Merlin (TV series)
Encyclopedia
Merlin is a British fantasy
-adventure television programme by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. It began broadcasting on BBC One
on 20 September 2008. The show is based on the Arthurian legends of the wizard Merlin
and his relationship with Prince Arthur
but differs from traditional versions of the legend in many ways. It is produced by independent production company Shine Limited
. After a successful first series, U.S. broadcaster NBC
began airing the programme on 21 June 2009, but after a decline in viewers, it was moved to the cable network
Syfy
, where it began broadcasting the second series on 2 April 2010. The second series began airing on 19 September 2009 on BBC One
. On 5 September 2010, BFI Southbank
in London previewed the first two episodes of the third series for its September Film Funday programme.
Merlin was influenced by the U.S show Smallville
, about the early years of Superman
. After failed attempts to bring the programme to life, development of the current Merlin began in late 2006, with physical production beginning in March 2008. The series received a generally mixed reception when it began its broadcast. Critics were upset with the flat dialogue and the modern look to the series. One critic, in particular, called the whole concept "bland". The series première drew an overnight average of 6.65 million viewers in the 19:00 slot, a final consolidated figure of 7.15 million, despite being scheduled against popular ITV series The X Factor
. The first series as a whole had an average of 6.32 million viewers, which is fewer than Doctor Who
attracted during its first series, and slightly more than those received by Robin Hood. Merlin was also the fifth most watched programme on BBC iPlayer
in 2008.
The third series of Merlin began on 11 September 2010, and showed an increase in viewers, proving the show's increasing popularity. The third series ended on 4 December 2010.
A ten-episode fourth series was confirmed on 25 October 2010 (though it was rumoured to air in early 2012, later than its usual slot in autumn) so that it would not clash with the BBC's other prime time drama Doctor Who
which would possibly run during the same period. In March 2011, this was revised, and the fourth series was extended to the standard 13 episodes, with the show's star Colin Morgan confirming it would air in October 2011. It was confirmed at the 2011 Comic-Con in San Diego that the fourth series will again be broadcast in the United States on the Syfy Channel "in early 2012."
Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy, Executive Producers for Shine TV, confirmed on 24 July at the 2011 Comic-Con Merlin panel that BBC has commissioned a fifth series. The fourth series began on Saturday 1 October 2011. Filming for the fifth series begins March 2012 in Wales and Pierrefonds, France. 13 episodes have been ordered.
after his mother arranges for him to stay with the court physician, Gaius. He discovers that the king, Uther Pendragon, has outlawed magic and imprisoned the last great dragon deep under the kingdom. The dragon tells Merlin that he plays an important role: to protect Uther's son, Arthur, who will bring forth a great kingdom. When Merlin meets Arthur, he believes that he is an arrogant bully and Arthur, likewise, has a less than stellar opinion of Merlin. Merlin must keep his magic secret or face being executed by Uther.
Morgana is Uther's ward
with the power of prophetic foresight, which frightens her and which she keeps secret. Guinevere, whom she calls "Gwen", is her maid and close friend. The first series focused on the development of Merlin and his friendship with Arthur, while the second series focused more on the development of the other cast members. Some of the later series' central themes are Morgana's struggle to control her powers and her eventual corruption to evil because of Uther's actions, as well as the maturation of Arthur to become the great king of legend and his blossoming romance with Gwen. A year later, Morgana returns darker and more powerful than ever before. At the start of the fourth season, she learns about Merlin's identity as Emrys (though she doesn't know that Merlin and Emrys are one and the same) and Merlin finds himself powerless against the spirits of the dead that Morgana summons. Arthur eventually becomes king of Camelot after Uther is killed when protecting him from an assassin.
Other characters from Arthurian legend have also appeared. Lancelot
longed to become a knight but was unable to do so because of his birth as a commoner. Mordred
has appeared as a Druid
boy who formed a bond with Morgana (in the legend he is her
son and, according to the legend, either Arthur's illegitimate son or nephew), and it has been predicted by the Great Dragon
that Mordred will cause Arthur's death (in the legend this occurred at the Battle of Camlann
). Mordred and occasionally the Great Dragon refers to Merlin by his Druidic name, Emrys (the Welsh
form of Ambrosius); Ambrosius Aurelianus
was a historical figure that Geoffrey of Monmouth
partially merged with Merlin. Excalibur
is an ordinary sword that becomes enchanted by the Great Dragon and is later thrown into a lake (in the legends, this was the sword Nimueh
gave to Arthur).
After an attack on Camelot by the corrupted Morgana and her sister Morgause, the sword is struck into a rock by Merlin to keep it out of mortal hands.
, a fantasy series produced by Shine for Sky One
. The BBC
had been keen on showing a drama based on the character of Merlin for some time; a little over a year before the Shine series was initiated, writer and producer Chris Chibnall
had been developing a project aimed at a BBC One Sunday night slot, but this was ultimately not commissioned. The Shine version of the project was put into development in late 2006, commissioned by Controller of BBC One Peter Fincham
and BBC Head of Fiction Jane Tranter
, with Fincham keen on having more series on his channel which embodied "three generation TV – that's TV you can watch with your grandparents and children. There's not enough of that about."
Merlin was influenced by the U.S. show Smallville
, about the early years of Superman
, according to Shine producers, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps, who said that Smallville helped provide the idea that Merlin would see a "Camelot that existed before its golden age". Caps said: "Just as in Smallville we wanted to subvert expectations. Camelot is a land where magic is banned [and] Merlin ... is a young boy who works as Arthur's manservant and has to hide his abilities."
