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Merlin (also known as The Adventures of Merlin) is a BBC fantasy drama which premiered on BBC One on 20 September 2008. It stars Colin Morgan as Merlin and Bradley James as King Arthur Pendragon. It consists of 13 episodes per series with a running time of 45 minutes. There were a total of five series.
- 27 rows The fifth and final series of the British fantasy drama series Merlin began broadcasting on 6.
- Merlin befriends a young man by the name of Arthur, who is to become the future king. The two are contemporaries, but Merlin keeps a watchful eye on the prince, knowing he might be in danger. Arthur doesn’t agree with his father’s rulings, which makes his bond with Merlin even stronger.
- Merlin Wiki is a database for the BBC and NBC TV series Merlin, including characters, episodes, locations, and spell information, plus blogs and more! The Merlin Arena Community-fuelled fun! Read more The Darkest Hour Read about it! Read more Emrys The destined warlock Read more.
- Merlin is a legendary character. He is best known as the wizard in the Arthurian legends. He was King Arthur's guide. Merlin is always a mysterious figure. He rarely gives his reasons for the things he does. Merlin was probably first written about in Welsh legend. His story is based on parts of several different real and fictional characters.
- Created by Johnny Capps, Julian Jones, Jake Michie. With John Hurt, Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Richard Wilson. These are the brand new adventures of Merlin, the legendary sorcerer as a young man, when he was just a servant to young Prince Arthur on the royal court of Camelot, who has soon become his best friend, and turned Arthur into a great king and a legend.
- Merlin website used to have a serial # to year table somewhere. Might try the web archive if it's no longer there. Seems like the serial was on a rear dropout 0 tmessenger.
Merlin is a British fantasy-adventure television programme created by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy, and Johnny Capps, starring Colin Morgan in the title role. It was broadcast on BBC One from 20 September 2008 to 24 December 2012. The show is loosely based on the Arthurian legends of the young wizard Merlin and his relationship with King Arthur, but it differs from traditional versions. The show was influenced by the US drama series Smallville about the early years of Superman,[1] and was produced by independent production company Shine Limited.
The series was broadcast on BBC One from 20 September 2008 to 24 December 2012. During the course of the programme, 65 episodes of Merlin aired over five series. The five series are available on DVD in the UK, the US and in Canada.[2]
- 2Episodes
- 3Specials
Series overview[edit]
Series | Episodes | Originally aired | Ave. UK viewers (millions) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | |||||
1 | 13 | 20 September 2008 | 13 December 2008 | 6.32 | ||
2 | 13 | 19 September 2009 | 19 December 2009 | 5.99 | ||
3 | 13 | 11 September 2010 | 4 December 2010 | 6.78 | ||
4 | 13 | 1 October 2011 | 24 December 2011 | 7.17 | ||
5 | 13 | 6 October 2012 | 24 December 2012 | 7.13 |
Episodes[edit]
Series 1 (2008)[edit]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [3] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | 'The Dragon's Call' | James Hawes | Julian Jones | 20 September 2008 | 7.15 |
2 | 2 | 'Valiant' | James Hawes | Howard Overman | 27 September 2008 | 5.40 |
3 | 3 | 'The Mark of Nimueh' | James Hawes | Julian Jones | 4 October 2008 | 6.30 |
4 | 4 | 'The Poisoned Chalice' | Ed Fraiman | Ben Vanstone | 11 October 2008 | 6.48 |
5 | 5 | 'Lancelot' | Ed Fraiman | Jake Michie | 18 October 2008 | 5.37 |
6 | 6 | 'A Remedy to Cure All Ills' | Ed Fraiman | Julian Jones | 25 October 2008 | 6.00 |
7 | 7 | 'The Gates of Avalon' | Jeremy Webb | Ben Vanstone | 1 November 2008 | 6.45 |
8 | 8 | 'The Beginning of the End' | Jeremy Webb | Howard Overman | 8 November 2008 | 6.25 |
9 | 9 | 'Excalibur' | Jeremy Webb | Julian Jones | 15 November 2008 | 6.47 |
10 | 10 | 'The Moment of Truth' | David Moore | Julian Jones | 22 November 2008 | 7.03 |
11 | 11 | 'The Labyrinth of Gedref' | Stuart Orme | Howard Overman | 29 November 2008 | 6.71 |
12 | 12 | 'To Kill the King' | Stuart Orme | Jake Michie | 6 December 2008 | 6.31 |
13 | 13 | 'Le Morte d'Arthur' | David Moore | Julian Jones | 13 December 2008 | 6.27 |
Series 2 (2009)[edit]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [3] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
