MONTREAL -- Looking for a way to debrief from the "Harry Potter" experience? Well, there's a new TV series debuting in February that blends fantasy and reality in a way that has nothing to do with wizards, Hogwarts or Hermione.

Called "Galidor: Defenders Of The Outer Dimension", this highly original half-hour show -- which will air on YTV in Canada and Fox Kids in the U.S. -- takes place in a parallel universe where two teen adventurers put their heads together to ward off a menacing tyrant. Their secret weapon? Ingenuity.

Visiting the set outside Montreal is like stepping into a next-generation playhouse with touches of sci-fi. Although the story is partially set in present-day Earth, the action also moves into The Outer Dimension, where Nicholas Bluetooth and Allegra Zane embark upon quests to find the magical realm of Galidor.

Consequently, the live-action show is filmed to accommodate layers of 3D backgrounds and special effects. The sound stage has enormous green screens, the backdrops against which digital effects are applied, beside real sets, so actors can move from one "dimension" to another in seamless fashion.

This integration of reality and fantasy makes Galidor an enormous undertaking, creatively, technically, and financially. The 26 half-hour episodes cost a hefty $1 million (CD) each, with computer-generated images created in-house at CineGroupe, the show's Montreal-based production company.

The show's concept sprung from the fertile imagination of Tom Lynch, a TV talent behind "Caitlin's Way" and "The Jersey". Lynch and executive producer Jacques Pettigrew made the series in association with YTV, with distribution help from Columbia TriStar and Fox Kids Network. On board with Pettigrew at CineGroupe are Tommy Lynch and Ken Katsumoto.

CineGroupe, known for their integrated post-production capabilities, jumped at the chance to make an original show that would use their expertise. The LEGO Company bought global merchandising rights to the show and provided advance money, and all the pieces fell into place.

"Kids between the ages of four and 12 are going to love this show," says Mario-Claude Beauchamp, a producer on the show and the V.P. of development at CineGroupe. "Our ideal target is nine year olds, but there's lots of appeal here for everyone. It's not outer space, it's not futuristic it's not Medieval, so people can't call it one thing."

Beauchamp proudly points out that one of the show's leads, Allegra, is played by a Montreal native, Marie M. Sabongui. The young actress, at 18 years of age, still lives at home. She studied jazz and modern ballet before auditioning for acting work. This is her first major role, and it came from her first major audition for a starring TV role. Her petite frame and girlish looks belie her age.

"But I'd like to go back to school and travel a bit -- maybe buy a cottage," she says, still wearing Allegra's urban street wear and her thick, dark hair tied back in a sleek ponytail.

Allegra is the perennial sidekick. She's the leveling influence, while her best friend, Nicholas Bluetooth, gets into jams. Nicholas is being raised by his grandfather. He seems to be a perfectly normal 15 year old -- until he finds himself thrown into the Outer Dimension, where he discovers his hidden powers and learns that he must defend the Outer Dimension from the evil Gorm. To do this, Nick must find Galidor, a mythical realm that has eluded all other frontier seekers.

"Nick is a dreamer," says Matthew Ewald, the Minnesota native who plays the role. "He wants to fit in at home, but now he has a bigger mission."

Accompanying Nick and Allegra on their quest are three extra-terrestrials. There's a helpful robot, there's Euripides, an amphibian with an orange and green head made out of foam that looks utterly ferocious and there's Nepol, an all-blue alien from an ice world. Off-screen, there's a King figure from Galidor providing guidance and wisdom. Together, they devise ways to evade the wrath of Gorm, a Darth Vadar-like entity.

"We're establishing a new genre, using the kids' ingenuity to defend Galidor, instead of violence," explains Beauchamp. "Especially now, we all have to be careful with violence. We want the kids to defend Galidor without attacking. They do that with their smarts."