The series went into production in March 2008, with filming taking place in Wales and France (at the Château de Pierrefonds
). The series was produced by Shine in association with BBC Wales
, whose Head of Drama Julie Gardner
served as executive producer for the BBC. Doctor Who
's chief writer Russell T Davies had been an important influence on the tone and style of Merlin. CGI
special effects for the series were provided by The Mill
. The Old English dialogue used for spells was written by a university scholar and later the script editing team. Consisting of an initial series of 13 episodes, Merlin began transmission in the UK on 20 September 2008. In advance of this, a special trailer was prepared for release on television, in cinemas and online.
, where it was shown on Sundays at 8 pm (EST
), starting 21 June 2009. This made it the first British drama in over thirty years to be shown on US network television, as opposed to PBS
or cable. The programme moved to SyFy
, a cable channel also owned by NBC, for the second series, which premiered on Friday, 2 April 2010.
Syfy aired the third series in early 2011, after the conclusion of the initial broadcast on BBC. It was later announced the series would air after Friday Night SmackDown beginning Friday, 7 January at 10 pm/9 PM Central (CT). The distributor, FremantleMedia Enterprises, also sold broadcast rights to CTV
in Canada, Network Ten
in Australia, RTL
in Germany, Polsat
and AXN Sci Fi
in Poland and the Czech Republic, Canal+
, NRJ12
and Gulli
in France (Canal+ also broadcast Merlin in French on Canal+ D'Afrique), M-Net
in South Africa, ANT1
in Greece, CNBC-e
in Turkey, MICO in Japan, HTV
in Vietnam and MediaCorp okto and Mediacorp channel 5 in Singapore. The series is broadcast in 183 countries.
A documentary series created by the British Broadcasting Corporation called, Merlin: Secrets and Magic, explains how the series, Merlin, was created. Apart from the initial 50 minute special, which was broadcast directly after the series two premiere, and the first episode, shown first on the Sunday repeat, all new 15 minute episodes are shown right after each Merlin episode repeat on Saturday, Sunday, Monday or Friday evening on BBC Three
.
The show is broadcast daily on the CBBC at 4:30 pm.
said that "Colin Morgan is likeable and engaging as the titular hero" but criticised the dialogue, saying that it "doesn't exactly sparkle". Hermione Eyre of The Independent
called the episode "horrible", disliking the "modern" feel of it stating that "Guinevere looks like a supply teacher". Daniel Martin of The Guardian
called the episode a "flimsy caper" and also felt the dialogue was "awful" but did think guest actress Eve Myles
was "wonderful". A.A Gill of The Times
called it "bland" though Gary Jenkins, also of The Times, thought that "the central performances augur well". Keith Watson of the Metro
thought that Colin Morgan made "a likeable boy wizard" and that "the effects were impressive" but criticised the soundtrack for being "hideously jaunty" and called the dialogue "flat-footed".
record label. Merlin composer Robert Lane was nominated for Best Original Score for Television for the 10th annual Movie Music UK Awards (2008), the 8th edition GoldSpirit Awards
(2008), and the 5th annual International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) Awards (2008).
started a new attraction inspired by the series named Merlin: The Dragon Tower. In the attraction guests at Warwick Castle can encounter the Great Dragon.
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
-adventure television programme by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. It began broadcasting on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
on 20 September 2008. The show is based on the Arthurian legends of the wizard Merlin
Merlin
Merlin is a legendary figure best known as the wizard featured in the Arthurian legend. The standard depiction of the character first appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Historia Regum Britanniae, written c. 1136, and is based on an amalgamation of previous historical and legendary figures...
and his relationship with Prince Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
but differs from traditional versions of the legend in many ways. It is produced by independent production company Shine Limited
Shine Limited
Shine Limited is a British media production company with offices in London and Manchester....
. After a successful first series, U.S. broadcaster NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
began airing the programme on 21 June 2009, but after a decline in viewers, it was moved to the cable network
Cable network
A cable channel is a television channel available via cable television. Such channels are usually also available via satellite television, including direct broadcast satellite providers such as DirecTV, Dish Network and BSkyB...
Syfy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
, where it began broadcasting the second series on 2 April 2010. The second series began airing on 19 September 2009 on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
. On 5 September 2010, BFI Southbank
BFI Southbank
BFI Southbank is the leading repertory cinema in the UK specialising in seasons of classic, independent and non-English language films and is operated by the British Film Institute.-History:...
in London previewed the first two episodes of the third series for its September Film Funday programme.
Merlin was influenced by the U.S show Smallville
Smallville (TV series)
Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
, about the early years of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
. After failed attempts to bring the programme to life, development of the current Merlin began in late 2006, with physical production beginning in March 2008. The series received a generally mixed reception when it began its broadcast. Critics were upset with the flat dialogue and the modern look to the series. One critic, in particular, called the whole concept "bland". The series première drew an overnight average of 6.65 million viewers in the 19:00 slot, a final consolidated figure of 7.15 million, despite being scheduled against popular ITV series The X Factor
The X Factor (UK series 5)
The fifth UK series of The X Factor was broadcast on ITV in 2008. The series started on 16 August and was won by Alexandra Burke on 13 December, with new judge Cheryl Cole emerging as the winning mentor. Auditions in front of producers were held in April/May, with callbacks in front of the judges...
. The first series as a whole had an average of 6.32 million viewers, which is fewer than Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
attracted during its first series, and slightly more than those received by Robin Hood. Merlin was also the fifth most watched programme on BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer, commonly shortened to iPlayer, is an internet television and radio service, developed by the BBC to extend its former RealPlayer-based and other streamed video clip content to include whole TV shows....
in 2008.
The third series of Merlin began on 11 September 2010, and showed an increase in viewers, proving the show's increasing popularity. The third series ended on 4 December 2010.