14 | 1 | 'The Curse of Cornelius Sigan' | David Moore | Julian Jones | 19 September 2009 | 5.77 |
15 | 2 | 'The Once and Future Queen' | Jeremy Webb | Howard Overman | 26 September 2009 | 5.94 |
16 | 3 | 'The Nightmare Begins' | Jeremy Webb | Ben Vanstone | 3 October 2009 | 6.09 |
17 | 4 | 'Lancelot and Guinevere' | David Moore | Howard Overman | 10 October 2009 | 5.69 |
18 | 5 | 'Beauty and the Beast - Part 1' | David Moore | Jake Michie | 24 October 2009 | 5.53 |
19 | 6 | 'Beauty and the Beast - Part 2' | Metin Huseyin | Ben Vanstone | 31 October 2009 | 6.14 |
20 | 7 | 'The Witchfinder' | Jeremy Webb | Jake Michie | 7 November 2009 | 5.62 |
21 | 8 | 'The Sins of the Father' | Metin Huseyin | Howard Overman | 14 November 2009 | 6.16 |
22 | 9 | 'The Lady of the Lake' | Metin Huseyin | Julian Jones | 21 November 2009 | 6.30 |
23 | 10 | 'Sweet Dreams' | Alice Troughton | Lucy Watkins | 28 November 2009 | 6.02 |
24 | 11 | 'The Witch's Quickening' | Alice Troughton | Jake Michie | 5 December 2009 | 6.01 |
25 | 12 | 'The Fires of Idirsholas' | Jeremy Webb | Julian Jones | 12 December 2009 | 6.01 |
26 | 13 | 'The Last Dragonlord' | Jeremy Webb | Julian Jones | 19 December 2009 | 6.64 |
Series 3 (2010)[edit]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [3] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
27 | 1 | 'The Tears of Uther Pendragon – Part 1' | Jeremy Webb | Julian Jones | 11 September 2010 | 6.49 |
28 | 2 | 'The Tears of Uther Pendragon – Part 2' | Jeremy Webb | Julian Jones | 18 September 2010 | 6.06 |
29 | 3 | 'Goblin's Gold' | Jeremy Webb | Howard Overman | 25 September 2010 | 6.22 |
30 | 4 | 'Gwaine' | David Moore | Julian Jones | 2 October 2010 | 6.42 |
31 | 5 | 'The Crystal Cave' | Alice Troughton | Julian Jones | 9 October 2010 | 6.36 |
32 | 6 | 'The Changeling' | David Moore | Lucy Watkins | 16 October 2010 | 6.40 |
33 | 7 | 'The Castle of Fyrien' | David Moore | Jake Michie | 23 October 2010 | 6.82 |
34 | 8 | 'The Eye of the Phoenix' | Alice Troughton | Julian Jones | 30 October 2010 | 6.92 |
35 | 9 | 'Love in the Time of Dragons' | Alice Troughton | Jake Michie | 6 November 2010 | 6.90 |
36 | 10 | 'Queen of Hearts' | Ashley Way | Howard Overman | 13 November 2010 | 7.37 |
37 | 11 | 'The Sorcerer's Shadow' | Ashley Way | Julian Jones | 20 November 2010 | 7.42 |
38 | 12 | 'The Coming of Arthur – Part 1' | Jeremy Webb | Jake Michie | 27 November 2010 | 7.12 |
39 | 13 | 'The Coming of Arthur – Part 2' | Jeremy Webb | Julian Jones | 4 December 2010 | 7.67 |
Series 4 (2011)[edit]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [3] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
40 | 1 | 'The Darkest Hour - Part 1' | Alice Troughton | Julian Jones | 1 October 2011 | 6.40 |
41 | 2 | 'The Darkest Hour - Part 2' | Alice Troughton | Julian Jones | 8 October 2011 | 6.80 |
42 | 3 | 'The Wicked Day' | Alice Troughton | Howard Overman | 15 October 2011 | 7.04 |
43 | 4 | 'Aithusa' | Alex Pillai | Julian Jones | 22 October 2011 | 6.96 |
44 | 5 | 'His Father's Son' | Alex Pillai | Jake Michie | 29 October 2011 | 7.40 |
45 | 6 | 'A Servant of Two Masters' | Alex Pillai | Lucy Watkins | 5 November 2011 | 6.94 |
46 | 7 | 'The Secret Sharer' | Justin Molotnikov | Julian Jones | 12 November 2011 | 6.72 |
47 | 8 | 'Lamia' | Justin Molotnikov | Jake Michie | 19 November 2011 | 7.00 |
48 | 9 | 'Lancelot du Lac' | Justin Molotnikov | Lucy Watkins | 26 November 2011 | 7.32 |
49 | 10 | 'A Herald of the New Age' | Jeremy Webb | Howard Overman | 3 December 2011 | 6.90 |
50 | 11 | 'The Hunter's Heart' | Jeremy Webb | Richard McBrien | 10 December 2011 | 7.12 |
51 | 12 | 'The Sword in the Stone: Part 1' | Alice Troughton | Jake Michie | 17 December 2011 | 8.39 |
52 | 13 | 'The Sword in the Stone: Part 2' | Alice Troughton | Julian Jones | 24 December 2011 | 8.18 |
Series 5 (2012)[edit]
No. overall | No. in series | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [3] |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
53 | 1 | 'Arthur's Bane - Part 1' | Justin Molotnikov | Julian Jones | 6 October 2012 | 7.12 |
54 | 2 | 'Arthur's Bane - Part 2' | Justin Molotnikov | Julian Jones | 13 October 2012 | 6.99 |
55 | 3 | 'The Death Song of Uther Pendragon' | Justin Molotnikov | Howard Overman | 20 October 2012 | 6.86 |
56 | 4 | 'Another's Sorrow' | Ashley Way | Jake Michie | 27 October 2012 | 6.86 |
57 | 5 | 'The Disir' | Ashley Way | Richard McBrien | 3 November 2012 | 6.88 |
58 | 6 | 'The Dark Tower' | Ashley Way | Julian Jones | 10 November 2012 | 6.85 |
