Merlin (2008 TV series)
| Merlin | |
|---|---|
| File:Merlintitlesequence.jpg Title sequence to Merlin | |
| Genre | Drama/Fantasy |
| Created by | Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Johnny Capps, Julian Murphy |
| Starring | Colin Morgan Michelle Ryan Angel Coulby Bradley James Katie McGrath John Hurt with Anthony Head and Richard Wilson |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 13 [1] (list of episodes) |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Julie Gardner Bethan Jones[1] |
| Production locations | Wales, France |
| Running time | 45 mins |
| Production company | Shine Television[1] |
| Original release | |
| Network | BBC One |
| Release | 20 September 2008[2] – present |
Merlin is a British television drama series that began in 2008. It is based around the Arthurian legends of the mythical wizard Merlin and his relationship with Prince Arthur, though differs significantly from more traditional versions of the myth. Produced by independent production company Shine Limited for BBC One, the programme is designed to run in the same Saturday evening family drama slot as series such as Doctor Who and Robin Hood.
Production
The idea for the programme was conceived by Shine producers Julian Murphy and Johnny Caps, who had previously worked together on Hex, a fantasy series produced by Shine for Sky One.[3] The BBC had been keen on showing a drama based around 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.[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]
The series went into production in March 2008,[5] with filming taking place in Wales and France (at the Château de Pierrefonds).[3] The series was produced by Shine in association with BBC Wales, whose Head of Drama Julie Gardner served as executive producer for the BBC.[3] Gardner had extensive experience of working on the BBC's Doctor Who, and claimed that show'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, which had also worked on Doctor Who and its spin-offs.[1] Consisting of an initial series of 13 episodes, Merlin began transmission in the UK on 20 September 2008.[1][2][5] In advance of this, a special trailer was prepared for release on television, in cinemas and online.[3]
The series makes use of colour blind casting, with various characters portrayed by black actors despite the series' setting in mediaeval Britain where the vast majority of the population were white.
Tagline
The tagline that the BBC have used for the show is "Sssh! Keep the magic secret!", owing to the secrecy that surrounds Merlin's magical abilities in the television series.
Cast and crew
Main characters
- Colin Morgan as Merlin: a young sorcerer who attempts to keep his powers secret
- Bradley James as Prince Arthur: the future King of Camelot
- Richard Wilson as Gaius: Camelot's court physician and one of the few to know Merlin's secret
- Anthony Head as Uther Pendragon: Arthur's father
- Angel Coulby as Guinevere (Gwen): a servant and friend to Morgana
- Katie McGrath as Morgana: King Uther's ward
- John Hurt as The Great Dragon: Merlin's mentor and one of the few to know his secret
Guest appearances
- Eve Myles as Mary Collins / Lady Helen
- Will Mellor as Valiant
- Santiago Cabrera as Lancelot
- Michelle Ryan as Nimueh
- Julian Rhind-Tutt as Edwin Muirden[1]
Directors working on the series include James Hawes.[5]
Plot
Merlin arrives at the city of Camelot, where the king, Uther Pendragon, has outlawed magic and imprisoned the last dragon. Merlin, who was born with extraordinary magic powers, is taken as the apprentice of Gaius. Merlin later discovers, after being informed by the last dragon, who is held as a prisoner deep under the city, that he has an important destiny in protecting Uther's arrogant son, Arthur, so that he may grow up to found a great kingdom.
The era in which the series is set is ambiguous; traditionally the Arthurian legends are set in the dark ages, and the idea of King Uther reigning over a small kingdom (which is present in both traditional legend and the television series) sets it before the union of England in 927. Despite this, the castle interiors are 15th century, making the series' setting entirely inconsistent with English history, and therefore should be treated purely as fantasy fiction. Britain is never mentioned; Uther's domain is referred to by the name Albion, the oldest known name for Great Britain.
The television series deviates significantly from more traditional versions of the legend, such as those written by Geoffrey of Monmouth, Thomas Malory and Roger Lancelyn Green. For instance, in the original myth, it is Arthur who builds Camelot, whereas in this series it pre-dates Arthur's father Uther. Another key difference is that in the television series, Arthur and Merlin are of approximately the same age, whereas in traditional myth, Merlin is much older, and acts as Arthur's tutor.
Episode guide
Broadcast
In April 2008, broadcast rights were purchased by NBC, one of the so-called "big four" terrestrial television networks in the United States.[6] It was the first British television series for many years to be purchased by a major television network in the US. The distributor, FremantleMedia Enterprises, also sold broadcast rights to CTV in Canada and Network Ten in Australia.[7][8] The series will be broadcast in the U.S. in January 2009.
Ratings
The series premiere drew an average of 6.65m (30%) viewers in the 7.30pm slot despite being up against popular ITV series The X Factor.[9] The second episode got 4.92m (30.6%) and the third got 5.76m (28.9%). The fourth episode drew in its second highest so far with 5.92 (25.6%).
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Merlin's Secrets Revealed" (Press release). BBC Press Office. 2008-07-23. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
- ^ a b "Week 39 - 20-26 September 2008" (Press release). BBC Press Office. Retrieved 2008-09-21.
- ^ a b c d e Sweeney, Mark (2008-08-29). "Merlin: BBC cues up TV and cinema ads". guardian.co.uk. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Deans, Jason (2006-12-07). "BBC1 seeks magic touch for Merlin drama". guardian.co.uk. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 2008-08-30.
- ^ a b c "Richard Wilson and Anthony Head lead cast in Merlin, a fantasy drama for BBC One" (Press release). BBC Press Office. 2008-03-17. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ Holmwood, Leigh (2008-04-03). "NBC buys BBC family drama Merlin". guardian.co.uk. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 2008-04-04.
- ^ Hurrell, Will (2008-08-07). "BBC's Merlin heading Down Under". Broadcast Now. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
- ^ "Merlin casts spell over TEN".
- ^ Wilkes, Neil (2008-09-21). "'Merlin' pulls in 6.6 million". Digital Spy. Retrieved 2008-09-21.