A ten-episode fourth series was confirmed on 25 October 2010 (though it was rumoured to air in early 2012, later than its usual slot in autumn) so that it would not clash with the BBC's other prime time drama Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
which would possibly run during the same period. In March 2011, this was revised, and the fourth series was extended to the standard 13 episodes, with the show's star Colin Morgan confirming it would air in October 2011. It was confirmed at the 2011 Comic-Con in San Diego that the fourth series will again be broadcast in the United States on the Syfy Channel "in early 2012."
Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy, Executive Producers for Shine TV, confirmed on 24 July at the 2011 Comic-Con Merlin panel that BBC has commissioned a fifth series. The fourth series began on Saturday 1 October 2011. Filming for the fifth series begins March 2012 in Wales and Pierrefonds, France. 13 episodes have been ordered.
Series overview
Merlin is a young wizard who arrives in the kingdom of CamelotCamelot
Camelot is a castle and court associated with the legendary King Arthur. Absent in the early Arthurian material, Camelot first appeared in 12th-century French romances and eventually came to be described as the fantastic capital of Arthur's realm and a symbol of the Arthurian world...
after his mother arranges for him to stay with the court physician, Gaius. He discovers that the king, Uther Pendragon, has outlawed magic and imprisoned the last great dragon deep under the kingdom. The dragon tells Merlin that he plays an important role: to protect Uther's son, Arthur, who will bring forth a great kingdom. When Merlin meets Arthur, he believes that he is an arrogant bully and Arthur, likewise, has a less than stellar opinion of Merlin. Merlin must keep his magic secret or face being executed by Uther.
Morgana is Uther's ward
Ward (law)
In law, a ward is someone placed under the protection of a legal guardian. A court may take responsibility for the legal protection of an individual, usually either a child or incapacitated person, in which case the ward is known as a ward of the court, or a ward of the state, in the United States,...
with the power of prophetic foresight, which frightens her and which she keeps secret. Guinevere, whom she calls "Gwen", is her maid and close friend. The first series focused on the development of Merlin and his friendship with Arthur, while the second series focused more on the development of the other cast members. Some of the later series' central themes are Morgana's struggle to control her powers and her eventual corruption to evil because of Uther's actions, as well as the maturation of Arthur to become the great king of legend and his blossoming romance with Gwen. A year later, Morgana returns darker and more powerful than ever before. At the start of the fourth season, she learns about Merlin's identity as Emrys (though she doesn't know that Merlin and Emrys are one and the same) and Merlin finds himself powerless against the spirits of the dead that Morgana summons. Arthur eventually becomes king of Camelot after Uther is killed when protecting him from an assassin.
Other characters from Arthurian legend have also appeared. Lancelot
Lancelot
Sir Lancelot du Lac is one of the Knights of the Round Table in the Arthurian legend. He is the most trusted of King Arthur's knights and plays a part in many of Arthur's victories...
longed to become a knight but was unable to do so because of his birth as a commoner. Mordred
Mordred
Mordred or Modred is a character in the Arthurian legend, known as a notorious traitor who fought King Arthur at the Battle of Camlann, where he was killed and Arthur fatally wounded. Tradition varies on his relationship to Arthur, but he is best known today as Arthur's illegitimate son by his...
has appeared as a Druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
boy who formed a bond with Morgana (in the legend he is her
Morgan le Fay
Morgan le Fay , alternatively known as Morgane, Morgaine, Morgana and other variants, is a powerful sorceress in the Arthurian legend. Early works featuring Morgan do not elaborate her character beyond her role as a fay or magician...
son and, according to the legend, either Arthur's illegitimate son or nephew), and it has been predicted by the Great Dragon
Dinas Emrys
Dinas Emrys is a rocky and wooded hillock near Beddgelert in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. Rising some 250 ft above the floor of the Glaslyn river valley, it overlooks the southern end of Llyn Dinas in Snowdonia. Little remains of the castle structures that once stood here, save its stone...
that Mordred will cause Arthur's death (in the legend this occurred at the Battle of Camlann
Battle of Camlann
The Battle of Camlann is best known as the final battle of King Arthur, where he either died in battle, or was fatally wounded fighting his enemy Mordred.-Historicity:...
). Mordred and occasionally the Great Dragon refers to Merlin by his Druidic name, Emrys (the Welsh
Welsh language
Welsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
form of Ambrosius); Ambrosius Aurelianus
Ambrosius Aurelianus
Ambrosius Aurelianus, ; called Aurelius Ambrosius in the Historia Regum Britanniae and elsewhere, was a war leader of the Romano-British who won an important battle against the Anglo-Saxons in the 5th century, according to Gildas...
was a historical figure that Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth
Geoffrey of Monmouth was a cleric and one of the major figures in the development of British historiography and the popularity of tales of King Arthur...
partially merged with Merlin. Excalibur
Excalibur
Excalibur is the legendary sword of King Arthur, sometimes attributed with magical powers or associated with the rightful sovereignty of Great Britain. Sometimes Excalibur and the Sword in the Stone are said to be the same weapon, but in most versions they are considered separate. The sword was...
is an ordinary sword that becomes enchanted by the Great Dragon and is later thrown into a lake (in the legends, this was the sword Nimueh
Lady of the Lake
The Lady of the Lake is the name of several related characters who play parts in the Arthurian legend. These characters' roles include giving King Arthur his sword Excalibur, enchanting Merlin, and raising Lancelot after the death of his father...
gave to Arthur).
After an attack on Camelot by the corrupted Morgana and her sister Morgause, the sword is struck into a rock by Merlin to keep it out of mortal hands.
