Arabian Knights facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Arabian Knights
Title card
Genre	Animation, Fantasy
Directed by	Joseph Barbera William Hanna
Voices of	Henry Corden Paul Frees Frank Gerstle Shari Lewis Don Messick Jay North John Stephenson
Country of origin	United States
Original language(s)	English French
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	18
Production company(s)	Hanna-Barbera Productions
Distributor	Warner Bros. Television Distribution
Release
Original network	NBC
Original release	September 7, 1968 (1968-09-07) – January 4, 1969 (1969-01-04)

Arabian Knights is an animated TV show. It was a part of The Banana Splits Adventure Hour. The show was made by Hanna-Barbera Productions. It is based on the famous stories from Arabian Nights. These are classic tales from the Middle East. The show featured the voices of Henry Corden, Paul Frees, Frank Gerstle, Shari Lewis, Jay North, and John Stephenson.

The Story of the Arabian Knights

How the Knights Formed

Once, the peaceful country of Persia was taken over. An evil ruler named Bakaar the Black Sultan invaded. He conquered all the states of Persia. Then, he attacked the capital city of Baghdad. Bakaar and his army broke into the royal palace. They took the throne from Prince Turhan. Bakaar ordered the prince to be killed.

Prince Turhan ran away from the palace. Bakaar's guards chased him. A magician named Fariik helped the prince escape using his magic. They headed to the state of El-Rabaul. They hoped to get help from Turhan's uncle, the Caliph.

Meeting New Friends

On their journey, Turhan and Fariik met Raseem. This happened while they were hiding from guards in the Caves of Doom. Raseem told them bad news. Bakaar's forces had already taken over El-Rabaul. They had also put the Caliph and his daughter, Princess Nida, in prison. The three then traveled to El-Rabaul on Raseem's donkey, Zazuum.

In El-Rabaul, they saved Princess Nida. She was about to be sold as a slave. Princess Nida showed off her skills. She was a master of disguise and could copy voices. She tricked the guards. But soon, Bakaar's men cornered them.

Forming the Team

Suddenly, Bez appeared. He changed into an elephant. He charged through the guards and carried everyone to safety. In the Caves of Doom, they decided to form a team of heroes. They swore to protect their land from Bakaar's unfair rule. This is how the group called the Arabian Knights was formed.

About the Show

Arabian Knights was one of several short animated series. These were shown during Hanna-Barbera's Banana Splits Adventure Hour. Each episode was about 9 to 10 minutes long. It was shown alongside other series. These included the animated The Three Musketeers, and the live-action shows Micro Ventures and Danger Island.

The adventures of the Arabian Knights often involved them trying to fight Bakaar's soldiers. They looked for ways to defeat the evil ruler. Sometimes, they dealt with other villains in their world.

Most of these adventures were somewhat serious. But they also had a lot of action and funny moments. No one was seriously hurt, except for Bakaar's soldiers, which was usually played for laughs. The episodes almost always ended happily for the Knights.

Meet the Characters

The Arabian Knights

• Prince Turhan (voiced by Jay North) - Turhan is the prince of Baghdad. He is the rightful heir to the throne. He is a young, brave, and handsome teenager. Turhan is a skilled acrobat, athlete, and master swordsman. He brings together his friends to fight Bakaar. His goal is to take back his throne and bring peace to his land. Turhan is the main leader of the Knights. He has a magic scimitar (a curved sword). He can throw it, and it comes back to him like a boomerang.

• Princess Nida (voiced by Shari Lewis) - Princess Nida is the daughter of the Caliph of El-Rabaul. She is also Prince Turhan's cousin. Nida is a lovely teenage girl. She is very good at disguises and can copy voices perfectly. Nida is also skilled in martial arts. She can hold her own in battles with the Knights.

• Fariik the Magician (voiced by John Stephenson) - Fariik is a short, round, and cheerful man. He is a skilled magician and spell-caster. He helps the team with his magic when they need it. To cast a spell, Fariik says, "Rosan Kobar." He was the first to help Turhan after Bakaar took over. Sometimes, his magic uses a lot of his energy. Fariik can make carpets and pillows fly for travel. He can also make himself and others invisible to sneak around. He can turn himself and others into smoke to escape tight spots. He can make objects float, change the size of things or people, create things from nothing, and change one thing into another.

• Raseem the Strong (voiced by Frank Gerstle) - Raseem is a tall, muscular man. He wears a small costume and a fez hat. He is the strongest member of the team. He has amazing physical strength and can last a long time in fights. He first met Turhan and Fariik in the Caves of Doom. Raseem thought they were Bakaar's men and attacked them. But when he learned they were against Bakaar, he became their friend. He often brags about his strength, saying he is as strong as 30 men, or even seven elephants! Raseem can break stone walls, lift and catch huge rocks, catch and throw back cannonballs, and fight many of Bakaar's soldiers at once. His power makes him a great help in the Knights' battles.

• Zazuum (voiced by Don Messick) - Zazuum is Raseem’s loyal little donkey with long ears. Turhan, Fariik, and Raseem first used him to travel to El-Rabaul. Zazuum is a very smart donkey and helps his teammates. Zazuum can spin so fast that he becomes like a small, destructive tornado. He can defeat enemies or destroy anything in his way. He gets very angry if his tail is pulled. When this happens, he becomes wild and can smash rocks into tiny pieces. Zazuum can also smell gold very accurately.

• Bez the Beast (voiced by Henry Corden) - Bez is a dark-skinned man who wears a turban and green clothes. He can change his shape into any animal, bird, or water creature. He can become anything from a huge elephant to a tiny mouse. He usually changes by saying, “Size of a —!” and then names the animal he wants to become. This is followed by a loud boom as he transforms. Sometimes, he claps his hands too. If the creature is small enough, Bez can turn into many of them, like a million bees. Bez often turns into larger animals to help the Arabian Knights travel. He can become an elephant or a camel for land travel. He can also turn into mythical creatures like a winged stallion or a roc for flying. His shapeshifting ability makes him a great spy for the Knights. He can find out what Bakaar is planning.

Villains

• Bakaar the Black Sultan (voiced by John Stephenson) - Bakaar is the evil ruler and the main enemy of the Arabian Knights. He took over the throne from Turhan’s father and now controls Baghdad. He wants to rule all the kingdoms that used to follow Baghdad. He sends all his forces to capture Turhan and later all the Knights. This is to make sure he stays on the throne. Bakaar is cruel, but he usually doesn't fight the Knights himself. He prefers his soldiers and helpers to do the work. Bakaar wears a special helmet with one spike and fur instead of a crown. This might suggest he has ancestors from the Mongols.

• • Vangore (voiced by Paul Frees) - Vangore is Bakaar's main enforcer and the captain of his guards. He often comes up with plans to capture the Knights. His father was said to be a camel driver. He has red hair shaved into a topknot.

• • Sundar - Sundar is Bakaar's court magician.

Episodes

The show had 18 episodes in total. Each episode showed the Arabian Knights on a new adventure. They often tried to stop Bakaar's evil plans or rescue people he had captured. The first episode, "Joining of the Knights," explained how the team was formed. The last episode, "The Royal Visitor," involved rescuing a prince from a pyramid.

See also

In Spanish: Los caballeros árabes para niños