Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news.

BBC’s MERLIN
Promo Online!!

by pendergast	Sep 1st, 2008 12:29:59 PM
gonna be shit, nuff said
Is Sam Neil in this one? by PirateEmery	Sep 1st, 2008 12:30:54 PM
If not, I'm not interested.
No Nicol Williamson? by Tar Heel	Sep 1st, 2008 12:31:16 PM
Best Merlin ever. Go see "Excalibur."
shhh.... by all	Sep 1st, 2008 12:34:13 PM
this looks awful...
jumping on the potter band wagon by pendergast	Sep 1st, 2008 12:35:14 PM
with the ex cast of hollyoaks
hmmmm by SUPERJIM	Sep 1st, 2008 12:44:43 PM
Doesn't look too bad for something produced this side of the Atlantic. I will hold judgement until I have have seen a scene that relies on shit FX to carry it, though.
looked alright until... by skiprat1	Sep 1st, 2008 12:45:33 PM
..."shhh!" at the end. wow, totally ruined the whole thing for me.
SHHHHH! The magic is a secret!! by PirateEmery	Sep 1st, 2008 12:47:04 PM
Can I use magic to punch his crooked british teeth through my computer screen?
~~~MERLIN'S COCK-DISSAPPEARING PANTIES~~~ by The Marquis de Side 3	Sep 1st, 2008 12:52:34 PM
his greatest magic trick is one you'd never suspect... just a little tug and tuck and... TAH-DAH! it's GONE!...
congratulations by Maximus Prime	Sep 1st, 2008 12:53:51 PM
IN finding the ugliest person in England to play Merlin...good work BBC.. Was nice to see Richard Wilson though in the preview there, he played a great comedy character called Victor Meldrew for years on British Tele... should have had him as merlin to add a bit of fucking class, not that ugly bollox who is the lead
Wonder if Merlin can make a pencil disappear by Maximus Prime	Sep 1st, 2008 12:55:24 PM
prob up his ass....Joker for prez
looks cool, but major revision by oisin5199	Sep 1st, 2008 12:55:36 PM
Merlin is the same age as Arthur? Uther and Arthur actually had a father-son relationship? Magic was banned? I wonder how they'll play Uther's rape of Ygraine through magical means. This is completely different from any other version of the tale that I'm aware of. But this is mythology and folklore, so I guess this could be an interesting iteration.
Eh- it won't make it on NBC... by Judge Briggs	Sep 1st, 2008 01:08:09 PM
I will watch it though... then when NBC cancels it... wait for the BBC verz to come out on DVD.... Check out MI-5... that is good BBC shit.
Eve Myles is in this, too. by EyeofPolyphemus	Sep 1st, 2008 01:26:08 PM
I love her.
by nieman	Sep 1st, 2008 01:26:33 PM
Where's Sir Ector & Kay? Matter of fact, shouldn't Uther be dead by that time? I'll give it a chance though.
Are those ears real? by Harrow	Sep 1st, 2008 01:27:08 PM
And I thought mine were big!
Looks stale and predictable... by Etrigan_	Sep 1st, 2008 01:32:39 PM
Nobody likes Merlin more than me which may be why this looks terrible IMHO. Why can't they just make up a new young wizard rather than boogering up this legend? Not to mention everyone pretty much knows the ins and outs of Arthurian legend so it seems a waste. I'll try it like I did BBC's Robin Hood. I couldn't watch much of that tripe.
Why isn't John Hurt playing Merlin? :( by O_Goncho	Sep 1st, 2008 01:35:41 PM
Isn't he supposed to have lived his life in reverse anyway? Start at the end with something worth watching.
The BBC are great at fucking things up... by hypnotron	Sep 1st, 2008 01:40:25 PM
When Rome was first shown on BBC they edited the first episodes so the whole thing got off to a weak start and made the plot confusing...They seem to destroy every good idea they have these days....that horrid smug, to the camera 'shhhhh' at the end of the promo is all you need to know about this piece of crap.
Arthur is totally gay for Merlin. by V'Shael	Sep 1st, 2008 01:44:35 PM
This will suck. Suck cock, that is. Queer Mage for the Stone Age.
All of this fantasy TV stuff... by codymr	Sep 1st, 2008 01:46:28 PM
Looks too clean. They should take a lesson from Peter Jackson's playbook. Or, at least take a gander at that old Robin of Sherwood series from the 80s.
Looks totally shit by kwisatzhaderach	Sep 1st, 2008 01:47:31 PM
Just like their Robin Hood series. ITV made an amazing series called Robin of Sherwood which was much better and much more cinematic back in the 80s.
codymr by kwisatzhaderach	Sep 1st, 2008 01:48:01 PM
Great minds think alike.