59 | 7 | 'A Lesson in Vengeance' | Alice Troughton | Jake Michie | 17 November 2012 | 6.86 |
60 | 8 | 'The Hollow Queen' | Alice Troughton | Julian Jones | 24 November 2012 | 6.86 |
61 | 9 | 'With All My Heart' | Alice Troughton | Richard McBrien | 1 December 2012 | 6.76 |
62 | 10 | 'The Kindness of Strangers' | Declan O'Dwyer | Richard McBrien | 8 December 2012 | 7.00 |
63 | 11 | 'The Drawing of the Dark' | Declan O'Dwyer | Julian Jones | 15 December 2012 | 7.34 |
64 | 12 | 'The Diamond of the Day - Part 1' | Justin Molotnikov | Jake Michie | 22 December 2012 | 8.45 |
65 | 13 | 'The Diamond of the Day - Part 2' | Justin Molotnikov | Julian Jones | 24 December 2012 | 7.80 |
Specials[edit]
Children in Need[edit]
No. | Title | Original air date | UK viewers (millions) [3] | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 'Merlin in Need 2008' | 14 November 2008 | 9.83 | |
The kingdom raises money for the great creature Pudsey by throwing rotten vegetables at Merlin. A two-minute sketch for the BBC's 'Children in Need' appeal. | ||||
2 | 'Merlin in Need 2009' | 20 November 2009 | 10.08 | |
An apparent sorcerer is on the loose, turning everything modern in Camelot. A two-minute sketch for 'Children in Need'. | ||||
3 | 'Merlin in Need 2010' | 19 November 2010 | 12.94 | |
The cast of Merlin gives a quick summary asking to donate money to Children in Need with some bloopers. |
BBC Wales Exclusive Documentary[edit]
No. | Title | Directed by | Original air date | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 'The Real Merlin and Arthur' | Mark Procter | 28 November 2009 | |
Stars of the hit drama series Merlin, Colin Morgan and Bradley James, set off across Wales to explore the country's centuries-old connections to the legend of King Arthur and his wizard Merlin. Along the way they encounter enthusiasts and experts in Arthurian lore, and visit some of the most breathtaking landscapes in Wales.[4] |
Secrets and Magic[edit]
A documentary series created by the BBC called Secrets and Magic was produced to accompany episodes of the second series. In a similar fashion to Doctor Who Confidential, the series looks at the production of each episode of the drama, featuring interviews with cast and crew as well as on-set footage. Shown on the BBC Three.
No. | Title | Original air date | Prod code |
---|---|---|---|
0 | 'Welcome to Camelot' | 19 September 2009 | 1.X |
1 | 'Merlin Time' | 20 September 2009 | 1.1 |
2 | 'Fit For a King' | 2 October 2009 | 1.2 |
3 | 'Casting the Magic' | 9 October 2009 | 1.3 |
4 | 'Maid to be Queen' | 12 October 2009 | 1.4 |
5 | 'Trolly Dolly' | 24 October 2009 | 1.5 |
6 | 'Con-troll Freak' | 2 November 2009 | 1.6 |
7 | 'Witch Hunt' | 9 November 2009 | 1.7 |
8 | 'A Family Affair' | 16 November 2009 | 1.8 |
9 | 'Hardwork and Heartbreak' | 22 November 2009 | 1.9 |
10 | 'Love Fool' | 28 November 2009 | 1.10 |
11 | 'Beauty & the Thief' | 6 December 2009 | 1.11 |
12 | 'The Dragon's Den' | 13 December 2009 | 1.12 |
13 | 'That's a Wrap' | 21 December 2009 | 1.13 |
Colin & Bradley's Merlin Quest[edit]
Although Merlin Secrets and Magic was not recommissioned for a second series, Colin & Bradley's Merlin Quest was produced to accompany Series 3 of Merlin. Colin Morgan and Bradley James, who play Merlin and Arthur in Merlin, appear in a weekly series of short (usually 2 to 4 minutes) online videos posted on the official site of Merlin. In each episode the actors have to complete various challenges and tasks, including questions and games with Merlin bloopers shown regularly. Colin & Bradley's Merlin Quest was produced by Ian Smith with Luke Baker as assistant producer.
Ratings[edit]
Merlin : U.K. viewers per episode (millions)Series | Episode number | Average | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | |||
1 | 7.15 | 5.40 | 6.30 | 6.48 | 5.37 | 6.00 | 6.45 | 6.25 | 6.47 | 7.03 | 6.71 | 6.31 | 6.27 | 6.32 | |
2 | 5.77 | 5.94 | 6.09 | 5.69 | 5.53 | 6.14 | 5.62 | 6.16 | 6.30 | 6.02 | 6.01 | 6.01 | 6.64 | 5.99 | |
3 | 6.49 | 6.06 | 6.22 | 6.42 | 6.36 | 6.40 | 6.82 | 6.92 | 6.90 | 7.37 | 7.42 | 7.12 | 7.67 | 6.78 | |
4 | 6.40 | 6.80 | 7.04 | 6.96 | 7.40 | 6.94 | 6.72 | 7.00 | 7.32 | 6.90 | 7.12 | 8.39 | 8.18 | 7.17 | |
5 | 7.12 | 6.99 | 6.86 | 6.86 | 6.88 | 6.85 | 6.86 | 6.86 | 6.76 | 7.00 | 7.34 | 8.45 | 7.80 | 7.13 |
References[edit]
- ^Sweeney, Mark (29 August 2008). 'Merlin: BBC cues up TV and cinema ads'. The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^'Merlin's Fourth Season Casts Spell on DVD'. IGN. 14 October 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2011.
