Merlin Season 2 in the US

[KB24]

This new Camelot series is supposed to be on Starz in 2011. I haven't really heard much more about it. But Michael Hurst is also doing some sort of Agincort series too, so there's more medievalesque material coming to the premium channels.

I just hope Season 3 of Merlin goes in the right direction. After all Hex died quickly, and they ruined their own Robin Hood, so hopefully Merlin can survive its projected five seasons.

[KB24]

Okay, the IMDB board seems to be buzzing for Merlin. I saw some rating numbers that looked like 1.3 mil viewers.SyFy seems to be milking it for all its worth, with repeat airings everywhere, even on USA and Bravo. I hope audiences don't get sick of it before they come to like it. SyFy has a habit of playing the same show over and over.

Here is a link also to Michael Hirst talking about this other Camelot show that is supposed to be about sometimes.

http://longagocaptures.org/wordpress/?p=724

[Nerys Myk]

Temis the Vorta wrote:

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Merlin is the Smallville approach to Arthurian legend.

If that Starz version (Camelot) gets off the ground, that will be the Tudors (or maybe the Spartacus? ) approach to Arthurian legend. Which doesn't sound good but might at least be fun.

There must be a better way to do things. How about the Deadwood approach to Arthurian Legend? BSG? Desperate Housewives?

If they want a dark and bloody Arthur they should adapt Bernard Cornwells the Warlord Chronicles.

[JD]

I saw on wikipedia that appeared to have left at the end of the second to last episode of the season. Has anyone said for certain if Katie McGrath is going to be back for season 3? I liked the character, and was curious to see how/if she was going to go bad.

[KB24]

I believe or at least hope for season 3 that she and Morgause come back as a menacing duo. I like that the second half of each series gets some of those familiar and magical growing pains. I really hope Season 3 doesn't' feel the need to reset and be funny andhip in theearly episodes, I'd rather it get dark and step it up a notch. The original and personal diagloue and stories from the end of season 2 are really great.

You haven't seen all of Season 2? I watched it online when it aired last Fall in the UK.

[JD]

No, I'm in the US and only watch stuff via official sources.

[KB24]

It was on the BBC website, official. I don't know if its there now, and Hulu is official. I don't watch things unofficial either. Who is that helping? No one. I think they might be smart however to get on the ball with same day streaming releases and on demand options like Netflix and such. More people would know about Merlin then.

[Temis the Vorta]

KB24 wrote:

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Here is a link also to Michael Hirst talking about this other Camelot show that is supposed to be about sometimes.

http://longagocaptures.org/wordpress/?p=724

Yep, looks like it will be crazy fun. Direct link to article.

Hirst promised that the lust, betrayal and excitement of The Tudors will be replicated. “The more extreme I make it, the closer it will come to reality,” he said.

...

Some critics and historians criticised The Tudors’ scriptwriters for taking liberties with events, character names and relationships.


The producers always responded by pointing to the huge audience ratings, and explained that their mission was to entertain not to inform.

That's the spirit! Anyway, there's no "correct" way to tell Arthurian legend, so the crybabies won't be a problem this time around (though I'm sure there will be battles over someone's favorite interpretation of the story being disrepected.)

I think they might be smart however to get on the ball with same day streaming releases and on demand options like Netflix and such.

Just checked - there's only pre-release S1 DVDs at Netflix. I guess they're not smart quite yet.

[JD]

So is Ireland becoming the new go to place for historical/fantasy dramas now? I know it's not the same country, but A Game of Thrones is filming in Northern Ireland.

KB24 wrote:

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It was on the BBC website, official. I don't know if its there now, and Hulu is official. I don't watch things unofficial either. Who is that helping? No one. I think they might be smart however to get on the ball with same day streaming releases and on demand options like Netflix and such. More people would know about Merlin then.

Did you watch the iBBC streaming from the US? I've never been able to do that.

[KB24]

Yeah Temis Merlin has been in my saved section on Netflix forever! I just hope Hirst's Camelot isn't contemporary. Maybe its cheaper, but I don't it would do Arthurian tales justice.

[JD]

Actually, after reading the other articles it really doesn't sound contemporaneity to me anymore. Hirst did talk about Ireland really helping to create a feeling of the Middle Ages (Dark Ages?). He also talked about making history entertaining. I when he was talking about making it contemporary, he just meant making relatable to a contemporary audience.

[Temis the Vorta]

So is Ireland becoming the new go to place for historical/fantasy dramas now? I know it's not the same country, but A Game of Thrones is filming in Northern Ireland.

Tax breaks. Juicy, juicy tax breaks!

I when he was talking about making it contemporary, he just meant making relatable to a contemporary audience.

He means sex & violence, to appeal to contemporary premium cable audiences. Everyone will wear fancy costumes and try to chop off each others' body parts with big-ass swords.

[Greg Cox]

I was glad to see that Syfy picked up Season 2. I enjoyed watching the first season on NBC . . . and was relieved that Season 2 didn't end up on BBC America like all the other recent British genre shows. (Alas, we don't get BBCA in our basic cable package.)

The hard part is avoiding spoilers for the upcoming seasons!

[KB24]

BBC America is so bipolar. They should be a flagship channel for an entire Brit channel package. Keep your hip drivel on BBCA, but have a retro or classic and historical network for the old school proper stuff.

I know SyFy will have less numbers, but I think more people will find Merlin if its with like programming. With all these repeats on Bravo and USA, too, I'm wondering why NBC didn't do this in the first place? Give it a prime time slot, but promo and repeat the heck out of it on the rest of your networks.

I don't really like all out spoilers, but even if you know your Arthurian history, its neat to see the way Merlin may use or newly use traditional myths in different ways.

If Hirst's isn't contemporary, who's is? I thought someone was doing a 'modern' Arthur? Is that Guy Ritchie? Why is Camelot so popular again? I doubt its from a massive return to teens reading Mallory.

[Greg Cox]

KB24 wrote:

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If Hirst's isn't contemporary, who's is? I thought someone was doing a 'modern' Arthur? Is that Guy Ritchie? Why is Camelot so popular again? I doubt its from a massive return to teens reading Mallory.

Because 300 made money. Plus THE TUDORS, BEOWULF, CLASH OF THE TITANS, etc.

Quasi-historical epics are big again, so it's natural that Hollywood is going to turn to Camelot . . . and Robin Hood . . . and Spartacus . . . .