Spellbinder (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Spellbinder is a sci-fi television series, produced by Film Australia
& Telewizja Polska
in association with the Australian Children's Television Foundation
.
The series is a 1995 serial of 26 episodes, co-produced between Australia and Poland
. It was also novelized by the creators, Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson.
Spellbinder is followed by a sequel television series, Spellbinder 2: Land of the Dragon Lord
, in which Heather Mitchell
reprises her role as "Ashka".
. This other world is inhabited by a more hierarchic
and technologically different society, ruled by a group of people known as Spellbinders. Paul meets a girl there named Riana, and they become friends.
The Spellbinders have discovered the power to create and manipulate static electricity. They fly in gigantic copper-coloured machines that utilise large rotating orange crystals, presumably creating some form of magnetic levitation
. The Spellbinders often use their power for good, but some abuse this power and use their discoveries for malevolence. One such malevolent Spellbinder is Ashka, who often manages to hide her true nature. Common people are often "banished" for their misdeeds, and sometimes spellbinders are banished, also, if they are proven to have done wrong.
There is tension from Paul's forays into the land of the Spellbinders and his attempts to return to his own universe, and also from conversations Paul has with his friends across the barrier between the two universes. Paul's and Riana's escapes also add tension, as do the interactions between Spellbinders.
Paul is eventually able to travel back to our universe, but he is forced to take Riana with him in order to save her. Later, when Paul is able to take Riana back to her universe, the Spellbinder Ashka follows Paul into our universe as he later returns home. Ashka seeks the unwitting help of Paul's father in making her a new high-tech 'flying suit' to replace her Spellbinder suit – known as a power suit – in order to make her more powerful than the other Spellbinders.
However, in the end Paul manages to expose her scheme and defeat Ashka, who is returned as an outcast to the Spellbinder world, while Riana becomes the new apprentice to Correon. In order to keep the Spellbinder world safe from the more advanced people from our world, the gateway between the two universes is closed permanently.
The Ancient Spellbinders were technologically advanced, although their everyday lives were relatively simple by the standards of our world. They lived in stone castles and relied on traditional agriculture for food, but they also developed electromagnetic power suits, long-distance radio communication, and metallic ships that used powerful magnetic fields in order to fly. Most of their knowledge was lost after the disaster, and today's Spellbinders only have a limited understanding of the science their technology is based on. Their flying ships and power suits are falling into disarray as they frantically search to rediscover the knowledge lost to them.
The Spellbinder world is governed by a council of three Regents who reside in the Spellbinder castle. The Regents are indifferent to the plight of the people outside their castle, enforce a very rigid code of laws designed to protect their power over the land, and ultimately are reluctant to believe Paul's claims about where he comes from. They imprison anyone who discovers or applies the principles of science, such as a toymaker who makes a toy that can fly. The basis of their power over the people is their technology, and they are ruthless in their desire to prevent anyone else from understanding it. People who are exiled to the wastelands are sometimes saved by, and then join, the group of raiders known as Marauders.
The people of the Spellbinder world are ignorant of the true nature of the Spellbinders' technology. To them, their power suits and flying ships are magic. The Spellbinders exploit this belief in order to maintain control over the people and use them for labour. Some people are allowed into the Spellbinder castle as servants, while exceptionally bright ones are taken on as apprentices to the Spellbinders. There is some degree of nepotism involved in the process though, as Gryvon is clearly only chosen to be an apprentice because his father is the village summoner.
The Spellbinders are beset with internal conflict due to the deterioration of their technology. Because there are only a limited number of power suits and flying ships still in operation, only a select few can be Spellbinders at any given time. At one point, a major dispute is legally settled by a ritualized duel in which Spellbinders fire power bolts at each other; such duels were noted to be somewhat archaic, however. The loser of such a match is stripped of his power suit and exiled to the wastelands to die. The same punishment is also given to anyone who violates the law against using science.
Paul's visit may have changed the balance of power in the Spellbinder world. Regent Correon invites Riana to be his new apprentice, and Ashka is punished by being sent to a labour camp (as seen in Spellbinder 2
) for her abuse of power. Although Correon was previously only interested in rediscovering the secrets of the Ancient Spellbinders, he now seems sympathetic to the problems of the people outside his castle. The rigid hierarchy that defines the Spellbinder society may therefore be weakening. However, Paul decides that future contact between the two worlds should be avoided in order to prevent Riana's world from being exploited by his own.