- ^ abcdef'Weekly Viewing Summary (see relevant week)'. BARB. Archived from the original on 8 November 2008.Cite uses deprecated parameter
|deadurl=
(help) - ^'Two Programmes – The Real Merlin and Arthur'. BBC. Retrieved 16 July 2010.
External links[edit]
- Merlin on BBC
Merlin Tv Wiki
Merlin | |
---|---|
Also known as | The Adventures of Merlin[1] |
Genre | Serial drama Medieval fantasy Adventure |
Created by | Julian Jones Jake Michie Johnny Capps Julian Murphy |
Written by | Julian Jones |
Starring | Colin Morgan Angel Coulby Bradley James Katie McGrath Anthony Head Richard Wilson Nathaniel Parker |
Theme music composer | Rob Lane |
Opening theme | 'Merlin's Arrival at Camelot' |
Ending theme | 'The Call of Destiny' |
Composer(s) | Rob Lane Rohan Stevenson |
Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language(s) | English |
No. of seasons | 5 |
No. of episodes | 65 (list of episodes) |
Production | |
Executive producer(s) | Julie Gardner Bethan Jones[2] |
Production location(s) | Wales France |
Running time | 45–50 minutes 90 minutes (movies only) |
Production company(s) | Shine Limited Shine Group |
Distributor | FremantleMedia |
Release | |
Original network | BBC One BBC One HD (Series 4 – Series 5) |
Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
Audio format | Dolby Digital 5.1 |
Original release | 20 September 2008 – 24 December 2012 |
Chronology | |
Related shows | Merlin: Secrets and Magic Atlantis |
External links | |
Website |
Merlin is a British fantasy-adventuredrama television programme created by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy, and Johnny Capps, starring Bradley James as King Arthur and Colin Morgan as Merlin. It was broadcast on BBC One from 20 September 2008 to 24 December 2012 for a total of 65 episodes. The show is loosely based on the Arthurian legends of the young wizard Merlin and his extremely close relationship with King Arthur, but it differs from traditional versions. The show was influenced by the US drama series Smallville about the early years of Superman,[3] and was produced by independent production company Shine Limited.
The show was picked up by the BBC in 2006. The series premiered in 2008 to mixed reviews but good ratings which improved as the series went on, and proved popular on the BBC's digital catch-up service iPlayer. It was shown in the United States on NBC, though it later moved to the cable network Syfy. It is a mainstay on Netflix in both the US and the UK.
Merlin is a reimagining of the legend in which the future King Arthur and Merlin are young contemporaries. Arthur's father Uther Pendragon has banned magic in Camelot. Its use is punishable by death, forcing Merlin to keep his magical powers secret from everyone in Camelot other than his mentor Gaius. Arthur grows from a young, self-absorbed boy to the mighty king in the legends, while Merlin develops into his colossal role in creating the powerful Camelot. In 2012, the show's producers announced that its fifth series would be its last, with a two-part finale on 24 December 2012.
- 2Cast
- 8In other media
- 8.2Exhibitions
Series overview[edit]
Merlin (Colin Morgan) is a young and powerful warlock who arrives in the kingdom of Camelot after his mother arranges for him to stay with the court physician, Gaius (Richard Wilson). He discovers that the king, Uther Pendragon (Anthony Head), outlawed magic twenty years earlier in an event known as the Great Purge and imprisoned the last Dragon deep under the castle. After hearing a mysterious voice inside his head, Merlin makes his way to the cavern beneath the keep to find that he was hearing the dragon's voice. The Great Dragon (voice of John Hurt) tells Merlin that he has an important destiny: To protect Uther's son, Arthur, who will return magic to Camelot and unite the land of Albion.
When Merlin meets Arthur, Merlin believes that he is an arrogant bully and Arthur (Bradley James), likewise, has a less than stellar opinion of Merlin. After saving the prince's life, Merlin is appointed as his personal servant. The two experience many adventures, over the course of which, they begin to respect and trust one another. Merlin eventually becomes close friends with Arthur, and another servant named Guinevere (Angel Coulby). But when Uther's actions eventually cause his ward, Morgana (Katie McGrath), to turn against Camelot, Merlin must work together with the Once and Future King (Arthur) to save Albion.
Cast[edit]
- Colin Morgan as Merlin, Arthur's servant and Gaius' ward, who secretly develops his magical gifts under the gaze of kings Uther and Arthur, both of whom despise the art. Although Merlin is (falsely) accused of sorcery several times during the run of the series, only Gaius and Lancelot are aware of his magic. Merlin also has an alter-ego, 'Dragoon the Great' (conjured when Merlin performs an aging spell upon himself), who is considered a criminal by both Uther and Arthur, and inspires profound fear in Morgana, who recognises him as 'Emrys', her prophetic nemesis.