Should use the guy from the Alltel commercials. by mrfan	Sep 1st, 2008 01:50:02 PM

Sold by NudeandAroused	Sep 1st, 2008 01:50:52 PM
I will watch it! Looks very creative.
Is this Smallville but with King Arthur? by snowpuff	Sep 1st, 2008 02:01:39 PM
That's actually not a bad idea.
NBC should remake Primeval by ThrowMeTheIdol	Sep 1st, 2008 02:08:22 PM
And forget this stuff. Who needs Merlin and Arthur yet again.
Looks horrific, just like Robin Hood by Kizeesh	Sep 1st, 2008 02:25:21 PM
The BBC need to start making GOOD shows again. I remember when they used to have talent.
I was worried that... by 2LeggedFreak	Sep 1st, 2008 02:27:37 PM
...we'd get another chavvy tv series like the Robin Hood socialist movement the beeb had on recently. No, instead we get a Smallvillised young Merlin. Young Merlin, Young Sherlock, Young Indiana, what do they have in common...they're not the fully matured heroes we grew up with...so they can fuck off.
Kids TV? by Aeronaut	Sep 1st, 2008 02:30:29 PM
Looks like something for CBeebies, BBC kids TV. And is that what happened to the bat-boy from the Enquirer? As said above, Merlin is living backwards in time, so should be a very old man. With much smaller ears.
Channel 4 by medicinaluser	Sep 1st, 2008 02:48:49 PM
Version from years ago with Sam Neil was much better than this.
why why why by redshirt	Sep 1st, 2008 03:10:53 PM
Why must they change the legend? Uther never knew Arthur as he was taken by Merlin at birth. Arthur was raised a peasant, was never noble until he pulled excalibur, then he was king. Merlin and Arthur were never teenage buds, in fact Merlin was Arthur's teacher, never subservient to him. Uther was generally benevolent. God I hate this. Robin Hood screwed up by making him look about 20. Sir Robin should have at least looked like adult who had served years in the crusades.
James Callis is playing Merlin in another project by ckane123	Sep 1st, 2008 03:14:56 PM
He talked about it at Dragon Con yesterday they start shooting soon. BTW Aaron Douglas (Tyrol) said he is now hearing Galactica may not return until APRIL. Herc, you may want to post this as a headline...
Merlin as Smallville? by Larry of Arabia	Sep 1st, 2008 03:20:45 PM
My understanding was that the mythological Merlin was centuries old, had practiced magic his entire life, and aged backwards. I didn't know he was a teenager who met all his greatest adversaries when he was growing up!
was that the binoic woman by Mr_X	Sep 1st, 2008 03:25:53 PM
in that promo somewhere? pudding bowl haircuts only look good on guy gardner
Got to agree with the critics... by wowsah156	Sep 1st, 2008 03:28:47 PM
it does look like a trailer for a gay porno. The boy playig Merlin appears to be fey and soft. He doesnt look tough enough to be a future sorcerer who would sahpe the destiny of Britain. He looks like a boyband member. Very poor and bad casting that i would expect of the US networks. Not the BBC.
Hmmm by Charlie_Allnut	Sep 1st, 2008 03:33:07 PM
After viewing the atrocity that is the BBC's Robin Hood series, my faith in their productions is shaken. And everything in this promo just seems a little too clean, and all the people too pretty. I'd like to see an adaptation of Assassin's Apprentice...
This just looks awful by Jodet	Sep 1st, 2008 03:33:56 PM
'Arthur, someday you will be king'. WTF? Arthur was a stable-boy. Merlin was NOT a child when Arthur was young.
Frank Caliendo as the Jester.. by malificus	Sep 1st, 2008 04:02:58 PM
..as well as every minor castle character, the cook, the weapons master, he'd wander through ever scene riffing off stupid characters like Robin Williams on a coke bender. Couldn't hurt.
Maybe they should just stick to British Literary Classics by Charlie_Allnut	Sep 1st, 2008 05:00:55 PM
and their mystery/masterpiece theater type stuff. When drivel like this does poorly it decreases the likelihood that quality fantasy type properties will be developed.
So Hollyoaks guy ruined it.... by Chuffy20	Sep 1st, 2008 05:06:02 PM
Okay so the guy from Hollyoaks did kinda ruin it for me, but this is cleary intended to be a family entertainment show. As for all the people moaning about changing the story... it's a myth, not historic fact. Who is to say what the original story was - it has been floating around for hundreds of years. Yes Robin Hood was rubbish, but some of this looked okay. I, as everyone else should do, will hold judgement until I have seen the show.
Oh and Jodet, Authur ap Uther was always nobel born. by Chuffy20	Sep 1st, 2008 05:08:56 PM
Authur was born son of Uther. The whole stable boy thing appears in some of the stories (Once and Future King) that tell of Authur being hidden away from his father enemies by becoming a squire.
MERLIN! by Banzai Rootskibango	Sep 1st, 2008 05:33:30 PM
GAY!