Because the suit's copper circuitry is mounted outside the suit, it is easily disabled by splashing it with water, causing a short circuit. The new power suit created by Paul's father in our world is able to repel the Earth's magnetic field, allowing it to fly. Its circuitry has also been sealed against being shorted out by exposure to water and power bolts are generated and discharged through pressing a button on the suits gauntlet, rather than striking wrist plates together to generate the static electricity.
. For communicating over great distances, an eyestone must be connected to a summoning tower. Village summoners are the only people besides the Spellbinders who are permitted to use eyestones.
The series was also shown in the United States on the Disney Channel
beginning in 1996, and the sequel appeared on Fox Family Channel
beginning in 1998. Due to a license dispute, the Disney Channel airing used a different opening and closing sequence.
The series was telecasted in Sri Lanka
in 1997 on Rupavahini
with Sinhalese subtitles along with its sequel
. It became very popular in Sri Lanka and has been re-telecasted several time on the same TV channel.
it was telecasted also in Bangladesh
on BTV [Bangladesh Televistion] in 1996–1997
The Malaysian telecast was run in 1998 on NTV7 channel.
The series was also shown in France on France 2
and also in Portugal by Canal Panda
from 2002 to 2004.
The series was screened in the UK and Ireland on ITV
and Network 2's (RTE 2) The Den respectively in 1995. The sequel series Spellbinder 2: Land of the Dragon Lord
was shown on satellite and cable channel The Children's Channel
and terrestrially in Ireland on The Den in 1997.
"Spellbinder" was finally approved for DVD release in Australia on 19 September 2005 by the ACTF in their decision to release early 90's children's series on DVD including The Girl from Tomorrow
. The complete first season was released on DVD 19 July 2006.
Film Australia
Film Australia was a company established by the Government of Australia to produce films about Australia. Its mission was to create an audio-visual record of Australian culture, through the commissioning, distribution and management of programs that deal with matters of national interest or...
& Telewizja Polska
Telewizja Polska
Telewizja Polska Spółka Akcyjna is Poland's public broadcasting corporation...
in association with the Australian Children's Television Foundation
Australian Children's Television Foundation
The Australian Children's Television Foundation is a non-profit, government-funded organisation in Australia concerned with the development, production, dissemination and promotion of children's television and other audio-visual material for children....
.
The series is a 1995 serial of 26 episodes, co-produced between Australia and Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
. It was also novelized by the creators, Mark Shirrefs and John Thomson.
Spellbinder is followed by a sequel television series, Spellbinder 2: Land of the Dragon Lord
Spellbinder 2: Land of the Dragon Lord
Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord is a teen, preteen and children's television series, and a sequel to Spellbinder. Both series deal with children travelling between parallel universes, although the only common characters between the two series are Ashka , and her sidekick Gryvon...
, in which Heather Mitchell
Heather Mitchell
Heather Mitchell , is an Australian actress, appearing in Australian productions of Stage, television and film. She is a graduate of NIDA...
reprises her role as "Ashka".
Synopsis
A group of teenagers go to a school camp in the Blue Mountains in Australia. While at the camp, Paul Reynolds accidentally moves through a doorway between our universe and a parallel universeParallel universe (fiction)
A parallel universe or alternative reality is a hypothetical self-contained separate reality coexisting with one's own. A specific group of parallel universes is called a "multiverse", although this term can also be used to describe the possible parallel universes that constitute reality...
. This other world is inhabited by a more hierarchic
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...
and technologically different society, ruled by a group of people known as Spellbinders. Paul meets a girl there named Riana, and they become friends.
The Spellbinders have discovered the power to create and manipulate static electricity. They fly in gigantic copper-coloured machines that utilise large rotating orange crystals, presumably creating some form of magnetic levitation
Magnetic levitation
Magnetic levitation, maglev, or magnetic suspension is a method by which an object is suspended with no support other than magnetic fields...
. The Spellbinders often use their power for good, but some abuse this power and use their discoveries for malevolence. One such malevolent Spellbinder is Ashka, who often manages to hide her true nature. Common people are often "banished" for their misdeeds, and sometimes spellbinders are banished, also, if they are proven to have done wrong.
There is tension from Paul's forays into the land of the Spellbinders and his attempts to return to his own universe, and also from conversations Paul has with his friends across the barrier between the two universes. Paul's and Riana's escapes also add tension, as do the interactions between Spellbinders.
