32 replies to this topic

[darkestboy]

From Sky1's press release ....

Behold, the first glimpse of the hero of Sky1 HD’s epic fantasy drama Sinbad, Elliot Knight.

The 20-year-old newcomer will be starring in the iconic role of the reckless, charming and cursed sailor, but the 8th century myth is being given a distinctly 21st century makeover.

Sinbad is currently filming in Malta for transmission in 2012. Appearing alongside Knight will be a host of well-known faces, including Lost’s Naveen Andrews, who plays Sinbad’s nemesis Lord Akbari, Sophie Okonedo as Razia, Queen of the Water-Thieves and Timothy Spall as Anicetus, The Old Man of the Sea.

Knight said he was thrilled to have landed the role: "Sinbad is a great character for any actor to be able to play: impulsive, adventurous, passionate, loyal and brave; a true hero. His story is packed with action, adventure and fantasy and I am looking forward to the exciting challenge of bringing him to life for a new generation.”

The 13-part series follows Sinbad’s sea-bound journey after he is forced to flee from his home town of Basra, under a curse. On board The Providence an intriguing band of travellers is thrown together, including taciturn Norwegian sailor Gunnar (Elliot Cowan - Marchlands), the lithe and agile jewel-thief Rina (Marama Corlett – The Devil’s Double), and haughty and aristocratic Nala (Estella Daniels – Thorne). Completing the ship’s complement is the Cook (Junix Inocian – The 51st State), an odd-ball and eccentric character and the ship’s cerebral doctor Anwar (Dimitri Leonidas – Grange Hill).

Surviving a violent and magical storm, both Sinbad and his fellow ship-mates are forced to band together to face their inner demons, hopes, loves and fears. Our flawed hero embarks on an epic and emotional quest to rid himself of the curse and embrace his destiny. When mystical meets muscle anything can happen….

Huw Kennair-Jones, Sky’s Drama Commissioning Editor, commented: “As our biggest original drama commission to date Sinbad is a hugely exciting project for Sky1 HD, and the casting of the lead role was always going to be crucial. But from the first moment we saw Elliot we knew that we’d found someone really special who sums up everything that our Sinbad should be – contemporary, spirited, full of life, wit and charm - he’s a truly exciting new talent for the channel."

Sinbad is an Impossible Pictures production for Sky and BBC Worldwide, produced with the assistance of Nine Network Australia.

Should be an interesting series. Source here

Edited by darkestboy, Jun 24, 2012 @ 10:14 AM.

[darkestboy]

The series is set to debut next month on Sky1 so here is a rundown of characters, some pictures here and a trailer here

It does look extremely promising as a series.

Edited by darkestboy, Jun 24, 2012 @ 10:18 AM.

[Calchal]

It's got a good cast but I think they were too ambitious in terms of scale -- some of the CGI looks awful. And who is the show aimed at? Will it be more adult based like Spartacus or Game of Thrones or is it a family show like Dr Who or Primeval etc?

[darkestboy]

I think it's aimed more for the Doctor Who/Primeval market than the Spartcaus and Game Of Thrones one.

[CoderLady]

I loved the Sinbad tale in Arabian Nights. Things would go horribly, horribly wrong in interesting ways every time Sinbad got on a ship, but because it was a tale there was a start and end to it all. Extending that kind of crazy for a series would be fun to watch. I hope this makes it onto US TV soon.

[caper24]

I'm happy to report that Space will be airing the show in Canada starting sometime next month. Should be fun.

[darkestboy]

SFX have an interview with Elliot Knight and some new pictures as well. The issue is released today. An airdate is still down for July but not specified as to when though.

[Calchal]

An article in Empire confirms it's a big broad family show. Fingers crossed it'll be good.

[darkestboy]

I am hopeful that it will be good. It's certainly got some excellent people in it like Naveen Andrews and Sophie Okonedo.

It's been posted that this starts on July 8th at 7pm on Sky1.

[darkestboy]

It took me three days but I actually managed to catch up with this one and so far, I like it.

Like Merlin and Robin Hood, it seems to have the default setting of the characters speaking in modern tongue but the acting is mainly solid and the characters are interesting enough.

Elliot Knight makes for a good Sinbad and both Naveen Andrews and Orla Brady make for interesting enough villains in Taryn and Akbari.

The rest of the crew seem fine enough too, though I wouldn't mind seeing more of Gunnar and Anwar,

Grandma was scary but Sinbad's recklessness had to be punished and banishing him to sea seemed good enough for me, 7/10.

[VioletVisions]

I liked it a lot, too.

Likable characters, decent acting, and lots of pretty people - and the white actors are in the minority for once!

The main villain is reasonably sympathetic in his reasons for pursuing the hero, while still being an asshole in other regards. (He's a classist/racist snob who abuses his power, but not a "world domination; evil laugh" kind of villain.) Not so sure about the main villainess who seems a stereotypical evil sorceress so far.

It seems the writers are going for a love triangle between Sinbad, the black noblewoman (sorceress?) and the manic pixie dreamgirl thief (who I hope will subvert that stereotype once she gets more than a few lines...). Though I can already tell most people are going to ship him with the adorkable ship's doctor or the burly norse trader instead. (Who I'm going to pretend cut off his hair and beard because of the heat...) The queerbaiting / hoyay isn't nearly as blatand as with Merlin, though.