Tar Heel by Grammaton Cleric Binks	Sep 1st, 2008 05:36:47 PM
Not just the best Merlin, but the best adaptation of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table.
I don't know Grammation.... by nieman	Sep 1st, 2008 05:54:41 PM
I love Excalibur but Sam Neill did his thing as Merlin
a big second to any comment about Sam Neill's Merlin by Holodigm	Sep 1st, 2008 06:18:16 PM
that shit was the shit
Too many close-ups of his eyes changing color by Shub-Wankalot	Sep 1st, 2008 06:43:23 PM
So I'm to believe that he's truly Merlin the Magician because of his glamorous eye alteration...really? I'm still a fan of "Excalibur," but I'll give this interpretation a look-see.
It's another 7pm family show by performingmonkey	Sep 1st, 2008 06:52:40 PM
The BBC are gonna keep producing these because they had good success with Doctor Who in this format. Unfortunately that means it'll be dumbed down, but that doesn't necessarily mean it will suck. My guess is it'll have a decent premise but they'll struggle to fill episodes with anything worthwhile. It should be David Thewlis as Uther. The young guy playing Merlin is a good actor though. Having him young is appealing to the kids, it has to be done.
kwisatzhaderach by codymr	Sep 1st, 2008 07:08:50 PM
Ditto dude... that Michael Praed/Jason Connery Robin Hood has yet to be topped.
Sam Neils Merlin did indead rock the shit by Col. Tigh-Fighter	Sep 1st, 2008 07:10:00 PM
That still had a cast to die for - Rutgar Hauer, Miranda Richardson, Helena Bonham Carter, Isobella Rosallini, Martin Short, and Sam Neill
I'm sorry, but you can't make another Arthur film... by PirateEmery	Sep 1st, 2008 07:17:21 PM
... that is centered on Merlin. After the awesomeness that was Sam Neil's Merlin, I wouldn't buy into another version.
Arse gravy! by Ecto-1	Sep 1st, 2008 07:17:41 PM
Man that was painful. But, on the other hand it's good to see more fantasty based TV being commisioned here in the UK, of which we have the success of Doctor Who to thank for this. Maybe someday they'll get it right. Much like the BBC's reinvention of Robin Hood, Merlin looks like more of the same crap. Everything's nice and colourful and clean and crisp. It's a shame to see two of English mythology's greats, reduced to this utter shite. I'll stick with my Excalibur DVD thank you very much.
Tigh-Fighter by PirateEmery	Sep 1st, 2008 07:19:09 PM
I do agree completely... Usually I hate Martin Short with a fiery passion, but he hit the mark perfectly as that little elf/fairy whatever he was. Merlin on Blu-Ray? Please?
wank by MayYourHammerBeMighty	Sep 1st, 2008 07:33:57 PM
Large scale use of CGI on a TV show is always a bad idea, even on US TV where they have much bigger budgets. But on a BBC budget? Well that's how you end up with a shit-house, talking dragon.
Looks way better than I thought it would by aversiontherapy2	Sep 1st, 2008 09:22:39 PM
Much higher production values.
Why all the hate? by Dreamwriter	Sep 1st, 2008 09:46:44 PM
I think it looks pretty cool. And why are so many people complaining about how it's not accurate? Really? I didn't realize the Arthurian legends told Merlin's entire backstory. And how does anybody know what age he is? He's a damn wizard, for all we know he could be centuries old by the time he meets Arthur, and just looks young. Heck, from what I gathered from the trailer, Arthur probably won't even appear until late in the series. Dunno, I'm just happy we are getting two pure fantasy series this year, after so many years without any at all.
The Sam Neill Merlin KICKED ASS by Nasty In The Pasty	Sep 1st, 2008 10:11:45 PM
One of the best made-for-TV fantasy movies ever done. Some of the CGI looks a bit dodgy a decade later (even though it featured "bullet-time" gags a year before The Matrix), but that was just a magnificently-produced and acted film. Even moved me to tears in spots.
ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ by Maniaq	Sep 1st, 2008 10:26:36 PM
I know the British have only ONE proper legend but do they really need to do the same story OVER AND OVER in such quick succession? Does it REALLY take a genius like Tolkien to come up with an original (ish) story to sit alongside poor Arthur and Merlin et al...??
How about Natalie Dormer as Morgana? by Royston Lodge	Sep 1st, 2008 10:52:38 PM
Rrowl...
Anybody remember the old Dick Turpin series? by Royston Lodge	Sep 1st, 2008 11:00:37 PM
Now that was a fun show. I'd like to see someone take that story and make it fresh . . . with lots of killing and blood and shtuff...