Paul is eventually able to travel back to our universe, but he is forced to take Riana with him in order to save her. Later, when Paul is able to take Riana back to her universe, the Spellbinder Ashka follows Paul into our universe as he later returns home. Ashka seeks the unwitting help of Paul's father in making her a new high-tech 'flying suit' to replace her Spellbinder suit – known as a power suit – in order to make her more powerful than the other Spellbinders.
However, in the end Paul manages to expose her scheme and defeat Ashka, who is returned as an outcast to the Spellbinder world, while Riana becomes the new apprentice to Correon. In order to keep the Spellbinder world safe from the more advanced people from our world, the gateway between the two universes is closed permanently.
Episodes
| Episode | Title |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Big Bang |
| 2 | Where Am I |
| 3 | Finding The Way Home |
| 4 | It Isn't Magic, It's Science |
| 5 | Secrets |
| 6 | Show Me Your World |
| 7 | The Gunpowder Plot |
| 8 | Secrets Of The Spellbinders |
| 9 | The Labyrinth |
| 10 | Desperate Measures |
| 11 | The Centre Of Power |
| 12 | Spellbinder Jack |
| 13 | The Final Challenge |
| 14 | Lost and Found |
| 15 | Hospitality |
| 16 | Breakout |
| 17 | The Trojan Toffee Trolley |
| 18 | Run! |
| 19 | Reunions |
| 20 | Alien Invasion |
| 21 | Hunt For Ashka |
| 22 | Clowning Around |
| 23 | High Tech Power Suit |
| 24 | A Spellbinder In The House |
| 25 | Breakfast Of Champions |
| 26 | Flight |
Main cast
- Zbych TrofimiukZbych TrofimiukZbych Trofimiuk, birth name Zbigniew Krzysztof Trofimiuk, , an Australian actor. He is best known for his performance as Paul Reynolds, the lead character in the children's science fiction series Spellbinder.-Personal:Trofimiuk is the son of the Prague-born Melbourne sculptor Zoja Trofimiuk.He...
as Paul Reynolds – a teenage boy from Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. His life was normal until a prank at a camp went wrong and he ended up in the land of the Spellbinders. At first, Paul was unsure of how to react to the new world, but he settled in quite quickly and was able to discover Ashka's plot to rule. Paul has some rough military skills, which, combined with the scientific knowledge from his father, makes him able to defeat Ashka. - Gosia PiotrowskaGosia PiotrowskaGosia Piotrowska is an actor born in Poland and raised in Australia. In 1995, she costarred in Spellbinder, a Polish-Australian science fiction show where she played the role of one of the main characters "Riana"...
as Riana – she lives in the Spellbinder world. Her life was normal until the arrival of Paul. Despite getting off to a somewhat rocky start (Paul being mistaken for a Marauder), Riana quickly becomes Paul's friend. She has very good survival skills and can use bolasBolasBolas are a throwing weapon superficially similar to the surujin, made of weights on the ends of interconnected cords, designed to capture animals by entangling their legs...
and a spearSpearA spear is a pole weapon consisting of a shaft, usually of wood, with a pointed head.The head may be simply the sharpened end of the shaft itself, as is the case with bamboo spears, or it may be made of a more durable material fastened to the shaft, such as flint, obsidian, iron, steel or...
. Riana cares very much for her family and is upset when she realises that they may be in danger. In Paul's world, Riana is able to use some of her survival skills to help a newfound friend, and is known as "Paul's cousin from IcelandIcelandIceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
". Riana eventually ends up being Correon's apprentice. - Brian RooneyBrian Rooney (actor)Brian Rooney is a British actor with a number of television and stage credits. He is best known for his childhood television performances, in particular the part of Michael Winters in G.P....
as Alex Katsonis – Paul's best friend who knows the truth about what happened to Paul and tries his best to bring him back. In the course of the series, he also develops a relationship with his classmate Katrina, even though they are basically as opposite as they can be. Alex has an older brother, who is a mechanic but gets fired for unspecified reasons. - Michela Noonan as Katrina Muggleton – brought up by strict parents, Katrina is academically smart at school but has tendencies of naivete. Believing that the Mount Lara lights do exist, she travels up to the cave and is the only other person to both see and believe Paul's disappearance. She realises that the radios can be used to communicate and is able to succeed in helping to bring Paul home. In the second half of the season, Katrina becomes a friend to Riana, helping her choose a dress. However, Katrina is easily tricked by Ashka into helping her.
- Andrew McFarlane as Brian Reynolds – Paul's father. He refuses to believe that Paul is in another world, until Paul returns home. A scientist, Brian is usually more wrapped up in his work than his family, but eventually settles down. A single father, he shows a romantic interest in Ashka, not realizing she's a Spellbinder or that she plans to overthrow the Regents. He helps her create a new power suit. When he realizes his mistake, however, his knowledge helps bring Ashka down.
