''Nilus the Sandman'' is a Canadian part-

animated Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...

and part-

live-action Live action (or live-action) is a form of cinematography or videography that uses photography instead of animation. Some works combine live-action with animation to create a live-action animated film. Live-action is used to define film, video ...

television series that originally aired on The Family Channel from October 5, 1996 to October 25, 1998. The series was preceded by three ''Nilus the Sandman'' television specials broadcast between 1991 and 1994 on

CTV CTV may refer to: Television * Connected TV, or Smart TV, a TV set with integrated internet North America and South America * CTV Television Network, a Canadian television network owned by Bell Media ** CTV 2, a secondary Canadian televisio ...

. The series was produced by Cambium Film & Video Productions and Delaney & Friends Cartoon Productions, and distributed by The Family Channel and Western International Communications (WIC). The show features the Sandman, named Nilus (voiced by

Long John Baldry John William "Long John" Baldry (12 January 1941 – 21 July 2005) was an English musician and actor. In the 1960s, he was one of the first British vocalists to sing the blues in clubs and shared the stage with many British musicians including ...

), who helps children and teenagers through their dreams while they are asleep, with the dream stories being animated. The scenes at the beginning and the end of each episode are shot in live action in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

. The show has a total of 26 episodes which aired over two seasons. The show later aired on A Channel in Alberta and MTN in Manitoba.

Synopsis

Nilus the Sandman helps children with day-to-day difficulties through helping them achieve happier dreams. While the children sleep he sneaks in and takes sand out of his pocket and flicks it into the air, which leads the children into their animated dream. The children are first surprised with their new animated avatar-self and start a journey discovering Nilus's friendly acquaintances – a talking clam and a camel – who help him during his mission.

Cast and characters

as Nilus the Sandman * Ian James Corlett as Blue the Camel *

Cathy Weseluck Cathy Weseluck is a Canadian actress and comedian who frequently works with Ocean Productions in Vancouver, British Columbia and is known for her roles as Near in ''Death Note'', Cybersix/Adrian Seidelman in ''Cybersix'', and Spike in '' My Lit ...

as Pearl the Talking Clam *

Don Francks Don Harvey Francks (February 28, 1932 – April 3, 2016), also known by his stage name Iron Buffalo, was a Canadian actor, musician and singer. Career Don Harvey Francks was born on February 28, 1932, and was adopted shortly after his birth. H ...

as The Boogie Man * Britt Irvin as Amy * Rhys Huber as Gus * Dale Gillespie as Carrotio * Micheal Fawkes as Frantic * Marcus Hondro as Uncle George * Simon Wong as Nick * Kirk McMeekan as Coach * Christopher Lovick as Various *

Stevie Vallance Stephanie Louise Vallance, commonly known as Stevie Vallance, also credited as Louise Vallance during the 1970s90s, is a Canadian actress, musician, composer and director who has worked on numerous films and television series, both live-action and ...

as Additional Voices *

Donny Osmond Donald Clark "Donny" Osmond (born December 9, 1957) is an American singer, dancer, actor, television host, and former teen idol. He first gained fame performing with four of his elder brothers as the Osmonds, earning several top ten hits and go ...

as Trendoid

Precursor television specials

Prior to the series' premiere, three ''Nilus the Sandman'' television specials were broadcast on

: * '' Nilus the Sandman: The Boy Who Dreamed Christmas'' is a Christmas special which premiered on December 1, 1991. * ''Nilus the Sandman: The First Day'' is a back-to-school special which premiered on September 3, 1993. * ''Nilus the Sandman: Monsters in the Closet'' is a Halloween special which premiered on October 27, 1994.

Episodes

The series aired a total of 26 episodes over two seasons between 1996 and 1998.

Season 1 (1996–1997)

Season 2 (1998)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Nilus the Sandman 1990s Canadian animated television series 1996 Canadian television series debuts 1998 Canadian television series endings Canadian children's animated fantasy television series Television shows about dreams Sandman in television Family Channel (Canadian TV network) original programming Canadian television series with live action and animation Television shows filmed in Vancouver BBC children's television shows