- Bradley James as Arthur Pendragon, the prince and later King of Camelot, and the commander of the kingdom's knights. Despite being charged with carrying out his father's harsh edicts, Arthur is portrayed as a far more compassionate man, who defends the falsely accused before the king, and even secretly defies him from time to time. Additionally, he welcomes commoners Lancelot, Gwaine, Mordred, and Percival as knights, and falls in love with Gwen, a mere serving girl. Most importantly, he comes to regard his servant Merlin as a close friend and confidant, never realising how many times Merlin has had to save his life using magic. Arthur initially promises to lift Uther's ban on magic when he becomes king – but changes his mind when magic kills his father.
- Angel Coulby as Guinevere ('Gwen'), Morgana's servant who later rises to become Queen of Camelot. Her relationship with Arthur at first causes conflict within the kingdom, as Uther considers her unworthy and forbids Arthur to court her, even accusing her of witchcraft when Arthur's affections for her do not diminish. However, Gwen proves popular among the common people (being one of them herself), and strives to make Arthur and his advisers approachable to them.
- Katie McGrath as Morgana Pendragon, Uther's ward who is later revealed to be his daughter. Initially portrayed as a kind and empathetic young woman, Morgana comes to despise Uther not only for his prejudice against magic but when she realizes he would never accept her if he knew of her magical powers, she begins covertly plotting against him. She becomes the show's primary villain by the third series, relentlessly coveting Arthur's throne and coming to recognise Merlin for the formidable foe that he is, despite not knowing of his powers.
- Anthony Head as Uther Pendragon, Camelot's stubborn and hard-hearted king, who shows Arthur repeated tough love and ruthlessly enforces the kingdom's strict ban on sorcery. Although meaning well, Uther earns himself many enemies in his brutal fight against magic, and Morgana's ultimate betrayal leaves him a broken man.
- Richard Wilson as Gaius, the court physician and Merlin's guardian and mentor. Once a sorcerer himself, Gaius has long since abandoned the practice but even so is willing to help foster Merlin's talents, and comes to love him as his own son. An eminently wise man with a long memory, Gaius is one of Uther's closest advisers, and always among the first to realise what is really happening when magic threatens the kingdom.
- Nathaniel Parker as Agravaine de Bois (series 4), Arthur's uncle who steps in after Uther dies, reputedly as a trusted adviser to Arthur, but is soon identified as a traitor and spy for Morgana. Merlin and Gaius especially distrust him.
- John Hurt as the voice of The Great Dragon, the last of his kind after Uther destroys all of his kin and makes an example out of him by imprisoning him in a vast cave. The Great Dragon gives Merlin grudging advice and forges the sword of Excalibur in his breath for Arthur, but persistently demands his freedom in return. Merlin eventually does release him, unwittingly unleashing a full-on assault on Camelot by the dragon, seeking revenge for his murdered kin. However, Merlin learns from his father that he is descended from a long line of dragonlords, and is able to use their craft to control the Great Dragon.
Character appearances[edit]
Character | Portrayed by | Series | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Series 1 (2008) | Series 2 (2009) | Series 3 (2010) | Series 4 (2011) | Series 5 (2012) | ||
Main | ||||||
Merlin | Colin Morgan | Main | ||||
Guinevere | Angel Coulby | Main | ||||
Arthur Pendragon | Bradley James | Main | ||||
Morgana Pendragon | Katie McGrath | Main | ||||
Uther Pendragon | Anthony Head | Main | Guest | |||
Gaius | Richard Wilson | Main | ||||
Agravaine de Bois | Nathaniel Parker | Main | ||||
Recurring | ||||||
The Great Dragon/Kilgarah | John Hurt | Recurring | ||||
Geoffrey of Monmouth | Michael Cronin | Recurring | ||||
Hunith | Caroline Faber | Recurring | Guest | |||
Nimueh | Michelle Ryan | Recurring | ||||
Tom | David Durham | Recurring | ||||
Sir Gregory | Gary Oliver | Recurring | ||||
Morris | Ed Coleman | Recurring | ||||
Sir Lancelot | Santiago Cabrera | Guest | Recurring | |||
Mordred | Asa Butterfield Alexander Vlahos | Guest | Recurring | Recurring | ||
Iseldir | Trevor Sellers | Guest | Guest | |||
Sidhe Elder | Michael Jenn | Guest | Guest | |||
Sir Leon | Rupert Young | Recurring | ||||
Morgause | Emilia Fox | Recurring | Guest | |||
Ygraine Pendragon | Alice Patten | Guest | Recurring | |||
Freya | Laura Donnelly | Guest | ||||
Balinor | John Lynch | Guest | Guest | |||
Sir Gwaine | Eoin Macken | Recurring | ||||
Sir Elyan | Adetomiwa Edun | Recurring | ||||
Cenred | Tom Ellis | Recurring | ||||
Sir Percival | Tom Hopper | Guest | Recurring | |||
Audrey | Zee Asha | Recurring | Guest | |||
Helios | Terence Meynard | Recurring | ||||
Alator | Gary Lewis | Guest | ||||
Queen Annis | Lindsay Duncan | Guest | ||||
The Dorchraid | Maureen Carr | Guest | ||||
Princess Mithian | Janet Montgomery | Guest | ||||
Beroun | Barry Aird | Recurring |
Episodes[edit]
Series | Episodes | Originally aired | Ave. UK viewers (millions) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First aired | Last aired | |||||
1 | 13 | 20 September 2008 | 13 December 2008 | 6.32 | ||
2 | 13 | 19 September 2009 | 19 December 2009 | 5.99 | ||
3 | 13 | 11 September 2010 | 4 December 2010 | 6.78 | ||