- Heather MitchellHeather MitchellHeather Mitchell , is an Australian actress, appearing in Australian productions of Stage, television and film. She is a graduate of NIDA...
as Ashka – a Spellbinder. She mistakes Paul for a Marauder at first, throwing a power bolt at him, then, realizing that he is unaffected (his rubber soles insulated him) chases after him. When she meets Paul at the castle and learns about fireworks, she blackmails Paul into giving her the secret of gunpowder, by holding the life of Riana and Riana's family over his head. Paul tricks her twice and Ashka winds up in Paul's world. In Paul's world, Ashka is unfamiliar with all the new sights and sounds and this proves to be a slight disadvantage, however she winds up working with Paul's father and creating a new power suit to take over the Spellbinder world. Ashka is ruthless and intimidating, and has the ability to create lies on the spot. Ashka misuses her power and privilege, and this leads to her downfall. - Krzysztof Kumor as Correon – a Spellbinder and senior Regent. His studies are on how to repair flying ships and power suits. When he meets Riana, however, and she shows him the technology from Paul's world, Correon realizes that Paul is telling the truth and teams up with Paul and Riana to get Paul home. He calls Ashka a liar and challenges her, but he loses and is sent to the Wastelands where he winds up with Zander (a supposed Marauder). He is the one who introduces the Regents to a "Marauder" and plays a part in Ashka's downfall in the Spellbinder world.
- Rafał Zwierz as Gryvon – Ashka's apprentice. The son of the Clayhill Summoner and Ashka's co-conspirator, Gryvon is selfish and sycophantSycophantSycophancy means:# Obsequious flattery; servility.# The character or characteristic of a sycophant.Alternative phrases are often used such as:-Etymology:...
ic, and follows Ashka's orders to the full. He is stripped of his apprenticeship after Ashka escapes and is punished by having to help repair Riana's family cottage, which was burnt by Ashka. Despite the fact he is no longer an apprentice, he still helps Ashka out, but in the end he is exiled just like her.
Recurring cast
- Joachim Lamża as Lukan – Spellbinder Regent
- Hanna Dunowska as Marna – Spellbinder Regent
- Piotr AdamczykPiotr AdamczykPiotr Adamczyk is a Polish actor.He portrayed Karol Wojtyła, who later became Pope John Paul II, in the movie Karol: A Man Who Became Pope and Karol: The Pope, The Man....
as Zander – a native of the Spellbinder world who is banished, he later becomes a Marauder - Julia Biczysko as Arla – Riana's younger sister
- Stanislaw Brejdygant as the Clayhill Summoner
- Erland Buchan Jal – Riana's younger brother
- Georgina Fisher as Christine Reynolds – Paul's younger sister, who helps keep Riana secret. Christine often expresses the wish for a mother and tries to match-make with her father and her baby-sitter, Gina.
- Andrzej Grabarczyk as Bron – Riana's father
- Sława Michalewska as Maran – Riana's mother
- Judy MorrisJudy MorrisJudy Morris is an Australian actress, film director and screenwriter, well known for the variety of roles she played in 54 different television shows and films, but most recently for co-writing a musical epic about the life of penguins in Antarctica which became Happy Feet, Australia's largest...
as Mrs. Muggleton – Katrina's mother
The Spellbinder world
Very little is revealed about the history of the Spellbinder world. At some point in the distant past, a disaster befell the planet, leaving their land surrounded by a wasteland where nothing can survive. They refer to this disaster as "the Darkness," and the ancestors of a group called the Marauders (raiders who live on the outskirts of their society, bordering on the wastelands) are blamed for the past catastrophe. It is later learned that the Ancient Spellbinders were the ones actually responsible for the disaster, brought about by their own intellectual arrogance and desire for increasingly powerful weapons. Paul, the visitor from Earth, speculates that "the Darkness" may have been the result of a nuclear winter, although this is not further elaborated upon. Regent Correon, with Paul's help, discovers an ancient book that describes an experiment of the ancient Spellbinders that went horribly wrong, but this book is destroyed by Ashka before more can be learned.The Ancient Spellbinders were technologically advanced, although their everyday lives were relatively simple by the standards of our world. They lived in stone castles and relied on traditional agriculture for food, but they also developed electromagnetic power suits, long-distance radio communication, and metallic ships that used powerful magnetic fields in order to fly. Most of their knowledge was lost after the disaster, and today's Spellbinders only have a limited understanding of the science their technology is based on. Their flying ships and power suits are falling into disarray as they frantically search to rediscover the knowledge lost to them.