Cast and characters
- Colin MorganColin MorganColin Morgan is an actor from Armagh, Northern Ireland, best known for playing the title character in the BBC TV series Merlin. Morgan went to Integrated College Dungannon and, during his third year, won the 'Denis Rooney Associates' Cup awarded to the best overall student of that academic year...
portrays Merlin: The series' protagonist is a young and talented magician who attempts to keep his powers secret and will one day become the world's greatest wizard. He is also Arthur's servant, protector, and friend, despite the initial animosity between the two and his annoyance at Arthur's rudeness. He is compassionate and tries to see the good in all people, doing what he feels is just. - Bradley James portrays King Arthur Pendragon, previously Prince: The extremely headstrong yet brave and good-hearted son of King Uther, and current King of Camelot. He deeply cares about the people of Camelot even more than he does about himself. Though Arthur has been "trained to fight since birth" and is excellent in combat, he is often vulnerable, and Merlin must protect him to fulfil this legend. Arthur befriends Merlin, despite being his master, and feels protective of him, unaware of his power. The pair often save one another's lives. Although Arthur shares his father's prejudice against magic, he is more tolerant and fair-minded than Uther, often advocating second chances and banishment over execution. At the end of series one he develops respect for Guinevere; later, in series 2 and 3, he develops romantic feelings for her. In season 4 he is shown to have been ruling Camelot in his father's stead. After Uther's death in the third episode of the fourth series, Arthur is crowned King of Camelot.
- Angel CoulbyAngel CoulbyAngel Coulby is an English actress. She made her television debut in the BBC comedy Orrible. She is best known for portraying the character of Guinevere in the BBC fantasy series Merlin.-Career:...
portrays Guinevere (Gwen): Morgana's humble maid and former best friend. She has an open, friendly, and forgiving personality. In the beginning it was insinuated that she had a crush on Merlin; later, there was a romance with Lancelot and recently Arthur. Gwen's father, Tom, was the castle blacksmith but was executed by Uther for suspicion of practising magic, despite Morgana pleading his cause. It turned out that Tom had been framed and Gwen was allowed to stay in their house. There are indications that Tom taught Gwen some of his skills. It has recently been revealed that Gwen has an older brother, Elyan, who was estranged. He later became a knight of Camelot. At the start of season 4, it appears she has been caring for Uther whilst he is broken; she does this for Arthur's sake and not Uther's. - Katie McGrathKatie McGrathKatherine Elizabeth McGrath is an Irish actress from Ashford, County Wicklow, Ireland, best known for playing Morgana in the BBC One TV series Merlin.-Background:McGrath graduated in History at the Trinity College, Dublin...
portrays Morgana: King Uther's ward and his illegitimate daughter (revealed in series 3 to Gaius, and which Merlin overhears.) Morgana is best friends with Gwen despite their class differences, as well as good friends with Merlin in series 1 and most of series 2. She is secretly a "seer" – a person with prophetic powers. Although she does not realise it until the beginning of series 2, she—like Merlin—was born with magic (although Merlin is more powerful). While Gaius acts as a mentor to Merlin, he tells Morgana that she lacks any magic power in an attempt to protect her, giving her a sleeping potion to prevent her prophetic dreams. She is constantly lied to and thus feels alienated and confused. She is brave and forthright, caring deeply about others and strongly opposing Uther's persecution of anyone who comes into contact with magic. After realising that she cannot convince Uther to change, witnessing the persecution of those she cares for, and fearing Uther will discover her powers and kill her, she forms a bond with Morgause, a powerful sorceress with murky intentions, and thus finds herself in opposition not only to Uther but to Merlin as well. It is revealed by Gaius that Morgause and Morgana are actually half-sisters. In series 3, she is the main villain, serving an agenda developed with Morgause. Morgana is now fuelled by a desire for revenge against Camelot in general and Uther in particular. In season 4 she is again the villain, hating Camelot all the more because of her sister's disfigurement and eventual death. - Anthony HeadAnthony HeadAnthony Stewart Head , usually credited as Anthony Head, is an English actor and musician. He rose to fame in the UK following his role in television advertisements for Nescafé Gold Blend , and is known for his roles as Rupert Giles in Buffy the Vampire Slayer and as Uther Pendragon in...
portrays Uther Pendragon: Arthur's father and previous king of Camelot. Uther is often a ruthless and cruel man whom some have called a tyrant, but he does care deeply about Camelot, as well as Arthur and Morgana, despite often being strict toward them. However, he is frequently blinded by his hatred of all forms of magic. Since his wife's death while giving birth to Arthur (which he blamed on the pregnancy having been created through magic), he has waged war against magic-users, going as far as genocide. It has been indicated that he killed children who were born with magic and will execute anyone seen with a magician, thus Merlin and Morgana must be very careful (he is neither aware of their powers, nor that the latter of the two seeks to overthrow and kill him). He reveals to Gaius that Morgana is actually his biological daughter, born out of a short affair with Morgana's mother while her husband was away. His refusal to acknowledge this further turns Morgana against him. Morgana's betrayal leaves him a broken man and still so a year after the end of season 3. Uther dies in the third episode of Season 4 (The Wicked Day) from a fatal sword wound, attained whilst fighting to protect Arthur. Merlin, disguised as his older version, attempts to help but his spells are reversed and amplified by a necklace placed around his neck by Agravaine, according to Morgana's plan. Uther subsequently dies and Arthur is crowned King by the end of the episode, although he blames himself and magic for his father's death. - Nathaniel ParkerNathaniel ParkerNathaniel Parker is an English actor best known for playing Detective Inspector Thomas "Tommy" Lynley in the BBC crime drama series The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.-Personal life:...
portrays Agravaine de Bois. He portrays Arthur's Uncle, the brother of Ygraine. He returned to Camelot after a long period of time away, and while he seems to be guiding Arthur through the choices of Camelot, he has allegiance with Morgana, trying to help her become the queen she believes she is. After Anthony Head left the series as main cast, Nathaniel took his spot in the main credits. - Richard Wilson portrays Gaius: Camelot's court physician, Merlin's guardian and one of the few who know Merlin's secret. Gaius is a sorcerer himself, but Uther pardoned him long ago on the condition he give up magic. Gaius is also an alchemist and magical scholar. He has a dry sense of humour and sees Merlin as the son he never had. He is a trusted friend of Merlin's mother. Gaius is a great source of advice to Merlin and assists the young warlock with his knowledge of magic and magical creatures.