4 | 13 | 1 October 2011 | 24 December 2011 | 7.17 | ||
5 | 13 | 6 October 2012 | 24 December 2012 | 7.13 |
Production[edit]
The programme was conceived by Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps.[3] The BBC had been keen on showing a drama based on the character of Merlin for some time; 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.[4] 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.'[4]
Merlin is influenced by the US show Smallville, about the early years of Superman, according to Shine producers Murphy and Capps, who said that it provided the idea that Merlin would see a 'Camelot that existed before its golden age'. Capps 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.'[3]
The series went into production in March 2008,[5] with filming in Wales and France (at the Château de Pierrefonds).[3] Two Kent locations were also used: The Barons Hall and Garden Tower at Penshurst Place, and Chislehurst Caves for the first series.[6] The series was produced by Shine in association with BBC Wales, whose Head of Drama Julie Gardner was executive producer for the BBC.[3]Doctor Who's chief writer Russell T Davies had been an important influence on the tone and style of Merlin.[3]CGI special effects for the series were provided by The Mill.[2] The Old English for spells was written by university scholar and medievalist Dr. Mark Faulkner,[7] and later by the script editing team.[8] An initial series of 13 episodes, Merlin began transmission in the UK on 20 September 2008. A trailer was prepared in advance for television, cinemas, and online.[3]
US broadcaster NBC began airing Merlin on 21 June 2009; but, after a decline in viewers, it was moved to cable network Syfy, where it began broadcasting series 2 on 2 April 2010. On 19 September 2009, series 2 began airing on BBC One.[9] On 5 September 2010, BFI Southbank in London previewed Episodes 1 and 2 of series 3 for its September Film Funday programme.[10] 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 primetime drama Doctor Who which would possibly run during the same period.[11] In March 2011, this was revised, and the fourth series was extended to the standard 13 episodes.[12] The fourth series was broadcast in the United States on the Syfy Channel 'in early 2012.'[13] In UK, the fourth series began on Saturday 1 October 2011.
Capps and Murphy confirmed on 24 July that BBC had commissioned a fifth series.[14] Filming for the fifth series began March 2012 in Pierrefonds, France and near Cardiff, Wales. 13 episodes were ordered.[15] Series 5 started broadcasting on 6 October 2012.[16] On 26 November 2012, it was announced that the series 5 of Merlin would be the last, with a two-part special concluding the series over Christmas.[17][18]
Merlin Serial Wikipedia Full
Broadcast[edit]
A documentary series called Merlin: Secrets and Magic explains how the series 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 50 minute episodes were shown after each Merlin episode repeat on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, or Friday evening on BBC Three. The show is frequently shown on CBBC.[citation needed]
In April 2008, United States broadcasting rights were purchased by NBC,[19] where it was shown on Sundays at 8 pm (EST), starting 21 June 2009.[20] This made it the first British drama in over 30 years to be shown on US network television, as opposed to PBS or cable.[21] The programme moved to Syfy, a cable channel also owned by NBC, for the second series, which premiered on 2 April 2010.[22]Syfy aired the third series in early 2011, after the conclusion of the initial broadcast on BBC.[23] It was later announced the series would air after WWE SmackDown beginning 7 January 2011 at 10 pm (9 pm Central).[24] The distributor, FremantleMedia Enterprises, also sold broadcast rights to CTV in Canada, Network Ten in Australia and Prime in New Zealand. Currently airing on Choice TV.[25][26] The series was broadcast in 183 countries.[27]
Home media[edit]
Series one and two were released on DVD in the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia. Series three is available in the United Kingdom, and was released in Australia on 4 August 2011. Accompanying box sets are featurettes, video diaries, and commentaries.[28][29][30] 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.[28][29] In Australia 'The Complete Collection' boxset (23-Discs, Seasons 1-5) was released on May 13, 2015.[31]
All five series are available on DVD (and some on Blu-ray) in North America.
Series | UK | US Complete Box Set | Australia Complete Box Set | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Complete Box Set | ||||||||
Release date | Discs | Release date | Discs | Release date | Discs | Release date | Discs | Release date | Discs | |
1st | 24 November 2008[32] | 3 | 9 February 2009[33] | 3 | 5 October 2009[28] | 6 | 20 April 2010[34] | 6 | 30 July 2009[a][35] | 4 |
2nd | 23 November 2009[36] | 3 | 8 February 2010[37] | 3 | 8 February 2010[29] | 6 | 18 January 2011[38] | 6 | 22 July 2010[b][39] | 4 |
3rd | 15 November 2010[40] | 3 | 24 January 2011[41] | 3 | 24 January 2011 | 5 | 17 January 2012[42] | 5 | 2 August 2011[43] | 5 |
4th | 28 November 2011[44] | 3 | 23 January 2012[45] | 3 | 23 January 2012[46] | 5 | 15 January 2013 | 4 | 1 March 2012[47] | 5 |
5th | 26 November 2012[48] | 3 | 21 January 2013[49] | 3 | 21 January 2013[50] | 5 | 23 April 2013[51] | 4 | 13 February 2013[52] | 5 |
1st–5th | — | — | — | — | 28 October 2013 | 27 | 4 November 2014 | 27 | ? | ? |
- ^Re-released 4 August 2010.
