail with a mixture of fantasy and adventure. The series is set in a fictionalised version of New Zealand, in an area called Chevalier Point.
David Long is a musician, composer and producer. In 2020 he won best score at the APRA Silver Scrolls for the BBC drama series, The Luminaries. He composes mainly for film and television but also contemporary dance. He has worked on all of Peter Jackson’s films of the last two decades. He performs with two bands, The Labcoats and Teeth.
Klariza L. Clayton is a British actress and singer. She is best known for her roles in the CBBC comedy Dani's House (2008–2012), the E4 drama Skins (2009–2010), the Nickelodeon series House of Anubis (2011–2013), and the Netflix sitcom Lovesick (2016–2018).
Sara Wiseman is a New Zealand actress, best known for her roles in the television series Mercy Peak as Dr. Nicky Somerville, A Place to Call Home as Carolyn Bligh and The Cult as Annabelle Willis.
Sulu Fitzpatrick, also known as Sulu Tone-Fitzpatrick, is a former New Zealand netball international. She was a member of the New Zealand team that won the 2021 Constellation Cup and represented New Zealand at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. She captained New Zealand when they won the 2018 Fast5 Netball World Series and again during the 2021 Taini Jamison Trophy Series. During the ANZ Championship era, Fitzpatrick played for Northern Mystics, Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic and Southern Steel. During the ANZ Premiership era, she played for Mystics, Northern Stars and Central Pulse. During her career, she played for every ANZ Premiership team except Mainland Tactix. She was a member of four premiership winning teams – the 2012 Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic, the 2019 Central Pulse, the 2021 Northern Mystics and the 2023 Northern Mystics. She captained Mystics when they won both premierships. In 2021, Fitzpatrick received the Dame Lois Muir Supreme Award. In 2022, she was included on a list of the 25 best players to feature in netball leagues in New Zealand since 1998.
The Next Step is a Canadian teen drama series created by Frank Van Keeken, that originally premiered on Family Channel on March 8, 2013. Presented in a pseudo-documentary style influenced by reality television, the series follows the members of a troupe from the titular dance studio, as they train for and compete in various championships, while dealing with rivalries and drama from other dance schools and even among the team itself.
Jade Alleyne is a British actress, known for her roles as Clem Burton in the CBBC sitcom 4 O'Clock Club, and Kaylee in the Disney Channel musical drama The Lodge.
Saturday Mash-Up! is a British Saturday morning children's magazine entertainment programme on CBBC and BBC Two, first broadcast on 30 September 2017. It is currently presented by Joe Tasker, Shereen Cutkelvin and a puppet monster called Stanley performed by Dave Chapman.
Jonathan Brugh, also known as Jonny Brugh, is a New Zealand comedian, actor, and musician. He is best known for his work in What We Do in the Shadows (2014). In the 1990s he was part of the comic duo Sugar and Spice.
Nic Sampson is a New Zealand actor, comedian, and writer known for his roles as Chip Thorn, the Yellow Mystic Ranger on Power Rangers Mystic Force, Detective Constable Sam Breen on The Brokenwood Mysteries, and for the New Zealand sketch show Funny Girls.
Marli Siu is a Scottish actress. Her films include Anna and the Apocalypse (2017), Our Ladies (2019), and Run (2019), the latter of which won her a Scottish BAFTA. On television, Siu has appeared in the spy thriller Alex Rider (2020–2021) and the BBC drama Everything I Know About Love (2022).
Amy Shindler is a British actress and television writer best known for her portrayal of Brenda Tucker in the UK's long running soap opera, The Archers. She joined the programme shortly after leaving drama school and played Brenda Tucker until her departure from Ambridge in 2014. Brenda was notable in the show for her struggles with her boss, Matt Crawford, her long engagement to Tom Archer and her decision not to have children in order to devote herself to her career. Shindler also appeared in the feature film A Mighty Heart playing Michelle Pearl, and played Charlotte Fox in the feature film Everest.
Catherine Patricia Downes is a New Zealand theatre director, actor, dramaturg and playwright. Of Māori descent, she affiliates to Ngāi Tahu. Downes wrote a one-woman play The Case of Katherine Mansfield, which she has performed more than 1000 times in six countries over twenty years. She has been the artistic director of the Court Theatre in Christchurch and the director of Downstage Theatre in Wellington. She lives on Waiheke Island and works as a freelance actor, director and playwright.