Iznogoud - Season 1 (1995)

A magician from a faraway land reveals to Iznogoud a new magic trick: a hopscotch that has the power to turn anyone who jumps on the last square back into a kid. Because the Sultan cannot rule if he is under age, this hopscotch would make Iznogoud the new Sultan! Of course, almost everyone will jump on the hopscotch but the Sultan!

Iznogoud learns that a scientist has created a machine to travel into space. The only problem is that this machine never gets back to Earth. What a great invention to get rid of the Sultan, indefinitely! However, there is a major flaw to this invention: the Chinese powder used as fuel has a tendency to "start" too quickly.

The young prince Saydkar, one of the numerous children of the cruel Sultan Stritkar, is going to the sultanate for an exchange trip. Iznogoud is more than willing to play the teacher: he wants to treat Saydkar so badly the child will go back to his father, complain to him, and have him wage a war against Haroun El Placid. The young prince, however, has may ways to make Iznogoud crack under pressure.

Ahdoolaf has brought his boss to the cabaret to see Djello, a famous hypnotist. Djello makes a demonstration of his powers by hypnotizing Ahdoolaf and another spectator and convincing them they are a mouse and a cat, respectively. The spell lasts as log as nobody claps. Very impressed, Iznogoud brings Djello to the palace, hoping he will hypnotize the Sultan.

Wandering in the countryside, Ahdoolaf meets a strange inventor named H.G. Very Well, who seems to come from nowhere. Actually, he comes from the future, thanks to an incredible time machine he built. Iznogoud plans to send the Sultan to the distant past and asks the inventor to rebuild the machine for him.

While passing by a pond, Iznogoud and Ahdoolaf spot a strange speaking frog. This frog is actually a young --not so charming - prince that has been turned into a frog by a fairy. Anyone who kisses the frog will help him become a prince again, but will then in turn be changed into a frog. From then on, Iznogoud's only wish is to have the Sultan kiss the frog/prince.

A merchant named Lihkwid sells to Iznogoud a huge bottle containing a potion that changes anyone who drinks it into a woodlouse. It is only the last drop that provokes the transformation, and the potion is simply disgusting. Iznogoud puts his imagination to work to find every way possible to have the Sultan drink the horrible potion to the very last drop.

The terrible Sultan Stritkar, of a neighbor state, is inviting Sultan Haroun El Placid for a visit. Since Stritkar is very hot-tempered and quick at waging wars (and winning them), Iznogoud will to his best to have Haroun El Placid make him angry. He will seize any opportunity to go drastically - and comically - against the protocol.

It is summertime and everyone is gone on vacation in the sultanate, except Iznogoud, Ahdoolaf and the Sultan. Walking the empty streets, Iznogoud meets a mysterious poster hanger whose posters are magical: people can actually enter these posters, but cannot get out! Iznogoud will succeed in pushing the Sultan through the billboard, but in doing so, he and Ahdoolaf will also be trapped.

Since the simplest ideas are often the best, Iznogoud schemes of taking the Sultan into the desert and having him dried up by the sun. He gets Haroun El Placid to go on a picnic and takes a lot of salty food with no water. However, with Iznogoud's legendary bad luck, the dry desert will turn into the most animated and refreshing place!

Ahdoolaf brings his boss, a merchant named Nohtevenclos, to Iznogoud as he is an exact double of the Sultan. Iznogoud thinks this man can help him in reaching the throne by taking the Sultan's place. He will do his best to have the Sultan and the merchant look exactly alike, but something will always get in the way to prevent him from attaining his goal.

A man of science from the West has mysteriously "landed" in the Palace's gardens. "Landed" is the word, for this man invented a strange potion that has the power of lifting you in the air when you drink it very hot. Iznogoud buys the potion from the scientist and is eager to try it on the Sultan. What Iznogoud discovers is that there are some side-effects to the potion: it loses power when drunk cold, and gives you the hiccups when drunk lukewarm.

A new magic merchant has opened a store in town. Iznogoud is among his first customers. The man sells a magic pair of slippers to the Vizier: if you rub them, a genie will appear. But it's a genie who is more than laid back! However, due to a chain of unexpected events, Iznogoud loses his slippers several times and will end up losing his temper!

