Merlín

Oh Merlin. Four years since I finished my last re-watch and you're still breaking my heart. You are quite terrible in many ways, with some of the cheesiest special effects I've ever seen on television, and some of the cheesiest writing as well, but your story captured my imagination like no Game of Thrones has done. The friendship/romance between Merlin and Arthur is almost unbearably lovely and the characters of Guinevere and the knights still haven't left my heart. There were moments of absolute brilliance in this little family show elevated by beautiful acting that still resonate and stay with me after all these years. I would go through it all again.

This show is one of my all time favourites and I just love it so much. I found it during lockdown and since then I have just grown to love it more and more. It has an almost whimsical feel to it which is very refreshing from the usual, serious fantasy such as game of thrones or The Witcher. Its funny and serious at the same time which is a hard balance they pull it of perfectly.

Most of the characters have wonderful personalities and development throughout the series which makes you feel like you can really get to know them.

Whilst certain elements such as the CGI and low budget for the first part of the show, whilst noticeable, does not detract from the overall appeal and magic.

If you have not already watched Merlin, I would highly recommend it for anyone.

What a wonderful tonic to revisit Merlin in 2020 on Pick TV. If you have not seen it yet, don't expect a history lesson, just imagine it as a fairy tale your Dad might tell you as a child, so like your Dad, there maybe plot inconsistency and dialogue you're not expecting but it does not matter, this is pure wonderful fantasy and escape from whatever the real world is throwing at you at the moment. I have to say for me that this is about the only TV series ever where I have loved all the characters, everyone darn one of them whether they are in the entire series or just a couple of episodes have added something and made us laugh,cry,scare whatever.

I've watched this series about 4 times, I just don't know what it is about it. It feels like home. The relationship between Merlin and Arthur is the most beautiful and funny I've seen on TV. I am very aware that the dialogues can feel a bit corny sometimes, especially in the first season, but it's just...endearing. The adventures are really fun, more so in the last seasons when the tone gets darker. Obviously the CGI isn't the best, and the show has its overdramatic moments, but it doesn't impact the quality significantly. Oh and the ending is not great and feels a bit rushed, which was a bit heartbreaking. It's not perfect but when you're this emotionally attached to a show it means it's pretty good.

First of all, if you are a really big fan of the Arthurian legend, stay away from this one. Even I, with my superficial knowledge regarding those ancient stories, could tell that this show takes quite a few 'creative liberties'. This said, it is really a rather good show. The sets and costumes are nice (though way out of time for the historic era), the storyline is interesting with a good mixture of humor and suspense salted with some adequate special effects. After just three shows in the series it is hard to judge how much depth the main characters will be able to develop, but they are all so.....likable (My favorite being the young Arthur). There are probably better ways to spend your Saturday evenings, but if you're in front of the tube anyway, you can certainly pick worse.

EDIT:

I just finished watching the ninth episode. It is hard to believe, but what appeared to be another shallow if decently made series, turned into a respectable drama show. The humor from the first three shows is still there, but as the story unfolds so do the main characters, gaining depth and subtleties and opening interesting plot opportunities.

Die hard fans of the legends will still not like it, as much of the underlying mystery gets a complete work-over (and the presence of a dragon sure doesn't help there), but as a stand-alone show, it certainly got me hooked :)

If you haven't been able to see it, because you're not from the UK and have no access to internet sources: This is definitely worth waiting for!

EDIT2 (a few years later):

Five seasons and a couple of years later I can still say that it's been a good show. Even though it eventually fed off the chemistry between the main protagonists and was weakened by the sub-par acting of what was supposed to be the main villain and antagonist, it holds its own as a work of entertainment. Good quality family entertainment!