Merlin (TV Series)

Merlin (TV Series)

Merlin is a British fantasy-adventure television programme by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. It was broadcast on BBC One between 20 September 2008 and 24 December 2012. The show is loosely based on the Arthurian legends of the young wizard Merlin and his relationship with Arthur Pendragon but differs from traditional versions in many ways. The show was influenced by the U.S. drama series Smallville, about the early years of Superman, and was produced by independent production company Shine Limited.

The show was first greenlit by the BBC in 2006, after a number of unsuccessful attempts. The series premiered in 2008 to mixed reviews but decent ratings, and also proved popular on the BBC's digital catch-up service, iPlayer. Based on the popularity of its first series, it was commissioned by the BBC for a second series, and was picked up in the United States by one of the main broadcasters, NBC, though it later moved to the cable network Syfy due to low ratings. In 2012, the show's producers announced that its fifth series would be its last, with a two-part finale finishing the show on 24 December 2012.