Looks like terrible production design. by Stereotypical Evil Archer	Sep 1st, 2008 11:40:38 PM
Hopefully the writing is good. It's an OK promo that shows some interesting and dark possibilities, but they seem to be catering to the aging Harry Potter crowd. Doesn't look dark enough for me, but that's just me. I like the idea of wizards being hunted down. If they keep up the body count every week, then there's a chance at something. But it looks too bright, too modern, too polished, and too bland.
Too bright, too modern, too polished, and too bland. by Stereotypical Evil Archer	Sep 1st, 2008 11:42:18 PM
I should have just wrote that instead.
Fuck Merlin. I wants me some Hanuman. by Uncle Stan	Sep 2nd, 2008 12:04:37 AM

Is this based on T.A. Barron's juvenile series about young Merli by Dingbatty	Sep 2nd, 2008 03:49:49 AM
The comments about it being to clean make me think of... Who's that then? I dunno, must be a king. Why? He hasn't got shit all over him.
In a word... by marfwah	Sep 2nd, 2008 05:41:35 AM
Gay. Trust me this will be as awful as their recent Robin Hood series and on a par with Bonekickers.
I didn't see the whole Sam Neil version by Grammaton Cleric Binks	Sep 2nd, 2008 07:26:11 AM
but what I saw was great indeed.
Im not watching anything... by wayneagainstthemachine	Sep 2nd, 2008 10:17:42 AM
...featuring Jambo from f**king holyoaks.
Public Service my arse... by Knugen	Sep 2nd, 2008 11:54:24 AM
BBC is just as corrupt as the public service television in my country - figures since they modeled it after the BBC´s business model of extortion and monopoly.
Uther Giles and Camelot the Silly Place by frakthetoasters	Sep 2nd, 2008 11:57:33 AM
They should've kept it in the 5th Century instead of making it a Renaissance Faire on Screen. Arthur is a teenagers while Uther Giles is still alive? WTF? And Merlin looks like the kid that got picked on at school. Dumbo ears.
Sam Neill version by Belasco_House	Sep 2nd, 2008 01:39:08 PM
was superb, completely agree with Nasty in the Pasty. Shame about the sequel, Merlin's Apprentice, which (if I remember correctly) trampled on/ignored the original
There was a good BBC Merlin series... by Fitzcarraldo2	Sep 2nd, 2008 02:37:19 PM
back in the 80s called Merlin of the Crystal Cave if memory serves. It was set in an authentically grimy post-Roman Brittania which is dropping to pieces. The soldiers are Romano-British warlords trying to keep things together. Pretty good as I remember.
One Proper Legend by proper	Sep 2nd, 2008 07:00:28 PM
Too kind,nice 1.Royston Lodge= My Favourite Dick Turpin Episode was when he was being tracked by the dogs like he was a fox or maybe the one where he was tied to a big wooden wheel and rolled down a hill[May of even been the same episode,memories eh].There is a wealth of old skool Tv gold on youtube nowadays,comments like yours send me off on a mission :>.BBC= remember,Download freely,it's all paid for. http://tinyurl.com/6mhs3z.... and because it just has to done......http://tinyurl.com/6 mazcq
and the Sam Neil version sucked by Knugen	Sep 3rd, 2008 07:15:36 AM
bunch of Wicca bullshit
People Complaining About "Accuracy" by ChildOfMen	Sep 3rd, 2008 08:05:49 AM
What's with all the complaints about how this doesn't follow some particular aspect of Arthurian legend? There's like a kajillion different versions and interpretations of the Arthur story; this show may or may not be complete crap, but not adhering to a particular version of the Arthurian legend doesn't seem like an inherent problem to me. I mean, TH White certainly didn't feel compelled to stick exactly to every common aspect of the legend either (and no, I don't think this will be even vaguely comparable to the Once and Future King).
Hopefully better than their Robin Hood by Subversive01057	Sep 3rd, 2008 02:43:16 PM
That show really sucks.
Will fucking Mellor by ianlegend	Sep 4th, 2008 03:20:03 AM
My mrs used to work on a British series with him and apparently he spent most of the flashing his cock, which he found highly amusing. I saw him burst into full song while he was waiting at a cash till of Boots (UK pharmacy chain) once, leaving the entire store completely perplexed. He has no idea the terror he leaves in his wake. The Merlin promo looks good - but with Will fucking Mellor in it, IT IS DOOMED. Wipe this scourge from the face of the planet!!!!
Maniaq by ianlegend	Sep 4th, 2008 03:26:55 AM
Actually we Brits don't even have one "proper legend" by your definition - the commonly recognised Arthurian story (i.e. Merlin, sword in the stone, etc) originates from France.

Talkbacks

BBC’s MERLIN
Promo Online!!

User login

Quick Talkback

Talkbacks

Talkbacks

BBC’s MERLIN Promo Online!!

User login

Quick Talkback

Talkbacks

BBC’s MERLIN
Promo Online!!