The Spellbinder world is governed by a council of three Regents who reside in the Spellbinder castle. The Regents are indifferent to the plight of the people outside their castle, enforce a very rigid code of laws designed to protect their power over the land, and ultimately are reluctant to believe Paul's claims about where he comes from. They imprison anyone who discovers or applies the principles of science, such as a toymaker who makes a toy that can fly. The basis of their power over the people is their technology, and they are ruthless in their desire to prevent anyone else from understanding it. People who are exiled to the wastelands are sometimes saved by, and then join, the group of raiders known as Marauders.
The people of the Spellbinder world are ignorant of the true nature of the Spellbinders' technology. To them, their power suits and flying ships are magic. The Spellbinders exploit this belief in order to maintain control over the people and use them for labour. Some people are allowed into the Spellbinder castle as servants, while exceptionally bright ones are taken on as apprentices to the Spellbinders. There is some degree of nepotism involved in the process though, as Gryvon is clearly only chosen to be an apprentice because his father is the village summoner.
The Spellbinders are beset with internal conflict due to the deterioration of their technology. Because there are only a limited number of power suits and flying ships still in operation, only a select few can be Spellbinders at any given time. At one point, a major dispute is legally settled by a ritualized duel in which Spellbinders fire power bolts at each other; such duels were noted to be somewhat archaic, however. The loser of such a match is stripped of his power suit and exiled to the wastelands to die. The same punishment is also given to anyone who violates the law against using science.
Paul's visit may have changed the balance of power in the Spellbinder world. Regent Correon invites Riana to be his new apprentice, and Ashka is punished by being sent to a labour camp (as seen in Spellbinder 2
Spellbinder 2: Land of the Dragon Lord
Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord is a teen, preteen and children's television series, and a sequel to Spellbinder. Both series deal with children travelling between parallel universes, although the only common characters between the two series are Ashka , and her sidekick Gryvon...
) for her abuse of power. Although Correon was previously only interested in rediscovering the secrets of the Ancient Spellbinders, he now seems sympathetic to the problems of the people outside his castle. The rigid hierarchy that defines the Spellbinder society may therefore be weakening. However, Paul decides that future contact between the two worlds should be avoided in order to prevent Riana's world from being exploited by his own.
Power suits
The power suit is the central piece of Spellbinder technology. It is powered by a set of power stones, which can be recharged in the castle complex. By rubbing the cuffs of the suit together, a Spellbinder can generate and discharge a power bolt. In combat, the power suit can be worn with a small shield capable of deflecting power bolts. Although the technology is never fully explained, it is implied that the power suit increases the voltage of energy stored within the power stones and releases it in the form of static electricity. Curiously, while usually capable of causing death or injury to anyone on the receiving end of a bolt, Paul survived a bolt impact unscathed at one point; a feat he put down to his rubber footwear insulating him and preventing the bolt from grounding through him.Because the suit's copper circuitry is mounted outside the suit, it is easily disabled by splashing it with water, causing a short circuit. The new power suit created by Paul's father in our world is able to repel the Earth's magnetic field, allowing it to fly. Its circuitry has also been sealed against being shorted out by exposure to water and power bolts are generated and discharged through pressing a button on the suits gauntlet, rather than striking wrist plates together to generate the static electricity.
Power stones
Power stones are the primary power source for Spellbinder technology. Spellbinders get power stones from their lands. They are used to generate the power bolts released by power suits, and they are also used to create the magnetic fields that power flying ships. They are generally small, rectangular stones with a yellowish-hue, although the power stones found in flying ships are much larger. Power stones can be recharged by infusing them with electricity, which is done in the lower levels of the Spellbinders' castle.Summoning towers
Summoning towers are large metal towers that resemble electrical transformers and radio towers. The primary purpose of the summoning tower is to contact the Spellbinders when they are needed. An eyestone is placed into a cradle at the base of the tower, which presumably amplifies the signal it generates. The summoning towers also produce a magnetic field used to give flying ships their 'lift' (as evidenced when Paul shorts the main power stone in the castle, causing all flying ships to crash) and can be used as a landing pad for the flying ships.Eyestones
Spellbinders communicate with each other with a handheld eyestone. The device has an outer lattice bearing the Spellbinder insignia, and opens to reveal a small circuit board. An eyestone creates a weak radio signal, similar to a walkie-talkieWalkie-talkie
A walkie-talkie is a hand-held, portable, two-way radio transceiver. Its development during the Second World War has been variously credited to Donald L. Hings, radio engineer Alfred J. Gross, and engineering teams at Motorola...
