Arabian Nights is a three-hour, two-part miniseries that was made by Hallmark Entertainment, originally shown over two nights on April 30, and May 1, 2000 on ABC in the United States and BBC One in the United Kingdom.

The series was written by Peter Barnes and directed by Steve Barron and is based on the medieval Oriental stories from The Book of One Thousand and One Nights. The series consists of five stories which are framed with a sixth, this maintains the traditional style of stories within stories that is synonymous with the Nights.

The series is notable for its witty script, its high production values (featuring lavish costumes and eye-catching Asian locations), and for its star-studded cast, which includes Alan Bates, Rufus Sewell, Dougray Scott, Andy Serkis, James Frain, John Leguizamo (in a dual role), Jason Scott Lee, Vanessa-Mae, Alexei Sayle, Jim Carter, Mili Avital and James Callis.

Arabian Nights is a 1942 adventure film starring Sabu, Maria Montez, Jon Hall and Leif Erickson and directed by John Rawlins. The film is derived from The Book of One Thousand and One Nights but owes more to the imagination of Universal Pictures than the original Arabian stories. The film is one of series of "exotic" tales released by Universal during the war years. Others include Cobra Woman, Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and White Savage. This is the first film by Universal to use the 3 strip Technicolor film process.

Dancer Sherazade was told by the stars that she will become wife of the kalif in Bagdad. She tells Kamar, brother of kalif Haroun. He planned a coup d'etat, which failed at first, but supported by the wasir he finally succeeds. Haroun is injured and gets help from Ahmad's actor troupe, where he is nursed by Sherazade, who doesn't recognise him. When she hears that Kamar is looking for her she goes to him, but is sold with the complete troupe of actors to slavery. They're able to escape, but Haroun is still in danger. To save him, Sherazade agrees to poison Kamar, but Haroun tries to establish his rulership first. Written by Stephan Eichenberg

A clever slave girl must tell the story of the Lost Prince of Persia to a vengeful Sultan in order to save her own life. The tale begins with a wily young street thief learning his true origins as the son of the late Emperor Nebachadnezzar. Reluctant to accept his destiny, Fate forces him on an adventure that will team him up with a beautiful Warrior Princess, a deadly sect of exiled loyalists, and a rag-tag group of Rebels to fight against the tyranny on the throne, and fulfill his destiny as the legendary Emperor of the Persian Empire, Cyrus the Great. Written by Anonymous

Kidnapped by a sinister sultan, a clever slave girl spins a tale of redemption and adventure to keep him at bay. The tale she tells is of a wily street thief who discovers that he is none other than the lost prince of the Persian Empire, cast into the streets as a baby by his murderous Uncle. At first, he is reluctant to give up his roguish ways for a life of rules and responsibility. Until a beautiful warrior princess and a secret sect of magi lure him on a quest to recover the mythical scepter of kings once owned by Nebuchadnezzer himself, thus fulfilling the ancient prophecy of the returning king who would one day become the most powerful ruler of the Persian Empire... Cyrus the Great. Written by Anon

Long ago, the Sultan Schariar has gone mad after his traumatizing near assassination in which his wife collaborated and died at his hands as a result. Now he has a paranoid suspicion of women which he plans to express in a diabolical plan, and that is to marry a woman from the harem and then have her executed the very next morning. To prevent this, the Grand Vizier's daughter and a childhood friend of the Sultan, Scheherezade, offers herself to be that bride. Now, she must gamble that her plan will work as she tries to cure his madness by telling him story after wondrous story which include the tales of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves and Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp. All the while, the Sultan's villainous brother is making plans of his own and Scheherezade's stories are more useful against him than anyone can anticipate. Written by Kenneth Chisholm