1001 Nights (TV series)

Did You Know?

• The idea for the show came to co-creator Shabnam Rezaei in a dream.
• Her father read stories from One Thousand and One Nights in her native country Iran.
• 1001 Nights came in the #1 show at the 2011 Mip Junior awards among 1027 other children's properties.

Premise

Each day at King Shahryar's court brings a new problem, such as a toothache or Maymoon taking Shahzaman's pistachios. Scheherazade responds with a story that entertains and teaches a lesson, often incorporating the court characters. Recurring figures like Sinbad, Dina, Mujab, Samir, and Harun al-Rashid appear. A red herring, such as a flying carpet, is presented in each episode to allow the stories to continue.

Characters

Scheherazade, voiced by Nicole Oliver, is confident, quick-witted, and no-nonsense. She is married to King Shahryar and serves as queen, mother, educator, and peace-keeper. She is the daughter of Majid, the vizier. King Shahryar, voiced by Colin Murdock, is slightly older than Scheherazade, inexperienced as a king, and unintentionally selfish, arrogant, and spoiled. He often listens to Scheherazade's stories and draws the wrong message. Donyazad, voiced by Tabitha St. Germain, is Scheherazade's ten-year-old sister. She is bright, independent, and feisty, and often tussles with Shahzaman, with whom she has a brother-sister relationship. Shahzaman, voiced by Cathy Weseluck, is Shahryar's eleven-year-old brother and a prince. He is spoiled, loves sports and sweets, teases Donyazad, and is a practical joker. Majid, voiced by Peter Kelamis, is Shahryar's vizier and Scheherazade's father. He is about fifty years old and often tries to calm Shahryar's temper tantrums, being sycophantic toward the king, while Scheherazade is smarter and subtler in her approach.