Sinbad (TV series)

Sinbad
Sinbad intertitle
Genre	Action Adventure fiction Family saga
Written by	James Dormer Jack Lothian Steve Thompson Harriet Warner
Directed by	Brian Grant Colin Teague Andy Wilson
Starring	Elliot Knight Naveen Andrews Dimitri Leonidas Marama Corlett Elliot Cowan Estella Daniels Junix Inocian Tuppence Middleton Orla Brady Igal Naor
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
No. of series	1
No. of episodes	8 (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producers	Danielle Brandon Sophie Gardiner Tim Haines Anne Mensah Elwen Rowlands Andrew Woodhead
Producers	Donal Geraghty Grainne Marmion Andrew Wood
Production location	Malta
Running time	40–45 minutes
Production company	Impossible Pictures
Original release
Network	Sky1
Release	8 July 2012 (2012-07-08) – present

Sinbad is an action adventure fiction family saga television series that has been broadcasting on Sky1 since 8 July 2012 with the first series containing 12 episodes. Made by Impossible Pictures, the same company who made Walking with Dinosaurs and Primeval. The series stars Elliot Knight as the protagonist Sinbad.

Premise

After Sinbad accidentally kills the son of the powerful Lord Akbari in a fist fight, Sinbad's brother is killed in front of his eyes as a blood debt. He manages to escape, where he is soon cast off for an entire year into the seas which holds many wonders and mysteries. Little did he know he is still being hunted by Lord Akbari as the blood debt of his brother is not enough.

Cast and characters

Actor/Actress	Character
Elliot Knight	Sinbad
Naveen Andrews	Lord Akbari
Dimitri Leonidas	Anwar
Marama Corlett	Rina
Elliot Cowan	Gunnar
Estella Daniels	Nala
Junix Inocian	Cook
Tuppence Middleton	Tiger
Orla Brady	Taryn
Yigal Naor	Emir
Sophie Okonedo	Razia
Timothy Spall	Anicetus
Devon Anderson	Jamil

Production

In August 2010, the Sky1 director of programmes Stuart Murphy announced the commission of several new television series, including a 13-part multimillion-pound Sinbad the Sailor remake on August 2010, with Impossible Pictures, a production company known for producing the ITV science fiction series Primeval, on board to produce the show. The announcement was made as Murphy wanted to shed Sky's reputation for broadcasting primarily foreign imports and "shifting the budget" to put "terrestrial levels of spend" behind the shows. The remake was also intended to have "the ambition of Lost and the pace of 24". Filming began in Malta in February 2011.

Broadcast and reception

The series was originally set to air during Autumn 2011, along side BBC One science fiction series Doctor Who. Sky1 controller Stuart Murphy explained the show offered an alternative as it would attract "a younger, cooler family who like sexy, cool heroes." However for unknown reasons the series was delayed until the following summer. The series began broadcast on Sky 1 weekly from 8 July 2012 during the 7 to 8 p.m. time slot. The first episode received overnight ratings of 1.06 million viewers, and an audience share 4.7 percent. Peaking at 1.25 million at one point, it became the highest-rated pay television programme for the night. The first episode saw significant gains according to the final consolodated ratings, averaging 1.914 million viewers. However, over the following weeks ratings saw a gradual decline.

Sinbad has also been sold to networks around the world from BBC Worldwide. In France, premium pay channel Canal+ pre-brought the rights to air the series in February 2012. Bell Media, a Canadian broadcast, brought the show to be aired on the Space channel. Nine Network also brought the rights to air the series in Australia. However, the BBC later took back the rights from Nine and sold it to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation instead.