. For communicating over great distances, an eyestone must be connected to a summoning tower. Village summoners are the only people besides the Spellbinders who are permitted to use eyestones.
Flying ships
The Spellbinders travel large distances in their metal flying ships. Unlike airplanes, which operate on aerodynamic principles, flying ships generate lift through powerful magnetic fields. Each flying ship is equipped with a pair of large power stones on either side, which rotate slowly as the ship moves. This motion creates a magnetic field powerful enough to repel against another magnetic field created by the summoning towers. Flying ships can be used for transportation and also to dust crops with pesticide. Although the technology that powers them is impressive, flying ships generally move somewhat slowly. By the time of Paul's visit to the Spellbinder's world, only six remain in operation.Compass
Spellbinders use a small magnetic compass to navigate when travelling on foot or horseback. The compass contains a gyro device that is pulled into motion with a piece of string. The arrow of the compass then moves to detect north.Television and DVD releases
Aimed at teenagers and children, the first 13 episodes of the series ("Riana's World") screened on Australian television in 1995 with the second half of the series ("Paul's World") screened by the end of 1995.The series was also shown in the United States on the Disney Channel
Disney Channel
Disney Channel is an American basic cable and satellite television network, owned by the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company. It is under the direction of Disney-ABC Television Group President Anne Sweeney. The channel's headquarters is located on West Alameda Ave. in...
beginning in 1996, and the sequel appeared on Fox Family Channel
ABC Family
ABC Family, stylized as abc family, is an American television network, owned by ABC Family Worldwide Inc., a subsidiary of the Disney-ABC Television Group division of The Walt Disney Company...
beginning in 1998. Due to a license dispute, the Disney Channel airing used a different opening and closing sequence.
The series was telecasted in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
in 1997 on Rupavahini
Rupavahini
Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation , is the national television network of Sri Lanka. Gifted by the people of Japan to the people of Sri Lanka, mainly for the provision of education, information and entertainment....
with Sinhalese subtitles along with its sequel
Spellbinder 2: Land of the Dragon Lord
Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord is a teen, preteen and children's television series, and a sequel to Spellbinder. Both series deal with children travelling between parallel universes, although the only common characters between the two series are Ashka , and her sidekick Gryvon...
. It became very popular in Sri Lanka and has been re-telecasted several time on the same TV channel.
it was telecasted also in Bangladesh
Bangladesh
Bangladesh , officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh is a sovereign state located in South Asia. It is bordered by India on all sides except for a small border with Burma to the far southeast and by the Bay of Bengal to the south...
on BTV [Bangladesh Televistion] in 1996–1997
The Malaysian telecast was run in 1998 on NTV7 channel.
The series was also shown in France on France 2
France 2
France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
and also in Portugal by Canal Panda
Canal Panda
Canal Panda is the first Portuguese cable television channel dedicated to children's programming, mostly animated series. The channel was founded in 1996 as Panda Club in Spain and Portugal, but the name was changed to Canal Panda in 1997. In 2000, the channel left Spain, thus concentrating...
from 2002 to 2004.
The series was screened in the UK and Ireland on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
and Network 2's (RTE 2) The Den respectively in 1995. The sequel series Spellbinder 2: Land of the Dragon Lord
Spellbinder 2: Land of the Dragon Lord
Spellbinder: Land of the Dragon Lord is a teen, preteen and children's television series, and a sequel to Spellbinder. Both series deal with children travelling between parallel universes, although the only common characters between the two series are Ashka , and her sidekick Gryvon...
was shown on satellite and cable channel The Children's Channel
The Children's Channel
The Children's Channel, also known as TCC, was a television station in the United Kingdom, Benelux and Scandinavia, which was owned by Flextech . It began broadcasting on 1 September 1984, and was closed on 3 April 1998...
and terrestrially in Ireland on The Den in 1997.
"Spellbinder" was finally approved for DVD release in Australia on 19 September 2005 by the ACTF in their decision to release early 90's children's series on DVD including The Girl from Tomorrow
The Girl from Tomorrow
The Girl from Tomorrow is an Australian children's television series created by Film Australia. The series is based around Alana , a girl from the year 3000...
. The complete first season was released on DVD 19 July 2006.