- ^Re-released 6 January 2011.
Soundtrack[edit]
A soundtrack for the first two series featuring music from selected episodes was released on the MovieScore Media record label.[53]Merlin composer Robert Lane was nominated for Best Original Score for Television for the 10th annual Movie Music UK Awards (2008),[54] the 8th edition GoldSpirit Awards (2008),[55][56] and the 5th annual International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) Awards (2008).[57] In early October 2012 MovieScore Media released the soundtrack from the third and fourth series along with that from the start of the fifth series.
Series | Release Date | Catalog Number |
---|---|---|
Merlin series 1 | 4 November 2008[58] | MMS08021[58] |
Merlin series 2 | 17 November 2009[59] | MMS09027[59] |
Merlin series 3 | 2 October 2012 (digital)[60] / 12 November 2012 (CD)[60] | MMS12010[60] |
Merlin series 3 & 4, Best of | 2 October 2012 (digital)[61] / 12 November 2012 (CD)[61] | MMS12011[61] |
In other media[edit]
Official magazine[edit]
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.[62] The monthly magazine cost £3.20 per issue and was distributed in UK newsagents.
Exhibitions[edit]
Merlin: The Dragon Tower[edit]
A Merlin attraction was created at Warwick Castle entitled Merlin: The Dragon Tower. which featured a walkthrough, a projection of Kilgarrah the dragon, Merlin from the BBC TV Series Merlin, or at least a true-to-life wax model-which was created with over 300 measurements—and a catalogue of reference shots of Colin Morgan. Upon seeing his wax work, Morgan said, 'Little did I think that when I visited Madame Tussauds as a kid that I would have the honour of having the same fantastic team making a wax figure of myself. It’s truly amazing and I can’t praise their hard work enough in creating such a brilliant life-like me.'[63]
The wax model cost £150,000, and the entire castle experience was part of a £3 million investment by the Merlin Entertainment Group to promote the show.[64] The attraction closed in 2014 and is now the site of the Warwick Castle Time Tower.
References[edit]
- ^'The Adventures of Merlin'. Freemantle Media Enterprises. 2009. Archived from the original on 13 December 2009. Retrieved 1 December 2012.
- ^ ab'Merlin's secrets revealed' (Press release). BBC Press Office. 23 July 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
- ^ abcdefgSweeney, Mark (29 August 2008). 'Merlin: BBC cues up TV and cinema ads'. The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^ abDeans, Jason (7 December 2006). 'BBC 1 seeks magic touch for Merlin drama'. The Guardian. UK. Retrieved 30 August 2008.
- ^'Richard Wilson and Anthony Head lead cast in Merlin, a fantasy drama for BBC One' (Press release). BBC Press Office. 17 March 2008. Retrieved 4 April 2008.
- ^Kent Film Office. 'Kent Film Office Merlin Film Focus'.
- ^'Merlin's magic words were actually Mark's'. The Anglo-Saxon Monk.
- ^Alice Troughton, Dave Moore, Jeremy Webb, Metin Hüseyin (8 February 2010). 'The Making of Merlin' from Merlin: The Complete Second Series (DVD). United Kingdom: 2entertain.
- ^'Network TV BBC Week 38: Saturday 19 September 2009'. BBC Press Office. Retrieved 9 September 2009.
- ^'Film Funday TV Preview: Merlin'. BFI Southbank. 10 August 2010. Archived from the original on 30 August 2010.
- ^''Merlin' renewed for fourth series – Merlin News – TV'. Digital Spy. 25 October 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^'Colin Morgan ('Merlin') interview'. Cultbox.co.uk. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^'Merlin series four on Syfy'. Tvseriesfinale.com. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^Keisya Prasetyawan (28 July 2011). 'Merlin renewed for fifth series by BBC'. Atvtoday.co.uk. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
- ^'Merlin commissioned for fifth series | TV: Latest News | STV Entertainment'. Entertainment.stv.tv. 25 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
- ^'BBC OneMerlin, series 5 – Episode guide'. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
- ^'Merlin to cast final spell as creators reveal that current series will be the last'. 26 November 2012. Retrieved 26 November 2012.
- ^'Merlin to end with a two-part special this Christmas'. Telly Visions. WETA. Retrieved 6 September 2017.
- ^Holmwood, Leigh (3 April 2008). 'NBC buys BBC family drama Merlin'. The Guardian. Retrieved 4 April 2008.
- ^'Merlin'. NBC. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
- ^Holmwood, Leigh (6 June 2009). 'BBC drama Merlin to air on NBC'. The Guardian. Retrieved 13 June 2009.
- ^''Dinoshark', 'Merlin' among Syfy's latest acquisitions'. Breaking News. TheFutonCritic.com. Retrieved 23 March 2010.
