Syfy is picking up Sinbad, and no, I don’t mean the comedian. Instead, it’s a British action series that focuses on a much more legendary man by the same name; the mythical Sinbad who sailed the seven seas and ran into all kinds of strange, magical and mysterious places, people and things.
The series, which airs overseas on Sky1, stars Elliot Knight as the storied sailor himself; he’s a newcomer to television both in the U.K. as well as here in the U.S. There is a familiar face on the show for American audiences, however; Naveen Andrews of Lost plays the powerful Lord Akbaris. The series opens with Sinbad on the receiving end of a curse that won’t allow him to stay on dry land for longer than 24 hours at a time, sending him to his destiny on the water. His humble beginnings as a street urchin lead him into adventure when he kills the son of Lord Akbaris by accident, resulting in the death of his own brother and the unusual curse. Chris Regina, the programming and original movies senior vice president for Syfy, describes the series as “magical meets muscle” and promises a “rich story” that should fit in well on the fantasy and science fiction network.
TV Wise broke the news, also noting Sky1 is still currently airing the first 12-episode season of the show, which premiered in July. Syfy, according to Deadline, plans to air the first season starting in April of 2013. Sinbad comes from the same company behind Primeval and Walking With Dinosaurs, Impossible Pictures.
