Merlin on BBC1 (SPOILERS)

[wamdue]

um, I think its to early for me to say about this show, the first episode ok it didnt wow me, but the relationship between Merlin & Author (which I think will be a big part of this show) is not fully formed yet, that will come in time.

as long as Clark doesnt run from the destiny that Jor'el mentions oh on hang on I mean as long as Merlin doesnt run from the destiny that the big dragon mentions like the before mentioned Clark Kent has, I think we should be ok.

Also I feel the show is better than Robin Hood, and wont suffer from the whole Merlin having to break into the castle every episode, like early ep no not early, every episodes of Robin Hood did.

 

[cultcross]

um, I think its to early for me to say about this show, the first episode ok it didnt wow me, but the relationship between Merlin & Author (which I think will be a big part of this show) is not fully formed yet, that will come in time.

Ditto, and I think the Merlin/Arthur relationship was one of the strongest things about this episode, the banter before their duel was great.

I wasn't wowed, but I mostly enjoyed it. Certainly enough to tune in again and give it a chance.

Wasn't too impressed with Tony Head, but couldn't tell if he was acting his character as sort of underplayed and bored or whether Head himself was underplaying the part and bored.

 

[wamdue]

um, I think its to early for me to say about this show, the first episode ok it didnt wow me, but the relationship between Merlin & Author (which I think will be a big part of this show) is not fully formed yet, that will come in time.

Ditto, and I think the Merlin/Arthur relationship was one of the strongest things about this episode, the banter before their duel was great.

I wasn't wowed, but I mostly enjoyed it. Certainly enough to tune in again and give it a chance.

Wasn't too impressed with Tony Head, but couldn't tell if he was acting his character as sort of underplayed and bored or whether Head himself was underplaying the part and bored.

I really liked the Merlin/Arthur stuff as well, and I think that will improve next week, and as the series goes on.

As for Tony Head, well his character is quite happy to kill people pretty much exactly like the Shrieff on Robin Hood, its not until his dinner with Gwen you see more of him.

 

[Starkers]

I was wary about this given the Beb's ridiculous plan to reinvent every major character as a 16 year old and given how poor Robin Hood was and the fact that it was such a radical reinvention.

I was pleasantly surprised. It isn't brilliant, and to be honest I don't think it'll become brilliant- but it was entertaining, and the chemistry/banter between Merlin and Athur was nicely done, if that remains the focus then I think it might succeed. Hopefully every episode won't revolve around Merlin having to save Arthur from 'plot of the week'

 

[Starkers]

Wasn't too happy with the complete crapping on the older versions of the legend, not very surprised by it.

it's a reinterpertation of the myth.

it can't be any worse than First Knight which removed Merlin and focused on Lancelot or the recent Clive Owen/Keira Knightley flick which cast Guinevere as a pagan Boudicea-type and Arthur as a Roman centurion...

and let's not even get into the reinterperations Robin Hood's had in just the last 30 years or what both Disney and Renaissance did to Hercules...

Yes but Arthur and The Last Legion were basically trying to imply the truth behind the Arthur myth rather than reinvent it. And both of them at least stuck with Merlin as an old man.

Of course Arthur is about the only Owen/Knightly film I don't like and The Last Legion wasn't much better

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I was wary about this given the Beb's ridiculous plan to reinvent every major character as a 16 year old and given how poor Robin Hood was and the fact that it was such a radical reinvention.

I was pleasantly surprised. It isn't brilliant, and to be honest I don't think it'll become brilliant- but it was entertaining, and the chemistry/banter between Merlin and Athur was nicely done, if that remains the focus then I think it might succeed. Hopefully every episode won't revolve around Merlin having to save Arthur from 'plot of the week'

I don't get all the hate for Robin Hood, I know it's not great or anything, and the plots generally end up with the same sequence of events, but it's not a bad way to kill 45 minutes on a saturday night, especially when the alternative is so Ant and Dec filled pap, or X-Factor. But maybe I just think that because my nieces enjoy it, and I watch it with them.

As I said in the thread a while back, I don't care that they're "reinventing" the legend. The legend will endure longer than the show will even last in peoples ADD memories, as long as it's entertaining I'll keep watching. And I thought the first episode was good set up, and enjoyable enough to keep me tuning in.

