Sinbad: Worth the Price of Admission?

…which, if you’re watching on cable, is probably anywhere between $60-$200 per month. But who’s counting?

If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t heard of the new show, Sinbad is a new BBC action/adventure/fantasy series based around the character of Sinbad the Sailor, a character originating from Middle Eastern stories originally set during the period of the Abbasid Caliphate (750-1258).

What does this have to do with fantasy? Well, the original tales of Sinbad—of which the oldest surviving texts are in Arabic—were just that, fantasy stories of the oldest kind. Similar to Homer’s epic The Odyssey from Ancient Greece—which featured the hero Odysseus on a sea voyage home, fighting monsters and landing in magical places—the tales of Sinbad the Sailor also feature magical creatures and lands, enchanted objects, and supernatural occurrences. And while many modern-day incarnations bear little or no resemblance to the original tale, I thought it would be fun to take a look at the new show from a fantasy lover’s perspective, asking the question: Is it worth watching for fantasy fans?

First off, don’t get this version of Sinbad confused with the, uh, Canadian series from the mid-90s called The Adventures of Sinbad. Some have called that version a poor man’s rip-off of Xena or Hercules from the same time period (er, they would be right…). Neither is this the Brad Pitt-voiced animated film from 2003, or Lou Ferrigno’s Sinbad of the Seven Seas. And if you Google the show without including “BBC” in your search parameters, I’m afraid you’ll find little else beyond pages about Sinbad the comedian (who, apparently, has a new show starting up, and… uh, never mind).

Nope, this Sinbad is a BBC version in 2012, with an all-new cast of people you probably won’t recognize, aside from Naveen Andrews (Sayid from LOST), unless you watch a lot of British/BBC produced television. And while we’ve only had the first five episodes hit the airwaves so far, that still means we’re just about halfway through Season 1…and what you might want to know is, “should I bother?”.

The Good Fantasy Element

True to the mythos, this version of Sinbad relies heavily on the use of magic and magical creatures to drive the plots of each episode, along with the overarching storyline. In this version, our young Sinbad’s origin story is that of a conman in a nondescript “Middle Eastern” town (seriously…is it supposed to be Syria? Egypt? Jordan? Maybe Persia? WHO KNOWS). Naturally, life takes a turn for the worse when he accidentally makes a huge mistake, and gets on the bad side of eeeevil Lord Akbari. As a result, Sinbad is cursed –our first instance of magic on the show—to remain at sea forever, only allowed to set foot on land for up to 24 hours, or else he’ll die.

Sinbad’s first voyage sees magical/fantasy influence, including (without giving away too many spoilers here) rough seas that are clearly not natural, water spirits, and devastating tragedy. As his journeys continue, we are introduced to a variety of fantasy elements: An intelligent, giant bird; a mysterious old man and a ghost ship; and a creepy gaming house that can only be accessed through a magical portal. The good thing about these fantasy elements is that, unlike in many other fantasy-esque TV shows, they don’t overwhelm the episodes to the point of nausea. It would be simple for the writers to slip into cruise-mode and rely on fancy bits of magic to get everything done, but instead, the fantasy aspect complements the characters and the resolution for each issue.

It’s critically important in a show like this—just as in any fantasy film or novel—that the characters are allowed to develop on their own, aside from magical assistance. Even when placed in dangerous situations that can be resolved with magic, viewers want to see the hero or his companions figure things out on their own, instead of simply being plucked from the hand of danger in a Deus Ex Machina manoeuvre (which is all too common in lazy fantasy stories).

And while I won’t say the show has got everything down perfectly—it’s only the first half of the first season, after all—so far, we’re seeing Sinbad and the other characters being able to think for themselves and develop as independent people.

As for the antagonist, he doesn’t use magic himself…but he hires a witch to do it for him. This solidifies the fantasy aspect of the series, as in each episode she works some kind of interesting spell to either locate Sinbad, obtain a vision of what he’s doing, or—presumably in the episodes to come—do harm to him from a distance.

The Bad Fantasy Element

Like in many fantasy series, the characters don’t believe in magic. In fact, they often refuse to believe in magic, regardless of what’s happened in front of their own eyes. This series suffers from character denial, even up to the fifth episode, when every single character has experienced the effects of magic (or a magical creature) personally. It can get a bit tedious.

We also have the issue of undefined magic, i.e. lazy worldbuilding. Now, this is to be expected to an extent from a television show, because they don’t have the time or ability to explain all the details and nuances of the magic system and the world the way a novel does. However, in this series, we have people who claim they don’t believe, or who “can’t” perform magic, even when a witch and an old lady (Sinbad’s grandmother!?) CAN do so. It’s a little confusing.

Viewers will also likely be a bit disappointed by the consequences of Sinbad’s curse. Even though he can’t set foot on land for more than “one cycle of the sun,” what happens when he does so? Well, he dies, sure, but how?

He gets strangled by his necklace.

Wait, what???

Mmm-hmm. All that magical goodness and Serious Cursing Business, and all that happens is he clutches at his throat dramatically as his enchanted necklace gets tighter and tighter. Surely there had to be a better way to convey the fatality of the curse? Bleeding from various orifices? Slowly vanishing from existence? Or…being attacked by droves of rabid harpies? It is, to say the least, slightly anticlimactic, particularly for such a critical element of the show.

The Verdict

As an action/adventure/fantasy TV show based around a well-known character from ancient (and modern) literature, the series certainly hits many of the major bingos: An epic voyage, dangerous curses, magical creatures, an evil villain who relies on black magic, and a slightly clueless but attractive hero who people are willing to follow. The cast of surrounding characters fits easily into the cliché fantasy party mould—a thief, a healer, a warrior, an outcast—so there’s nothing new or surprising about the way the characters are introduced or portrayed.

In terms of plots, they’re what you’d expect: Arrive at a mysterious land full of danger, get into trouble, and get out of trouble before the curse kicks in. Nothing too remarkable, and they’re plots that we’ve seen time and time again in the fantasy genre…but that’s because they work. That’s what keeps us entertained, and what is a fantasy-based TV show if not there to entertain?

The biggest draw to this show for fantasy fans will likely be the cheese factor. Yes, it has its cheesy moments, but the BBC has actually pulled back from over-the-top cheese the way it’s been seen in some of its other fantasy-style series (*cough* Merlin *cough*). Naturally, this could change as the season moves forward, but right now the focus is less on cheesy CGI and fantasy aspects than it is on character and (slightly hole-y) plot.

For fantasy show fans who are yearning for another series to watch—considering that fantasy-driven shows tend to be far and few between—Sinbad is primed to be a source of pure fun and entertainment with well-rounded characters, albeit somewhat cliché for the fantasy model.

Still, if you’re looking for adventure with a touch of magic? You can’t go wrong here.

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