Episodes

Series 1 (2012)

#	Title	Directed by	Written by	Original air date	UK viewers (million)
1	"Pilot"	Andy Wilson	Jack Lothian	8 July 2012 (2012-07-08)	1.914
In the city of Basra, Sinbad (Knight) is in a fighting ring with a young man who turns out to be the son of Lord Akbari (Andrews). When the fight results in the son's death, both Sinbad and his brother Jamil (Anderson) are captured by Akbari, who orders the death of Jamil in revenge, though Akbari admits that his blood debt would not be complete even if he did kill Sinbad also. After Sinbad escapes, his grandmother (Janet Suzman) curses him with an amulet, which will exile him at sea; if he is to spend more than one day and night on land, he will die. He stows away onboard a vessel, the Providence, but during the night the ship is terrorised by sea demons, and a storm kills all but a handful of the crew and passengers, including the imposing northman Gunnar (Cowen), thief and fellow stowaway Rina (Corlett), wealthy African beauty Nala (Daniels), ship's doctor Anwar (Leonidas), and Cook (Inocian).
2	"Queen of the Water-Thieves"	Andy Wilson	James Dormer	15 July 2012 (2012-07-15)	1.463
Akbari organises for the manhunt of Sinbad, and enlists the help of sorceress Taryn (Brady). Meanwhile, the Providence is hijacked by a feral tribe known as the "Water Thieves", who capture the crew and send them to their island, once home to a flourishing civilisation, now a ruined city, They are brought before their queen Razia (Okonedo), who takes Sinbad as her lover, while organising her people to feast on the other crew members. Sinbad manages to organise his group's escape from the island just before his amulet can kill him, with the help of a monstrous bird Razia had kept captive. The ship's chef, who hid below deck, manages to kill the Water-Thieves on board before their ship escapes the island.
3	"House of Games"	Brian Grant	Steve Thompson	22 July 2012 (2012-07-22)	1.317
The crew ask Merchant Abdul Fahim for food and water on their travels, but instead Fahim tricks Anwar into taking the Providence. In order to take it back before the amulet will kill Sinbad, they enter an underground realm to a gambling den. Sinbad manages to win the ship back, but the group quickly find that the owners Essam and Faris (both played by Iain McKee) are imprisoning them, and gambling with their lives. When they learn of Sinbad's curse, they challenge him to find and free his friends and leave the island by sunrise, and Sinbad succeeds. When the owners argue whether he can leave, Rina helps Sinbad escape in time. In the meantime, Taryn makes a potion that enables her to see Sinbad. When Akbari tries the potion, he fails to see him since at the time, Sinbad's group made it to the gambling den. Angered, Akbari banishes Taryn from the city.
4	"Old Man of the Sea"	Andy Wilson	James Dormer	29 July 2012 (2012-07-29)	1.153
The Providence is stranded at sea with low water supplies and Cook is severely dehydrated. They find a ship and rescues the lone survivor Anicetus (Spall), who Nala appears to recognise. Since Anicetus' boarding, everybody begins to experience hallucinations. Anwar later realises that Anicetus is the personification of Death; he has come to reclaim Nala as his bride as part of a deal he made with her people, and in return for the resurrection of her deceased father. However, Nala realises that Death has no knowledge of her grief, and breaks his hold of her. Following Death's defeat, it rains, replenishing the water supply. Meanwhile, Taryn convinces Akbari that she knows where Sinbad is heading next.
5	"Episode 5"	Brian Grant	Jack Lothian	5 August 2012 (2012-08-05)	1.003
