Saban's Around the World in Eighty Dreams

Carlos, an adventurer and storyteller, tells three children - Mariana, AJ, and Koki - about his extraordinary travels and adventures around the world and across different periods of history.

The children are not always convinced that Carlos's fantastic stories really happened.

With help from Grandma Frog they embark on journeys that let them discover for themselves what occurred, landing in adventures in the places and eras Carlos described.

Along the way the group meets figures and motifs from history, literature, and pop culture, traveling among other places to the pyramids, Troy, a pirate world, and the roof of the world, plus encounters inspired by Sherlock Holmes, King Kong, and Santa Claus.

When Carlos and his friends are in danger, Carlos can transform into a powerful bull and help them escape.

Carlos - the hero and narrator.

He tells the children about marvelous adventures he supposedly experienced in different places and times.

The character is based on French singer and entertainer Carlos (Jean-Christophe Dolto), a familiar figure in French pop culture.

Carlos himself voiced the role in the French version.

Oscar - the parrot who accompanies Carlos and the children.

In the Hebrew version voiced by Giora Kenneth.

Mariana - one of the three main children.

In the Hebrew version voiced by Yael Karavan.

AJ - one of the three children.

In the Hebrew version voiced by Tal Mosseri.

Koki - the third child, often identified by his glasses.

In the Hebrew version voiced by Ido Mosseri.

Grandma Frog - a character who helps the children on their journeys.

In the Hebrew version voiced by Rachel Atas.

The series was produced in the early 1990s as part of Saban's international activity, in cooperation with French companies and broadcasters.

It was created by Haim Saban and Jean Chalopin, and directed by Bruno Bianchi.

Haim Saban and Shuki Levy handled the music.

The series has 26 episodes and began airing in France in 1992. Canal+ started broadcast in November that year, followed by TF1.

The original French title was Les Aventures de Carlos ("The Adventures of Carlos"), while international distribution used Saban's Around the World in Eighty Dreams.

The international title is a wordplay on Jules Verne's Around the World in Eighty Days, but the series is not an adaptation of the novel.

The series was dubbed into Hebrew in 1994 and aired in Israel on Channel 2 under the Reshet franchise.

The Hebrew version was produced at Zound Tel Aviv studios, with voice direction by Yael Karavan, who also played Mariana.

Voice direction: Yael Karavan
Hebrew version production: Zound Tel Aviv studios

Yael Karavan - Mariana
Tal Mosseri - AJ
Ido Mosseri - Koki
Rachel Atas - Grandma Frog
Giora Kenneth - Oscar
Yaakov Buch, Shai Zornitzer, and Yehoyachin Friedlander, plus additional guest voice actors throughout the series.

Following the series, video cassettes and tie-in products were released in France.

In 1994 a computer game based on the series was also released.

Around the World in 80 Dreams came out for several platforms of the era, including DOS, Amiga, and Atari ST.

Animated Carlos is based on a real person: French singer and entertainer Carlos, who also gave the character his voice in the French version.

The French title Les Aventures de Carlos is completely different from the name used in Israel and many other countries.

The title Around the World in Eighty Dreams refers to Around the World in Eighty Days, even though the plot is not based on the book.

Haim Saban and Shuki Levy, who worked together on many TV productions in the 1980s and 1990s, were responsible for the series music.

Yael Karavan both directed the Hebrew dub and voiced Mariana.