The CGI is actually better than I expected. The repeated "ship on water" shot looks a bit plastic, but the cityscape and the water monsters were quite impressive.

I wonder what's up with Sinbad's mother (?). Probably something to do with the missing father... (They didn't say he was missing, but I'm not expecting a show like this to go the single mother route.)

Given that this seems to be aimed at the same target audience as Merlin, this pilot was actually pretty dark and realistically violent. I like it!

The only thing that took me out of the show was Sinbad's outfit. Between all the fancy or at least period appropriate costumes and elaborate set designs, he looked like a time traveller in a ragged t-shirt and cargo shorts. But judging by the preview, he'll get a new wardrobe soon.

[ceindreadh]

, he looked like a time traveller in a ragged t-shirt and cargo shorts. But judging by the preview, he'll get a new wardrobe soon.

This appears to be shaping up to the type of show where there's a countdown each ep to the moment where Sinbad takes his shirt off...I have absolutely no problem with that concept ;-)

[VioletVisions]

This appears to be shaping up to the type of show where there's a countdown each ep to the moment where Sinbad takes his shirt off...I have absolutely no problem with that concept ;-)

Heh. Yeah, there wasn't really any reason for him to take it off before jumping into the water in the pilot, was there? Especially since time was played up as so direly pressing...

[ztastviz]

Wow, that was a lot darker than I thought it would be, but still fun and charming. Kind of reminded me of one of the more serious episodes of Xena. In fact, I can imagine Razia being a character on Xena.

So far I'm impressed and surprised, in a good way, by the show. I'm in.

[VioletVisions]

So Rina really subverted her pixie looks last episode. Nicely done!

The doctor (Anwar?) continues to be adorable. And to feed the slashers. (Normally it's the love interest who always insists in having such faith in the hero so early on...)

Not so sure about Cook, though. So far, this sole asian character is the stereotypical battle chef, as well as a mentor to the younger characters. And he doesn't even have a name, for heaven's sake!

Sinbad's wardrobe improved a lot. But the evil sorceress' make up looked really incompetent. I personally have worn make up maybe half a dozen times in my life, and even I know that if one uses a shade darker than one's skin colour, one has to cover the ears and the neck, too, not just the face. I kept wondering if we were supposed to conclude that she was trying to fit in and/or mask her real ethnicity and failing with her brownface, or if the make-up-artist simply fell asleep on the job.

The CGI continues to look surprisingly well, though. Loved the Roc.

What I didn't love was that I got the feeling the writer subscribed to the old trope of "It's Not Rape If It's Female On Male". Yes, the "queen" was depicted as murderous and ruthless. But I think we were still supposed to like her and see her actions as "needs must", instead of condemning her for routinely forcing male prisoners to have sex with her. It doesn't matter that she's pretty, or that Sinbad was attracted to her. Meaningful consent isn't possible under duress, and it's her intent that counts.

Also, why do feral people living under a matriarchal ruler consider it to be a degrading punishment to dress a man up in drag? That only makes sense in societies who see the female gender to be inherently worth less than the male gender.

Not so thrilled that this powerful woman was undone by her feelings, either. Even if they didn't go the typical route and have her fall for the hero. I mean, her earlier actions indicate sociopathy, so why not have her stick to her principles to the end? Wasn't like it mattered for the plot, in the end. And I was hoping for Sinbad to ride to the rescue on the Roc he had spent so much time buttering up.

Given that we didn't see the fight between her and the ursurper, I'm predicting that she'll come after our heroes, probably blaming Sinbad for her son's death. Wow, that's 2 for 2 now.


ETA: I've found an interesting interview with Elliot Knight. Turns out he was a big Xena fan as a kid and used to act out the sword fights with his grandmother. How adorable is that? His enthusiasm for the role definetely shows on the series, I thinnk.
And he loves the eyeliner so much he wants to keep it. Heh.

http://24.media.tumb...dg2fo1_1280.jpg
http://25.media.tumb...dg2fo3_1280.jpg

Edited by VioletVisions, Jul 16, 2012 @ 4:57 PM.

[ribboninthesky1]

Favorite part of the interview was: "Plucked from drama school in Manchester..."

What's this? He wasn't spotted on the street, in a club, at someone's party, on a reality TV show, from a pop band, or as a former model? I am SHOCKED. Ugh, those Brits, actually auditioning people who are classically trained. What is this madness?

[darkestboy]

Good second episode, this is shaping up to a rather fun series to watch.

Loved Sophie Okenedo as Razia, she's definitely a character I want to see more of as the show progresses and her scenes with Sinbad were pretty fun to watch.

There were certainly some dark moments in this episode, especially with Rina literally kicking the crap out of Anwar, who seemed a little too eager for the gang to stay together.

Not much development with Akbari and Taryn in this one and Sinbad's grandmother is rather creepy, isn't she?

Gunnar's reluctance to fight was interesting as well, 8/10.

