Spellbinder (Polish: Dwa światy (Two worlds)) 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.

An interesting note is that the people from Riana's world speak in an Eastern European accent, with their names sounding like names from that geographical area. This is because most of the scenes from the alternate universe were in fact filmed on location in Poland and featured Polish actors.

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 universe. 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, but she often gets away without her true nature being discovered. 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 'flying suit' to replace her Spellbinder suit, which had been taken from her before she entered into our universe and after Paul had successfully removed a stolen power suit from her on her last visit.

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.

Characters

Paul Reynolds

Paul Reynolds is 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. He portrayed by Zbych Trofimiuk

Riana

Riana 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 bolas and a spear. 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 Iceland". Riana eventually ends up being Correon's apprentice. She portrayed by Gosia Piotrowska

Alex Katsonis

Alex is 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. He portrayed by Brian Rooney

Katrina Muggleton

Having been 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. She portrayed by Michela Noonan

Ashka

Ashka is 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 overuses her power suit, and this leads to her downfall. She portrayed by Heather Mitchell.

Brian Reynolds

Brian Reynolds is 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 overthorw the Regents. He helps her create a new power suit. When he realizes his mistake, however, his knowledge helps bring Ashka down.He portrayed by Andrew McFarlane

Christine Reynolds

Christine Reynolds is 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. She portrayed by Georgina Fisher

Correon

Correon is 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. He portrayed by Krzysztof Kumor

Gryvon

Gryvon is Ashka's apprentice. The son of the Clayhill Summoner and Ashka's co-conspirator, Gryvon is selfish and sycophantic, 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. He portrayed by Rafal Zwierz