- John HurtJohn HurtJohn Vincent Hurt, CBE is an English actor, known for his leading roles as John Merrick in The Elephant Man, Winston Smith in Nineteen Eighty-Four, Mr. Braddock in The Hit, Stephen Ward in Scandal, Quentin Crisp in The Naked Civil Servant and An Englishman in New York...
portrays the voice of The Great Dragon – Kilgharrah. Merlin often visits the dragon when in a predicament, especially since he claims he knows Merlin's destiny. The dragon is also one of the few who know Merlin and Morgana's secret. However, where he encourages Merlin to use magic and protect Arthur, the dragon tells Merlin that Morgana must remain unaware of her powers. The dragon appears omniscient at times, and at the end of series two Merlin is revealed to be Kilgharrah's natural master. In series three, Merlin and Kilgharrah share a close bond of Dragonlord/Dragon and the Dragon comes to Merlin's aid when needed. Due to the Dragonlord bond, he must obey Merlin even when he disagrees with his orders or intentions. - Emilia FoxEmilia FoxEmilia Rose Elizabeth Fox is an award-winning English actress, known for her role as Dr. Nikki Alexander on BBC crime drama Silent Witness, having joined the cast in 2004 following the departure of Amanda Burton. She also appears as Morgause in the BBC's Merlin beginning in the programme's second...
portrays Morgause: Morgause is a powerful sorceress who stops at nothing to destroy Camelot. She is the half sister of Morgana through their mother. She eventually corrupts Morgana and turns her against Camelot. In Series 4, Morgana sacrificed Morgause to take her revenge on Camelot. - Santiago CabreraSantiago CabreraSantiago Cabrera is a Chilean actor, most known for his role as the character Isaac Mendez in the television series Heroes and as Lancelot in the BBC drama series Merlin...
portrays Lancelot: Lancelot longed to be a knight but was unable to do so due to his lack of noble birth. In Lancelot(The fifth episode of the first series), he found out about Merlin's powers after an incident with a griffin. After helping Merlin and Arthur many times, he eventually became a Knight of Camelot along with Sir Percival and Gwaine. In Series 4, Lancelot sacrificed himself to save Camelot. - Eoin MackenEoin MackenEoin Christopher Macken is an Irish actor and film maker.Eoin has modelled for Abercrombie and Fitch, Ralph Lauren, and GQ....
portrays Gwaine: Gwaine is a loyal person who befriends Arthur and Merlin and eventually becomes a Knight of Camelot. - Tom HopperTom HopperTom Hopper is an English actor who has appeared in various television programmmes and films such as Merlin, Doctor Who, Casualty and Tormented...
portrays Percival: His first appearance was in the final episode of Series 3, when his character arrived with Lancelot just in time to save Arthur and Merlin from defeat. He was later knighted by Arthur before continuing to fight along side him in the re-taking of Camelot. Percival returned in Series 4, now one of Arthur's best knights.
Production
The programme was conceived by Shine producers Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps, who had worked together on HexHex (TV series)
Hex is a British television programme developed by Shine Limited and aired on the Sky One satellite channel. The story is about a remote English country school that becomes the battleground between a demonic entity and the witches who oppose it...
, a fantasy series produced by Shine for Sky One
Sky One
Sky1 is the flagship BSkyB entertainment channel available in the United Kingdom and Ireland.The channel first launched on 26 April 1982 as Satellite Television, and is the fourth-oldest TV channel in the United Kingdom, behind BBC One , ITV and BBC Two...
. The BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
had been keen on showing a drama based on the character of Merlin for some time; a little over a year before the Shine series was initiated, writer and producer Chris Chibnall
Chris Chibnall
Chris Chibnall is a British playwright, television writer and producer. He is best known for his work on the science-fiction series Torchwood....
had been developing a project aimed at a BBC One Sunday night slot, but this was ultimately not commissioned. The Shine version of the project was put into development in late 2006, commissioned by Controller of BBC One Peter Fincham
Peter Fincham
Peter Fincham is a British television producer and executive, currently the Director of Television for the ITV network. He was also formerly the Controller of BBC One, the primary television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation, until his resignation on 5 October 2007, following...
and BBC Head of Fiction Jane Tranter
Jane Tranter
Jane Tranter is an English television executive who has been the executive vice-president of programming and production at BBC Worldwide's Los Angeles base since January 2009...
, with Fincham keen on having more series on his channel which embodied "three generation TV – that's TV you can watch with your grandparents and children. There's not enough of that about."
Merlin was influenced by the U.S. show Smallville
Smallville (TV series)
Smallville is an American television series developed by writers/producers Alfred Gough and Miles Millar based on the DC Comics character Superman, originally created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. The television series was initially broadcast by The WB Television Network , premiering on October...
, about the early years of Superman
Superman
Superman is a fictional comic book superhero appearing in publications by DC Comics, widely considered to be an American cultural icon. Created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932 while both were living in Cleveland, Ohio, and sold to Detective...
, according to Shine producers, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps, who said that Smallville helped provide the idea that Merlin would see a "Camelot that existed before its golden age". Caps said: "Just as in Smallville we wanted to subvert expectations. Camelot is a land where magic is banned [and] Merlin ... is a young boy who works as Arthur's manservant and has to hide his abilities."