[darkestboy]

I liked this episode, some good character moments for Sinbad, Anwar and Rina and Gunnar and some decent enough villains as well added into the mix.

The twins were both annoying and effective but I guess that was the point of them and it was amusing enough when they turned on each other.

The Cook never seems to leave that ship and Estralla needs to stop moaning as well.

Taryn and Akbari were pointless in this one. Did we really need them to be featured? 7/10.

[dezi]

This is such a silly little show but it's sort of fun too.

I am bored to tears by Akbari & co. They appear to have the same conversation in every scene. I hope they drop this plot-line and stick to the villain of the week which I find infinitely more entertaining. A first for me.

I see they have started on a backstory for Rina. Hopefully that will flesh out her character beyond the annoying "tough chick" role.

I wonder where they are going with Rina's growing crush on Sinbad and his attraction to Nala.

I am enjoying the Sinbad/Gunnar friendship.

I can't help but compare it to Merlin and one of the things that Sinbad has over Merlin is that, so far, it is focused on the titular character's journey and has not made him another character's side-kick. The flip side of this is that it doesn't have the independent friendships and relationships that I love about Merlin.

[TheLabRat]

Canceled. Pout. Source: http://metro.co.uk/2...series-3518894/

[scarlett45]

So the USA's SyFy is picking up this series. Was it a mini series or did it last for several seasons?

Eta- I should read the thread before I ask questions like that, only one season. I wonder if it will be popular here. I am looking forward.

Edited by scarlett45, May 24, 2013 @ 10:14 AM.

[bulldawgtownie]

It starts Saturday, June 8th at 9pm est.

 

The weird thing is it premiere's in a couple of weeks yet SyFy's website dedicate to the show is bare bones basic.  There's a brief (eight lines)description of the premise and they tell you when it premiere's but that's it.  Absolutely nothing about the cast and frankly the main reason I'm interested in this show is because of Naveen Andrews.

[coppersin]

SyFy's only constant is their unreliability. I was hoping for more on their website as well, but I'm not surprised. Since the series is only one season (basically a miniseries) I wonder if they don't want to waste time and money on a limited run show.

 

Though it's annoying that they're advertising this as an original series when they bought it from Sky1 and we all know it's ending after a few eps anyhow. They're doing the same thing with Primeval: New World.

Edited by coppersin, May 25, 2013 @ 12:25 AM.

[bulldawgtownie]

Though it's annoying that they're advertising this as an original series when they bought it from Sky1

 

Meh, SyFy's done that in the past with shows like Lost Girl and Continuum.  And IIRC BBC America has done with some of the show they've shown that as well.

Edited by bulldawgtownie, May 25, 2013 @ 11:13 AM.

[thuganomics85]

Just saw the premiere on Syfy.  Not bad.  A little cheesy at times, but I found the majority of the cast and characters to be likable.  For a newcomer, I thought Elliot Knight was pretty good as Sinbad.  It can be a tough character to do; arrogant, but likable; but I thought he handled it well.  The rest were good, although I did think thief girl was close to being too cutesy at times, but I've seen much worse.  Only ones I really know from other works is Naveen Andrews (of course) and Walter Bishop's wife from Fringe as the sorceress lady.  But it's cool to hear that Sophie Okonedo and Timothy Spall will be showing up.

 

The set-up of whose who was a bit obvious and it was kind of obvious who was going to be joining Sinbad's merry gang (cutesy thief, kind-hearted doctor, mysterious foreigner, wacky cook, serious noble daughter, etc.), but I hope they expand on it in upcoming episodes.  I did think Sinbad's outfit was a bit too modern compared to the rest.  It really did look like he was wearing cargo pants.

 

So, it's already been canceled?  Don't want to be spoiled too much, but doesn't if have a decent ending or will it be left with a cliff-hanger of some kind?  I'll keep watching since BBC's Sundays are done, but I'm just curious.

[snakenax]

It finishes off the main plot of the first season in the finale and ends with a small teaser for what I assume would have been the second season plot.

[bulldawgtownie]

Kudo's to the casting director for finally getting a Sinbad cast right.

 

Personally I really liked the premiere, I thought they set things up well although Naveen Andrew's character seems too much like a mustache twirling villan, I wish they'd give him complexity.  Also I hope we find out more about Sinbad's family.  Why was his mom in a catatonic state and exactly who was the older lady.

 

I'm trying to look at this as a mini-series but frankly I'm already upset it was cancelled.

[Imonrey]

 It really did look like he was wearing cargo pants.

 

And a V-necked shirt from The Gap.

 

Liked it OK, but wonder how the Naveen Andrews character can be a running villain when he's stationary in SInbad's hometown while Sinbad himself is sailing all over the world. Will he start following him or just send minions while the show keeps cutting back to him plotting from his home base?

[ratgirlagogo]

I can't help but compare it to Merlin

 

I was dubious about this because I was afraid it was going to be a lot like Merlin.  I was surprised at how good it was.  The production values alone are way better than Merlin's ever were.  Looking forward to watching this over the summer and am sorry they only made one season.

[dcinmb]

I love Malta and tuned in just for the scenery porn so I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Great cast, decent character development, intriguing storylines---I'm in for the duration.