The Adventures of Sinbad is a Canadian action-adventure fantasy television series which aired from 1996 to 1998. It follows the story of the pilot of the same name. It revolves around the series' protagonist, Sinbad. The series is a re-telling of the adventures of Sinbad from The Arabian Nights. Created by Ed Naha, it was filmed in southern Ontario, Canada and in Cape Town, South Africa. The tone of the series resembled that of its contemporaries Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Beastmaster and Xena: Warrior Princess.
Contents
Description
A sword and sorcery adventure set in a land of myth and magic in the Middle East, around the Persian Gulf. The series tells of the adventures of Sinbad and his brother as they gather a crew, and set sail in the ship, Nomad, from Baghdad in search of wealth and adventure. Along the way they face witches, wizards, strange tribes and fantastic creatures.
Premise
In the first few episodes: After two years at sea, Sinbad returns to his home, Baghdad. The city is very different from the Baghdad he remembers. It is now in the control of prince Casib and his grand vizier Admir. He lands himself in prison, where he is reacquainted with his older brother, Doubar, and discovers he is to be beheaded. When the princess is kidnapped, the Caliph of Baghdad says Sinbad is the only man he knows who is capable of facing Turok, the man who captured the princess. Before Sinbad is beheaded, Doubar comes to the rescue and sets him free. The brothers meet up with the rest of Sinbad's crew and proceed to Turok's lair, in search for Princess Adena. Sinbad tells his crew they need the help of his and Doubar's old mentor, Master Dim-Dim, so the crew head off for the Isle of Dawn, where he resides. They arrive at the island where they meet Dim-Dim and his new apprentice, Maeve, along with her avian companion, Dermott, a hawk. After the crew leaves the island, Dim-Dim is taken into magical limbo by an enemy. Many episodes in the two seasons mention Dim-Dim, however with the show being cancelled without making the third season, there is never any resolution for finding him. After Dim-Dim goes missing, Maeve decides to join Sinbad and his crew in their search for the lost Master. They find many adventures along the way. Sinbad and his crew's goodness of heart always shines through in each episode.
Characters
Nomad crew
Sinbad: Sinbad the Sailor is the series' main protagonist and captain of the ship, "Nomad". In the first episode he returns from a two-year absence, after being swept off his ship and presumed dead. He wears a rainbow bracelet after his return. Portrayed by Zen Gesner.
Doubar: Doubar is Sinbad's older brother. He is large and exceptionally strong. Portrayed by George Buza.
Firouz: Firouz is an inventor/scientist. Throughout the series, he invents many modern gadgets, including a bicycle, an umbrella, dynamite sticks and lasers. He frequently doubts in supernatural phenomena showed in the series. Portrayed by Tim Progosh.
Rongar: Rongar is a mute warrior. He is an expert at knife throwing. Season two features an episode that visits his home and gives the viewer his backstory. Portrayed by Oris Erhuero.
Maeve: Maeve is a Celtic sorceress, who is skilled in the arts of magic. She has a fiery personality and initially does not get along well with Sinbad, but later they become soulmates. She was only featured in the first season. The first episode for season two has her swept off the Nomad in the midst of a tempest and it is later discovered that the long-lost wizard Dim-Dim took her away to protect her from Rumina, a sorceress, and a long-time foe of both Sinbad and Maeve. Portrayed by Jacqueline Collen. Collen was sacked before the second season, both due to familial reasons and unfit behaviour with the production leading her character to be discarded.
Dermott: Dermott is a very intelligent hawk that joins the crew with Maeve. It is later discovered that Dermott is Maeve's brother, under a spell cast by Rumina. Portrayed by Dermott the Hawk.
Bryn: Bryn, a mysterious woman with a talent for magic, was introduced in season two. She meets Sinbad when he is washed ashore on the island she stays on. She had previously been washed ashore on the same island, and retained no memory of who she was or why she was there, apart from that her name was Bryn. She wore a rainbow bracelet matching Sinbad's, and when the two of them eventually managed to find the rest of the crew and escape the island, a message from Dim-Dim indicated she was the key to victory, presumably over the vengeful sorceress, Rumina. In the planned third season, it would have revealed that Bryn is Rumina's younger sister. Portrayed by Mariah Shirley.