The series went into production in March 2008, with filming taking place in Wales and France (at the Château de Pierrefonds
Château de Pierrefonds
The Château de Pierrefonds is a castle situated in the commune of Pierrefonds in the Oise département of France. It is on the southeast edge of the Forest of Compiègne, north of Paris, between Villers-Cotterêts and Compiègne....
). The series was produced by Shine in association with BBC Wales
BBC Wales
BBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
, whose Head of Drama Julie Gardner
Julie Gardner
Julie Gardner is a Welsh television producer. Her most prominent work has been serving as executive producer on the 2005 revival of Doctor Who and its spin-off shows Torchwood and The Sarah Jane Adventures...
served as executive producer for the BBC. Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
's chief writer Russell T Davies had been an important influence on the tone and style of Merlin. CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
special effects for the series were provided by The Mill
The Mill (post-production)
The Mill is a post-production and visual effects company launched in 1990 with offices in London, New York and Los Angeles.The Mill's Film special effects subsidiary, Mill Film, won an Oscar for its work on the film Gladiator. The Mill was the first UK-based post-production company to set up...
. The Old English dialogue used for spells was written by a university scholar and later the script editing team. Consisting of an initial series of 13 episodes, Merlin began transmission in the UK on 20 September 2008. In advance of this, a special trailer was prepared for release on television, in cinemas and online.
Broadcast
In April 2008, U.S. broadcasting rights were purchased by NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, where it was shown on Sundays at 8 pm (EST
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
), starting 21 June 2009. This made it the first British drama in over thirty years to be shown on US network television, as opposed to PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
or cable. The programme moved to SyFy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
, a cable channel also owned by NBC, for the second series, which premiered on Friday, 2 April 2010.
Syfy aired the third series in early 2011, after the conclusion of the initial broadcast on BBC. It was later announced the series would air after Friday Night SmackDown beginning Friday, 7 January at 10 pm/9 PM Central (CT). The distributor, FremantleMedia Enterprises, also sold broadcast rights to CTV
CTV television network
CTV Television Network is a Canadian English language television network and is owned by Bell Media. It is Canada's largest privately-owned network, and has consistently placed as Canada's top-rated network in total viewers and in key demographics since 2002, after several years trailing the rival...
in Canada, Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
in Australia, RTL
RTL Television
Rtl.de' redirects here. For other uses, see RTL.RTL Television , or simply RTL, is a German commercial television station distributed via cable and satellite along with DVB-T , in larger population centres...
in Germany, Polsat
Polsat
Polsat is Poland's second biggest television channel, founded on December 5, 1992 and owned by Zygmunt Solorz-Żak.Polsat belongs to the Polsat Group , which also owns other channels:*Polsat HD*Polsat 2 International*Polsat News*TV Biznes...
and AXN Sci Fi
AXN Sci Fi
AXN Sci-Fi is a European movie channel owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. It is available in Italy, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Kazakhstan and Bulgaria on Sky Italia, Boom TV, Bulsatcom, Cyfra Plus, Cyfrowy Polsat, Digi TV, Dolce, iNES, Max TV and N...
in Poland and the Czech Republic, Canal+
Canal+
Canal+ is a French premium pay television channel launched in 1984. It is 80% owned by the Canal+ Group, which in turn is owned by Vivendi SA. The channel broadcasts several kinds of programming, mostly encrypted...
, NRJ12
NRJ 12
NRJ 12 is a French television network. It is available through digital terrestrial television "TNT".-External links:*...
and Gulli
Gulli
Gulli is a French television network dedicated to children's programming. It is available through digital terrestrial television "TNT" in partnership with Lagardère Active, and France Télévisions with children's programmes from France 3. Gulli is also known as Cyperbot.-Programmes:Children can...
in France (Canal+ also broadcast Merlin in French on Canal+ D'Afrique), M-Net
M-Net
M-Net is a subscription-funded television channel in South Africa, established in 1986 by Naspers....
in South Africa, ANT1
ANT1
Antenna, better known as ANT1, is a television network airing in Greece and Cyprus. The alternate spelling is play on words in Greek; ena is the Greek number 1, thus ANT1 is pronounced the same as Antenna . It launched on 31 December 1989, the same year as rival Mega Channel, and is owned by...
in Greece, CNBC-e
CNBC-e
CNBC-e is a hybrid business/financial and entertainment channel operated in Turkey by CNBC Europe and the NTV Group.The channel shares its name with a co-owned magazine about CNBC-e....
in Turkey, MICO in Japan, HTV
Ho Chi Minh City Television
Ho Chi Minh City Television is the official televised channel of Ho Chi Minh City. HTV broadcasts in three channels: entertainment & advertisement service and gameshow on HTV7, information, propaganda-trend, official and analog-digital on HTV9, and HTV4. HTV also has several specific cable and...
in Vietnam and MediaCorp okto and Mediacorp channel 5 in Singapore. The series is broadcast in 183 countries.
A documentary series created by the British Broadcasting Corporation called, Merlin: Secrets and Magic, explains how the series, Merlin, was created. Apart from the initial 50 minute special, which was broadcast directly after the series two premiere, and the first episode, shown first on the Sunday repeat, all new 15 minute episodes are shown right after each Merlin episode repeat on Saturday, Sunday, Monday or Friday evening on BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
.
The show is broadcast daily on the CBBC at 4:30 pm.