From his window, Iznogoud hears a man sobbing: the man holds a golden statue that is actually one of this friends who has been transformed by a "gilder". This gilder, like his ancestor King Midas, has the magic power of turning everything he touches into golden metal. Iznogoud travels to the gilder's faraway castle and convinces him to come to the Palace and "shake hands" with the Sultan. The rest of the story is easy to guess!

The Sultan wants to know what his people really think if him and decides to take a stroll in the streets of the city. Of course, since no one can peek at the Sultan, there is nobody to ask questions of! Iznogoud suggests that the Sultan go in town incognito, dressed as a beggar. The Vizier plans of course to take advantage of the Sultan's absence and asks the guards to arrest any beggar who comes to the palace.

In the streets of the sultanate, Iznogoud spots a Chinese magician playing a magical flute. This flute can change anyone into a dog if a certain tune is played. After hearing the tune, Iznogoud takes the flute from the magician's hands and changes him into a dog. He then intends to play the tune in front of the Sultan. But in the meantime, the tune has totally slipped Iznogoud's mind!

Iznogoud is at a loss. One of Haroun El Placid's sons is going to marry one of the terrible Sultan Strikar's daughters. This marriage could bar Iznogoud's access to the throne forever. At this precise point, a scientist brings to the Vizier a wonderful machine, a computer, which can answer all your questions. Time is running out as Iznogoud asks the machine how he can become Sultan instead of the Sultan.

It's the Sultan's birthday and Iznogoud has to find a present for him. In the street, Iznogoud spots a beggar who is begging a passer-by to take a diamond he is offering! The beggar explains to Iznogoud that this diamond is bringing bad luck to its owner. What a perfect gift for the Sultan! But, in the meantime, Iznogoud has to contend with this embarrassing gift, and experience the full effects of the curse.

We are in the middle of the desert as Iznogoud and Ahdoolaf are riding a camel. All of a sudden, an eerie light comes from above and the strangest alien space craft lands in front of our friends. Two extra-terrestrials set foot on Earth. Because Ahdoolaf looks menacing, one of the aliens, "tele-transports" him to another dimension. Amazed, Iznogoud brings the aliens to the palace, hoping they will do the same with the Sultan.

Studying the sultanate's laws, Iznogoud finds an article which states that the Sultan can be challenged by an opponent if the latter publicly insults the Sultan by calling him "Watermelon". If the opponent wins, the Sultan must be replaced by his Vizier, but the opponent is in turn inflicted with a terrible punishment. Iznogoud goes on the market place and finds a strong guy stupid enough to dare challenge the Sultan.

One day, Iznogoud overhears a storyteller talking about something cold, sliding and dangerous ... snow. He rushes to the weather magician of the sultanate, and has him create a snow storm in the middle of the desert. With the snow, there are dozens of ways to get rid of the Sultan: he could fall and hurt himself while skiing, he could freeze to death, he could get caught under an avalanche. But Iznogoud will soon regret he ever thought about any of this!

Iznogoud convinces the Sultan to take a vacation and go on a cruise. What he doesn't tell the Sultan is that the captain of the ship is Shooriz Badlahk, the unluckiest sailor of the sultanate. Of course, Iznogoud will end up being part of the crew, and a most dangerous journey will begin: on their way, they will meet a cyclops, a giant bird and the ferocious tribes of the Gourmets and the Sacrifices.

An ambassador from Amazonia brings to Iznogoud a fierce wild animal: a tsetse fly, whose sting sends you to sleep forever. Iznogoud must the get the fly to sting the Sultan, enabling him to take over. But in the process, the fly escapes from its mini-cage and hovers freely around the palace. The funniest chase between Iznogoud, Ahdoolaf and the fly quickly ensues.

Cymbal the Sailor tells Iznogoud of a scary island where he once landed and on which two man-eater giants live. At once, Iznogoud rents a sailboat and convinces the Sultan to go fishing with him, planning on simulating a wreckage while sailing close to the Giant's Island. But, of course, the wreckage turns out to be a real and Iznogoud and Ahdoolaf end up together with the Sultan on the dreadful island.

A strange named Tehl Tayl arrives in the sultanate. He has the unique ability to "smell" scandals and reveal the hidden truth about people. Iznogoud convinces him to create a lie about the Sultan, and Tehl Tayl make up a real tabloid story about the abandoned son the of Sultan. But quickly, Iznogoud is confronted by hundreds of pretenders all claiming they are the one and only abandoned son of the Sultan!