 

[WillsBabe]

Just caught it on dvd-r. I was pleasantly surprised. I couldn't even make it through the adverts for Robin Hood so this held no appeal for me. Since my husband wanted to watch it I gave it a whirl and really quite enjoyed it. Okay, some stuff jarred, but it didn't make me want to turn off. Usually I really don't enjoy British drama, particulalry BBC stuff, but this was okay. To be fair, I think my enjoyment was enhanced by the fact that I'm into researching medieval clothing at the moment and I love castles.

 

[captcalhoun]

I was wary about this given the Beb's ridiculous plan to reinvent every major character as a 16 year old and given how poor Robin Hood was and the fact that it was such a radical reinvention.

I was pleasantly surprised. It isn't brilliant, and to be honest I don't think it'll become brilliant- but it was entertaining, and the chemistry/banter between Merlin and Athur was nicely done, if that remains the focus then I think it might succeed. Hopefully every episode won't revolve around Merlin having to save Arthur from 'plot of the week'

I don't get all the hate for Robin Hood, I know it's not great or anything, and the plots generally end up with the same sequence of events, but it's not a bad way to kill 45 minutes on a saturday night, especially when the alternative is so Ant and Dec filled pap, or X-Factor.

QFT

 

[FreezeC77]

Isn't this supposed to air on NBC later this year? It does seem more in the vein of Robin Hood which is to say it doesn't really feel like something a major US network would air as a series TBH.

Not to say I don't think it has potential, but it seems more like something that would go to a cable network like Sci-Fi or BBC America or air in syndication.

 

[cultcross]

I don't see a major US network having much success with it, I have to say.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

Isn't this supposed to air on NBC later this year? It does seem more in the vein of Robin Hood which is to say it doesn't really feel like something a major US network would air as a series TBH.

Not to say I don't think it has potential, but it seems more like something that would go to a cable network like Sci-Fi or BBC America or air in syndication.

It's been speculated that it's part of a deal the Beeb did with NBC, regarding international production and broadcast, similar to the deal ITV did with Fox, but I don't think think that's been confirmed anywhere.

 

[Angel4576]

Coming hot on the heels of Robin Dud and Shitkickers, Merlin was a very pleasant surprise. It's still got plenty of work to do though. The strongest parts were undoubtedly the Merlin/Arthur scenes.

At the end of the day, at the end of the first episode, it hadn't completely turned me off, and I'll be watching it next week. By the same token, at the end of the first episode of Robin Hood I was ready to burn my own eyes out.....

 

[roguephoenix]

oddly enough they wanted this show to be robin hood type with magic targetting the same audience.

i like it. some things i wonder why they did it like that and some i agree. i will see where it goes. i'm just not sure what's in store for gueneviere's future...

by the way, great to see evey myles in this one.

 

[Kelthaz]

It was okay, but it definitely had potential. A pilot with potential ranks pretty high in my books. If it doesn't start utilizing some of that potential by the next season I'll lose interest, but for right now I'm hooked.

 

[captcalhoun]

tonight's looks interesting with Valiant in...

 

[WillsBabe]

I am really enjoying the actor playing Merlin. He's very charming and charismatic for a young man, and handsome, too. I'm sure he'll go far. I hope so.

 

[Lonemagpie]

OK, saw this week's.

Hm... I won't make a point of watching, or buy the inevitable DVDs, but it was harmless enough fun while it was on, so I won't mind if I catch it again either.

I mean, it's nowhere on the level of the stuff I love (DW, Trek, Buffy, Angel, X Files, Firefly, Avengers, B5, B7, BSG, Stargate etc) - but compared to Rotten Hood it was... fuckin' Shaft!

 

[captcalhoun]

good episode...liked the snakes in the shield, although it was obvious he'd kill the bloke who enchanted it...

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I'm enjoying it. It's nothing fantastic, but at the minute it seems at least as fun as Primeval. It's just a shame it's not in HD, although according to the BBC HD blog it was filmed in Super16, so it is shot on film at least.
It did seem funny seeing Will Mellor not playing Gaz Wilkinson though.

 

[wamdue]

I would love to say something good about this episode, the castle continues to look too modern, whilst the plot just didnt carry a whole episode, dare I say it maybe we need more on Morgana

and Merlin is just so happy, always seems to look on the bright side of life.