International Broadcast
| Country / Region | Network(s) | Aired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 Turkey |
CNBC-e CNBC-e CNBC-e is a hybrid business/financial and entertainment channel operated in Turkey by CNBC Europe and the NTV Group.The channel shares its name with a co-owned magazine about CNBC-e.... , e2 E2 - Biology and medicine :* Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme, a protein component of proteasome-mediated protein degradation* E2 regulatory sequence for the insulin gene* Levuglandin E2* Prostaglandin E2, an abortifacient* Prostaglandin E2 receptor, a human gene... |
6 September 2009 - present | |
 Australia |
Network Ten Network Ten Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country... |
3 May 2009 - present | |
 Belgium |
VTM VTM The abbreviation VTM may refer to::* Vampire: The Masquerade, a popular role-playing game* Virginia Tech massacre* vtm, the main commercial television station in Flanders, Belgium... & 2BE |
6 December 2009 – present | |
 Denmark |
DR1 DR1 DR1 is a Danish national television channel, produced by the public service broadcaster, DR. It was the first television station to be established in Denmark, and began broadcasting in 1951 – at first only for an hour a day three times a week.... |
20 July 2009 – present | |
 Finland |
Sub Sub (TV channel) Sub is a Finnish TV channel owned by Bonnier. The previous owner Alma Media sold Sub and its sister channels to Swedish Bonnier and Proventus in 2005.-Programs and audience:... |
19 March 2011 – present | |
 Germany |
RTL RTL Television Rtl.de' redirects here. For other uses, see RTL.RTL Television , or simply RTL, is a German commercial television station distributed via cable and satellite along with DVB-T , in larger population centres... Super RTL Super RTL Super RTL is a Cologne-based German television network operated by RTL Disney Fernsehen GmbH & Co. KG. It was the second German television channel aimed mostly at children... |
17 October 2009 – 19 December 2009 (Series 1) 22 December 2010 – present (Series 2 onwards) |
Dubbed in German; It's currently one of the most successful programs for Super RTL. |
 Israel |
HOT Zone | 2010 – present | |
 Malaysia |
TV3 TV3 (Malaysia) Sistem Televisyen Malaysia Berhad or TV3 began broadcasting on 1 June 1984 as Malaysia’s first commercial television station. It is part of Media Prima Berhad group of companies. It now transmits opened broadcasting business private 24-hours a day, 7 days a week since 1 January 2010... |
25 January 2009 – present | The dialogue is subtitled in Bahasa Malaysia. The first two episodes of the first series received more than 2 million viewers according to AC Nielsen. |
 Kingdom of Romania |
AXN Sci-Fi AXN Sci Fi AXN Sci-Fi is a European movie channel owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment. It is available in Italy, Poland, Hungary, Ukraine, Russia, Romania, Kazakhstan and Bulgaria on Sky Italia, Boom TV, Bulsatcom, Cyfra Plus, Cyfrowy Polsat, Digi TV, Dolce, iNES, Max TV and N... & AXN AXN AXN is a Pay television, cable and satellite television channel owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, which was first launched on May 22, 1997. The network is now spread across several regions in the world, including Japan, Europe, other parts of Asia and Latin America... |
18 November 2010 – 31 December 2010 (Series 1) 4 January 2011 – 16 February 2011 (Series 2) 2 May 2011 – 19 July 2011 (Series 3) |
Series 1 and 2 aired on Tuesday and Thursday, at 23:00, EEST. Series 3 aired on Tuesday and Thursday, at 21:00, EEST. |
 Slovenia |
Kanal A Kanal A Kanal A is the first commercial television station in Slovenia. The television program, which has been operating within PRO PLUS d.o.o., has national coverage. In its primary target group of viewers , Kanal A is the second most watched TV programme in Slovenia... |
1 January 2011 – 12 February 2011 (Series 1) 29 October 2011 – 10 December 2011 (Series 2) 11 December 2011 - present (Series 3) |
|
 United States |
NBC NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... (2009) SyFy Syfy Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a... (2010-present) |
21 June 2009 - 13 September 2009 2 April 2010 - present |
Series 1 only on NBC, Series 2-3 only on SyFy |
Reception
When referring to the premiere episode of the series, "The Dragon's Call", Alison Graham of the Radio TimesRadio Times
Radio Times is a UK weekly television and radio programme listings magazine, owned by the BBC. It has been published since 1923 by BBC Magazines, which also provides an on-line listings service under the same title...
said that "Colin Morgan is likeable and engaging as the titular hero" but criticised the dialogue, saying that it "doesn't exactly sparkle". Hermione Eyre of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
called the episode "horrible", disliking the "modern" feel of it stating that "Guinevere looks like a supply teacher". Daniel Martin of The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
called the episode a "flimsy caper" and also felt the dialogue was "awful" but did think guest actress Eve Myles
Eve Myles
Eve Myles is an award winning Welsh actress of stage and screen. She is best known to Welsh audiences for her portrayal of Ceri Owen in the BBC Wales drama Belonging, and to audiences worldwide for her role as Gwen Cooper in the science fiction show Torchwood, a spin-off from Doctor Who.-Personal...
was "wonderful". A.A Gill of The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
called it "bland" though Gary Jenkins, also of The Times, thought that "the central performances augur well". Keith Watson of the Metro
Metro (Associated Metro Limited)
Metro is a free daily newspaper in the United Kingdom published by Associated Newspapers Ltd . It is available from Monday to Friday each week on many public transport services across the United Kingdom.-History:The paper was launched in London in 1999, and can now be found in 14 UK urban centres...
thought that Colin Morgan made "a likeable boy wizard" and that "the effects were impressive" but criticised the soundtrack for being "hideously jaunty" and called the dialogue "flat-footed".