It is time once again. Once every ten years, the Sultan has to be elected. However, there is one minor detail: the Sultan is the only one who can vote! Iznogoud comes up with a clever scheme: maybe he can convince the Sultan to vote for someone else other than himself. A magician/hypnotist could help our Vizier in reaching his goals, until a group of yogis get in the way.

Iznogoud and Ahdoolaf visit a wax museum of an odd kind. It contains a special room in which one can find the wax statues of the greatest criminals in history. The owner of the museum reveals to Iznogoud that he can bring to life these statues with a magic formula. Surely, there is a criminal that could help him do away with the Sultan! But the statues have to be back into the museum before 7 pm.

Regularly, in the Parliament of the Sultanate, the representative decide if they want to re-elect the Sultan or not. Of course, there is always an overwhelming majority for the Sultan, and a minority against him. Iznogoud wishes that, one day, things will be reversed and a genie in his mirror appears and invites him to cross the mirror and see his dream fulfilled.

Iznogoud buys a magic potion from a charm merchant from India. It has the unique ability of making anyone who sniffs it lose their memory. If the Sultan sniffs this potion, he will forget he is the Sultan and Iznogoud will be able to replace him. He then puts some of the potion in the Sultan's dinner, in a perfume spray, in a bunch of flowers ... But, it is the cook, a parrot and the flower delivery boy, not the Sultan, who are the first victims.

A Tartar named Toto sells Iznogoud a magic talisman which, if you put it on and go to sleep, has the power to transform your dreams into reality. For Iznogoud, whose single dream is to become Sultan, this talisman could be a blessing. However, for Iznogoud it doesn't seem to function properly and his dreams look more like nightmares!

In the streets of the sultanate, Iznogoud bumps into a young apprentice fairy. To display her powers, she turns Ahdoolaf into a donkey. Amazed, Iznogoud brings the fairy to the palace, hoping she could make the Sultan disappear forever. But, since, the fairy is a beginner, the results of her magic tricks will prove to be completely off base.

In a tavern Kahpoodjinoh, a sailor, has brought back a magic goblet from one of his trips. If two persons drink out of this goblet they exchange personalities. Ahdoolaf is the first to fall victim to this charm. Under the physical appearance of Kahpoodjinoh, but still speaking in his own voice, Ahdoolaf goes back to his boss and lets him now about the powers of the goblet. Iznogoud is dying to try it on the Sultan in order to take Haroun's physical appearance and rule him. Things, however, turn out much more complicated than planned.

A new assorted tricks shop has opened in town and Iznogoud buys a magic jigsaw puzzle. What's magic about it is that you only need to think of the person you want to get rid of before pitting the last piece in place and he or she will crumble into a thousand pieces, just like the puzzle. Iznogoud tries several times to put the puzzle together but each time a piece is missing.

Iznogoud has the idea of going with the Sultan on a summer vacation. The beach is full of unknown dangers, and therefore are opportunities to get rid of the Sultan: you could drown in the sea, you could be attacked by sharks, you could get a sunstroke or fall in a hole made in the sand. Under the intense sun of August, Iznogoud is more active than ever and forgets too quickly that his plans always backfire!

Each year, the Sultan must proceed with the scepter ceremony. He must go down to a secret room, bring back the scepter, the symbol of his sovereignty, and present it to the people of the sultanate. If he fails in his mission and does not find the scepter, he is replaced by a new sultan. With the plans of becoming Sultan himself, Iznogoud recruits a professional thief and asks him to steal the scepter.

The sheik Travelahir brought back from one of his distant journeys a magic potion which has the power to make objects and people shrink. From then on, Iznogoud's only thought is to have the Sultan drink some of the potion, becoming so small he will easily step over him. Top accomplish this, the Vizier organizes a small reception where he pours the potion into a huge case, which then becomes as small as a drinking glass: a toast for the Sultan!

It is that day of the year again, Nut's Day! On this day once a year servants are masters and masters a servants. Iznogoud wants to take advantage of this day to become temporarily Sultan. He tries to get the army to join him, but the generals are simple soldiers on Nut's Day. Finally, Iznogoud decides to go across the border and meet with Sultan Strihkar to convince him to attach Haroun El Placid's kingdom.

On the palace's steps, Iznogoud saves a cat which was being chased by a dog. The cat changes into an old magician who offers a magical pencil to the Vizier. If Iznogoud draws an object or person with the pencil and then tears the drawing off, the object or person will be instantaneously transported to a remote unknown island.