During a short excursion, Sinbad and crew are being hunted by Basra guards. Anwar, Nala and Rina make their way back the Providence, only to be captured. When Taryn learns of Sinbad's curse, she creates a "Familiar", a being that can detect Sinbad's location and emotions. Meanwhile, Gunnar and Sinbad make their own way, where Gunnar is captured by a band of warriors known as the Khaima. The leader Obsidian (Carsten Norgaard) sentences him to death for his past as a barbaric Viking warrior. As Sinbad intervenes, the Familiar tracks Sinbad down, and now that Taryn lost control, the creature will now kill Sinbad. Gunnar convinces Obsidian to let him go to save Sinbad. Gunnar manages to convince Sinbad that it can be defeated by mastering his anger. Obsidian decides to pardon Gunnar for his selflessness, and offers him a place among the Khaima, but he declines. Anwar, Cook, Nala and Rina excape, overpower the guards, and release Taryn, but manages to see Sinbad's future where the Providence will arrive at an abandoned city and encounter a young woman Taryn seems to recognise.
6	"The Siren"	Brian Grant	Harriet Warner	12 August 2012 (2012-08-12)	0.996
While investigating possible damage to the ship, Sinbad is lost at sea, only to be rescued on a nearby island by a woman named Roisin (Georgia King). Nala and Gunnar discover he is alive, but does not want to leave. It is revealed that Roisin is a creature taking human form and has taken away his memories, including those of his grandmother, thereby lifting the curse. When Cook learns about Roisin's secret, Anwar and Rina return to the island and track Roisin and Sinbad to a temple. There Rina defeats Roisin by overpowering her with a bad memory where she was sold to slavery by her parents. Sinbad's memories return, bringing back the curse. In Basra, Sinbad's grandmother is captured. Akbari kills his older brother Emir (Naor) after he attempts to banish Akbari for keeping Taryn. Taryn then uses a spell sending Sinbad a message of help from his grandmother.
7	"Episode 7"	Andy Wilson	Neil Biswas & Jack Lothian	19 August 2012 (2012-08-19)	1.065
Sinbad returns to Basra to rescue his grandmother from danger. Upon arrival the group learn that Akbari has come to power in Basra, after murdering his brother, and is destroying all forms of scientific knowledge in favour of sorcery. Anwar and Rina attempt rescue the former's father, only to realise that Akbari already paid them off and has Rina arrested, though she later escapes. Meanwhile Sinbad enlists the help of Tazeem (Robert Gilbert), a Basra guard and childhood friend. Taryn summons an ancient shadow creature, which captures Nala and Gunnar. Sinbad finds his grandmother, but the amulet prevents him from approaching her. She warns Sinbad that it is in fact Taryn he needs to hide from. Sinbad and Akbari fight, however Sinbad apologises for his son's death, and forgives him for killing Jamil, which lifts the curse for good. Taryn kills Akbari after forgiving Sinbad, and tells him that, though he always believe her to be his servant, he was in fact serving her. Sinbad realises that both she and his grandmother admit there is a secret towards him, however his grandmother escapes, destroys the magic rune controlling the shadow creature, also dying in the process. Now they are free, the crew of the Providence decide to continue in their adventures. Nala however chooses to remain behind.
8	"Episode 8"	Colin Teague	Jack Thorne	26 August 2012 (2012-08-26)	N/A
On his birthday, a depressed Anwar begins to have doubts about him in the group. Meanwhile, the Providence crew do a spot of treasure hunting on a deserted island filled with ship wrecks. They find a box, which opens to reveal a young woman named Kuji (Hannah Tointon), who claims to be a deity. After spending the night on the island, they realise that it is inhabited after finding themselves surrounded by an army of warriors, who threaten to kill them unless they hand over Kuji. When they refuse, the army kill all apart from Anwar, who refuses to leave her behind. Kuji then reveals that the entire event is a test of Anwar's bravery and role within the group. Feeling that he succeeded, she resurrects the group and leaves.
9	"Episode 9"	Unknown	Unknown	2 September 2012 (2012-09-02)	N/A
The crew and Kuji hunt for a magical stone that would allow the user to predict the future. Meanwhile, Taryn hires Tiger (Middleton), a bounty hunter to find Sinbad.
10	"Episode 10"	Unknown	Unknown	9 September 2012 (2012-09-09)	N/A
11	"Episode 11"	Unknown	Unknown	16 September 2012 (2012-09-16)	N/A
12	"Episode 12"	Unknown	Unknown	23 September 2012 (2012-09-23)	N/A

External links

• Sinbad at Sky1
• Sinbad at IMDb