UK and US ratings
The following is a table for the ratings, based on average total estimated viewers per episode, of Merlin on BBC One, NBC, and Syfy.| Series | Timeslot | # Ep. | Premiered | Ended | Total UK Viewers | Total US Viewers | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Date | Viewers (in millions) |
US Date | Viewers (in millions) |
UK Date | Viewers (in millions) |
US Date | Viewers (in millions) |
|||||
| Series One Merlin (series 1) Series one of Merlin, a British fantasy television series, began on 20 September 2008 and ended on 13 December 2008. Season one regular cast members include Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Katie McGrath, Angel Coulby, Anthony Head, Richard Wilson, and John Hurt as the voice of the Great Dragon... |
BBC One BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution... ) |
13 | 7.15 | 5.2 | 6.27 | 23 August 2009 |
3.2 | 6.71 | ||||
NBC The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago... ) |
||||||||||||
| Series Two Merlin (Series 2) Series two of Merlin, is a British fantasy television series, began on September 19, 2009 and ended on December 19, 2009. Series two regular cast members include Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Katie McGrath, Angel Coulby, Anthony Head, Richard Wilson, and John Hurt as the voice of the Great Dragon... |
BBC One BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution... ) |
13 | 5.77 | 1.3 | 19 December 2009 |
6.64 | 2 July 2010 |
1.49 | 6.20 | 1.39 | ||
Syfy Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a... ) |
||||||||||||
| Series Three Merlin (series 3) Series three of Merlin began on September 11, 2010. Series three regular cast members include Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Katie McGrath, Angel Coulby, Anthony Head, and Richard Wilson. John Hurt will recur in his role as the voice of the Great Dragon but is no longer one of the regular cast.... |
BBC One BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution... ) |
13 | 6.49 | 1.34 | 7.86 | 1.87 | 7.17 | 1.61 | ||||
Syfy Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a... ) |
||||||||||||
| Series Four Merlin (series 4) The fourth season of the British drama series Merlin began on 1 October 2011 with the episode "The Darkest Hour - Part 1". It will consist of 13 episodes shown on Saturday evenings on BBC One and BBC One HD . Series producer is Sara Hamill and executive producers are Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy... |
BBC One BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution... ) |
13 | 6.40 | |||||||||
Syfy Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a... ) |
||||||||||||
DVD releases
Series one and two were released on DVD in The United Kingdom, The United States and Australia. Series three is currently available in the UK, and was released in Australia on 4 August 2011. Accompanying all box sets are featurettes, video diaries, and commentaries. Behind the Magic, a two-part overview of making Merlin is included with the UK series one box set, while the documentary series, Secrets and Magic, is included with series two.| Complete Series | Release dates | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | US | |||||||
| Volume 1 | Discs | Volume 2 | Discs | Complete Box Set | Discs | Complete Box Set | Discs | |
| 1st Merlin (series 1) Series one of Merlin, a British fantasy television series, began on 20 September 2008 and ended on 13 December 2008. Season one regular cast members include Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Katie McGrath, Angel Coulby, Anthony Head, Richard Wilson, and John Hurt as the voice of the Great Dragon... |
24 November 2008 | 3 | 9 February 2009 | 3 | 5 October 2009 | 6 | 20 April 2010 | 5 |
| 2nd Merlin (Series 2) Series two of Merlin, is a British fantasy television series, began on September 19, 2009 and ended on December 19, 2009. Series two regular cast members include Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Katie McGrath, Angel Coulby, Anthony Head, Richard Wilson, and John Hurt as the voice of the Great Dragon... |
23 November 2009 | 3 | 8 February 2010 | 3 | 8 February 2010 | 6 | 18 January 2011 | 5 |
| 3rd Merlin (series 3) Series three of Merlin began on September 11, 2010. Series three regular cast members include Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Katie McGrath, Angel Coulby, Anthony Head, and Richard Wilson. John Hurt will recur in his role as the voice of the Great Dragon but is no longer one of the regular cast.... |
15 November 2010 | 3 | 24 January 2011 | 3 | 24 January 2011 | 5 | 17 January 2012 | 5 |
| 4th Merlin (series 4) The fourth season of the British drama series Merlin began on 1 October 2011 with the episode "The Darkest Hour - Part 1". It will consist of 13 episodes shown on Saturday evenings on BBC One and BBC One HD . Series producer is Sara Hamill and executive producers are Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy... |
28 November 2011 | 3 | 23 January 2012 | 3 | 23 January 2012 | 5 | To Be Announced | 5 |
Soundtrack
A soundtrack for the each of the first two series, featuring music from selected episodes, has been released on the MovieScore MediaMovieScore Media
MovieScore Media is a Swedish record label devoted to original film scores, founded in 2005 by former film music journalist Mikael Carlsson. The label is the main business activity of Carlsson's company, MovieScore Media Sweden....
record label. Merlin composer Robert Lane was nominated for Best Original Score for Television for the 10th annual Movie Music UK Awards (2008), the 8th edition GoldSpirit Awards
GoldSpirit Awards
The GoldSpirit Awards, yearly granted through the website BSOSpirit, are devoted to soundtracks and film music fans.BSOSpirit was released on 2001, as a Spanish website relating soundtracks and film music...
(2008), and the 5th annual International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) Awards (2008).
| Series | Release Date | Catalog Number |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | 4 November 2008 | MMS08021 |
| 2nd | 17 November 2009 | MMS09027 |
Tourist attraction
From April 2011, Warwick CastleWarwick Castle
Warwick Castle is a medieval castle in Warwick, the county town of Warwickshire, England. It sits on a bend on the River Avon. The castle was built by William the Conqueror in 1068 within or adjacent to the Anglo-Saxon burh of Warwick. It was used as a fortification until the early 17th century,...
started a new attraction inspired by the series named Merlin: The Dragon Tower. In the attraction guests at Warwick Castle can encounter the Great Dragon.
Official Magazine
UK publisher Attic Brand Media launched an official magazine for the show in September 2011 featuring articles, puzzles and a comic strip written by Damian Kelleher and drawn by Lee Carey. The monthly magazine costs £3.20 per issue and is distributed in UK newsagents.External links
- The Adventures of Merlin, the official global Merlin site
- Merlin at SyfySyfySyfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
- Merlin at NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
- External Merlin wiki