Allies
Casendra: Appears in "The Village Vanishes". Portrayed by Bianca Amato.
Shires: Appears in "Ali Rashid and the Thieves". Portrayed by Bianca Amato.
Villains
Turok: Turok is an evil sorcerer that is featured in the first two episodes, and the season one finale. He is also the father of Rumina and Bryn. He was to make a full return in the third season. Portrayed by Juan Chioran.
Rumina: Rumina is the daughter of Turok. She is the main villain of the first season. She loves Sinbad, but simultaneously hates him for murdering her father. Rumina is an expert in the dark arts of magic, which is easy to learn compared to light magic. Rumina is also obsessed with killing Maeve, something she never manages to accomplish. In the planned third season, Rumina would have made her return, it would have also revealed that Rumina is Bryn's older sister. Portrayed by Julianne Morris.
Scratch: Scratch is a demon from the West. He calls himself the Devil and is a horned and hoofed creature. He goes by many different names, including the "Lord of the Flies". He is introduced in the episode "Conundrum" in season one and appears in two subsequent episodes. Portrayed by Tony Caprari.
Eblus: Appears in "The Return of Sinbad". A demon who worked with Turok, and the one responsible for Dim Dim's curse. He assumed a human guise and helped Turok bring ruin to whatever city he visited, and the last guise he used was Admir, grand vizier of prince Casib of Baghdad. His ruse was exposed when Rongar searched his belongings (revealed to be human flesh for him to consume), and he attempted to slay the crew, killing Mustapha with his poisonous tail. He was killed by Sinbad when the latter harpooned him in the mouth. Portrayed by Lawrence Bayne.
Vincenzo: Appears in "Still Life". An insane artist who transformed the rightful rulers of the Island he lived on and their army to marble through the use of magic gloves. He did the same to Dermott and Maeve, but was killed when Sinbad turned the power of the gloves against him, and sent the now petrified Vincenzo falling to his death. Portrayed by Rob Stewart.
Kris Kattah: Appears in "The Ronin". The wicked ruler of a nation, and Tetsu's former master. Kattah wielded a sword of evil magic that enabled him to transmute into a cloud of poisonous gas. He was killed while in cloud form, when the crew and Tetsu used a giant pinwheel to disperse his body.
Recurring characters
Dim-Dim: Master Dim-Dim taught both Sinbad and Maeve and disappeared early on in the series. Sinbad and his crew continue to search for him. Portrayed by Wayne Robson.
Tetsu: Tetsu is a Ronin Warrior who also wears a rainbow bracelet, like Sinbad and Bryn. He appears once in both seasons. Portrayed by Von Flores.
Mustapha: Mustapha was in the same prison as Doubar and Sinbad. When they were released to search for the lost princess, Mustapha introduced his good friend Rongar to the team. He dies in Rongar's arms in the second episode after trying to defeat a monster on board of the Nomad. Portrayed by Ian Tracey.
Episodes
Season 1 (1996–97)
In season one, Sinbad and his crew search for Master Dim-Dim, Sinbad and Maeve's old teacher who has disappeared.
Season 2 (1997–98)
In the opening of season two, Maeve is swept away during a storm. In his attempt to rescue her, Sinbad washes up on an island where he meets Bryn, who joins his crew. This season is darker in tone than season one, and explores the mystery of the rainbow bracelets.
Planned third season
Due to the success of the show, a third and final season was planned, but a contract dispute led to the series' cancellation. According to Ed Naha, had the third season been made, Rumina would return after a year of absence with a renewed desire to kill Sinbad. Bryn would have been infected with an incubus, and the crew takes her to a healer, believing him to be Dim Dim, only to find out it's actually a now deformed Turok, who would remain a neutral character throughout the season and possibly be the one who would destroy Rumina, thus; freeing Dermott from her spell. It would also reveal that Bryn is Turok's daughter and Rumina's younger sister. The series finale would have also put a close to the mystery of the Rainbow Bracelets.
Home media
Entertainment One released season 1 on DVD on May 25, 2004.
Alliance Home Entertainment has released both seasons on DVD in Canada.