- ^'Syfy picks up series 3 of Merlin'. Today's News: Our Take. TV Guide. Exclusive. 11 August 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^'Syfy sets Merlin series 3 premiere date'. Daemonstv.com. Retrieved December 2010.Check date values in:
|accessdate=
(help) - ^'CTV secures Canadian broadcast rights to 'Merlin''. channelcanada.com. 19 October 2008. Archived from the original on 8 February 2010. Retrieved 29 August 2010.
- ^Hurrell, Will (7 August 2008). 'BBC's Merlin heading Down Under'. Broadcast Now. Retrieved 13 September 2008.
- ^Clarke, Steve (25 October 2010). 'BBC conjures up more 'Merlin''. Variety. Retrieved 19 October 2011.
- ^ abc'Merlin – series 1 – complete [DVD] [2008] ...' Amazon.com. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ^ abc'Merlin – complete series 2 box set [DVD] [2009] ...' Amazon.com. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ^'Merlin – series 3 – complete [DVD] [2010] ...' Amazon.com. Retrieved 25 January 2010.
- ^'Adventures Of Merlin - Series 1-5 | Boxset, The'. Sanity. Retrieved 5 September 2019.
- ^'Merlin vol. 1 [DVD] [2008] ...' Amazon.co.uk. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ^'Merlin vol. 2 [DVD] [2008] ...' Amazon.com. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ^'Merlin: The complete first series ...' Amazon.com. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ^'Adventures of Merlin, The – series 1 (4 disc set) (new packaging)'. Ezydvd.com.au. 4 August 2010. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^'Merlin – series 2 vol. 1 [DVD] [2009] ...' Amazon.com. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ^'Merlin – series 2 vol. 2 [DVD] [2009] ...' Amazon.com. Retrieved 17 July 2010.
- ^'Merlin DVD news: Announcement for Merlin - The Complete 2nd Season | TVShowsOnDVD.com'. www.tvshowsondvd.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2017. Retrieved 12 December 2017.
- ^'Adventures of Merlin, The – series 2 (4 disc set) (new packaging)'. Ezydvd.com.au. 6 January 2011. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^'Merlin – series 3 vol. 1 DVD'. Amazon.com. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
- ^'Merlin – series 3 – volume 2 DVD'. Amazon.com. Retrieved 26 September 2010.
- ^'BBCAmerica Shop – Merlin: series 3 – DVD'. BBCAmericashop.com. Archived from the original on 20 October 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
- ^'Adventures of Merlin, The – series 3 (5 disc set)'. Ezydvd.com.au. 2 August 2011. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^'Merlin series 4 volume 1 BBC [DVD] ...' Film & TV. Amazon.com. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^'Merlin series 4 – volume 2 BBC [DVD] ...' Film & TV. Amazon.com. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^Moves, Winning. 'Merlin – complete BBC series 4 [DVD] ...' Film & TV. Amazon.com. Retrieved 16 May 2012.
- ^'Adventures of Merlin, The: series 4'. Ezydvd.com.au. Archived from the original on 3 July 2013. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^'Merlin series 5: volume 1 [DVD] ...' Film & TV. Amazon.com. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^'Merlin: series 5, vol. 2 [DVD] ...' Film & TV. Amazon.com. 17 November 2012. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^'Merlin complete BBC series 5 [DVD] ...' Film & TV. Amazon.com. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^'Merlin DVD news: Announcement for Merlin – the complete 5th series'. TVShowsOnDVD.com. Archived from the original on 2 June 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
- ^'Adventures of Merlin, The: series 5'. Ezydvd.com.au. Retrieved 4 January 2013.
- ^Carlsson, Mikael (29 October 2009). 'MovieScore Media to release second 'Merlin''. MovieScore Magazine. Archived from the original on 6 November 2009.
- ^Broxton, Jonathan. 'The Tenth Annual Movie Music UK Awards 2008'. moviemusicuk.us. Archived from the original on 8 April 2010.
- ^'Premios Gold Spirit – VIII edición (2008) Sala de Trofeos'. bsospirit.com (Spanish language official site). Archived from the original on 23 September 2010.
- ^'Ubeda 2009 – Palmarès des Goldspirit Awards – Desplat vainqueur!'. cinezik.org (French language official site). 18 July 2009.
- ^'2008 IFMCA Awards'. filmmusiccritics.org. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ ab'Rob Lane: MERLIN Original Television Soundtrack'. MovieScore Media. Archived from the original on 24 July 2011.
- ^ ab'Rob Lane & Rohan Stevenson: Merlin: series two original television soundtrack'. MovieScore Media. Archived from the original on 29 March 2010.
- ^ abc'Merlin: Series Three (Rob Lane, Rohan Stevenson & James Gosling)'. MovieScore Media. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ abc'Merlin: Series Four (Rob Lane, Rohan Stevenson, James Gosling & Michal Pavlicek)'. MovieScore Media. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^'New Merlin magazine out today in the UK'. downthetubes British Comics news site.
- ^'Merlin: The Dragon Tower'. warwick-castle.com. Archived from the original on 25 July 2014. Retrieved 17 July 2014.
- ^'The Warwick Courier'. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
Merlin Serial Wikipedia
External links[edit]
Merlin Serial Wikipedia Series
Wikiquote has quotations related to: Merlin |
- 'The Adventures of Merlin'., the official global Merlin site
- Merlin at BBC Programmes
- Merlin on IMDb
- Merlin at TV.com
- 'Merlin'. Syfy.
- 'Merlin'. NBC.