Itsnotsobad, the sailor, is back from one of the distant trips to the Western countries. He brings back presents for the Sultan, and chooses a mysterious ointment to give to Iznogoud. Knowing the ambition of the Vizier, he tells him that this ointment - mere toothpaste actually - is a powerful poison. From then on, Iznogoud will try everything possible to get the sultan to brush his teeth.

Each year, the mercenaries of the sultanate take the oath to protect the Sultan and are paid a fair amount of money. If only Iznogoud had more money, he could get the mercenaries to fight for him against the Sultan. In a tavern, Iznogoud meets a fisherman who was once very poor and became rich thanks to .. golden eggs! He tells him that in the ancient city of Yohk, there lives an ostrich which lays eggs made of gold. Iznogoud quickly leaves for Yohk.

Iznogoud and Ahdoolaf are riding a camel in the desert, when they come to a crossing. Several roads run from this crossing, where a road mender is sitting. The latter explains to Iznogoud that one of these roads is the "road to nowhere", a road of no return. All excited, Iznogoud wants to bring back the Sultan and have him take this magic road. On his way to the Sultanate he is unaware that he took the dreaded road to nowhere.

Ahdoolaf suggests that his boss pay a visit on a magician he knows. The magician's place is curiously empty. Actually, it is full of furniture and objects but the magician has made them invisible, thanks to a magic formula. To work effectively, the victim of the formula must remain motionless. After successfully testing it on Ahdoolaf, Iznogoud goes back to the palace, hoping he can make the Sultan invisible too.

Iznogoud pays a visit to a magician who sells flying carpets .. a pretty good item in a country of Arabian Nights. A particular carpet is unique in that if you stand on it and give the magic word, the carpet flies to China .. and never comes back. Iznogoud brings the carpet to the Palace to get the Sultan to try it. However, it is Ahdoolaf who first falls into the trap and is transported to the Land of the Great Wall.

Panic in the Sultanate's museum. The precious "Relief Emerald" has disappeared. The thief is promptly brought to Iznogoud: a Japanese tourist who took a picture of the Emerald. Thanks to his magic camera, "the memories" box has the power to make anything disappear and to make it reappear in a photograph. The only condition for the camera to work is that the subject must remain motionless during the process. Iznogoud is eager to try the process on the Sultan, but he will heave a hard time keeping him still.

It's the Sultan's birthday again and Iznogoud has to find a gift for him. Stingy as he is, Iznogoud starts bargaining with a merchant of curios and souvenirs. For what Iznogoud offers, the merchant, exasperated, provides him with a special item: a magic shell. When Iznogoud presses it to his ear, he is transported into a fantasy world. He then discovers, together with Ahdoolaf who followed him, Souvenir's Island, where the monuments are life-sized replicas of famous tourists spots around the world.

In a fun fair, Iznogoud forces Ahdoolaf to enter a magic maze. According to what the owner says, nobody has ever found the way out of this maze. Consequently, after entering, Ahdoolaf struggles in there for hours before Iznogoud asks the owner to finally get him go and get him. Eager to try this trick on the Sultan, Iznogoud asks the owner of the maze to build it in the Palace's gardens. But our Vizier will have the hardest time getting the Sultan to enter the maze.

Iznogoud and Ahdoolaf venture into the marshes to find a genie who has the power to dissolve anyone or anything that touches the water of the marshes. They decide to bring back some of the water together with the genie in a boiler in order to have the Sultan dissolve. But, due to several incidents, the water they are bringing back is getting scarcer and scarcer.

Iznogoud decides to take the Sultan on a tiger hunt on the pretext that the Sultan needs a new bedside rug. The Vizier and the Sultan go alone, supposedly "not to scare away the poor animal". Of course, the Sultan will play the bait "because it would be cruel for the goat". With his usual luck, the Sultan will meet a traveling merchant specialized in tiger bedside rugs, and will escape an attacking tiger, which will in turn go after Iznogoud.

A witch doctor has come to town, accompanying a king for a state visit with the Sultanate. He presents a voodoo statuette to Iznogoud: if the hair of someone is secured to it, the owner of the hair feels everything the figure is subjected to. From this point, Iznogoud will do anything he can to get a hair of the Sultan and experiment with its evil power.