merlin

[olthar]

Has anyone watched the Merlin tv show? I just saw it while checkin out of my favorite streaming video sites.

oh, and if this discussion has already occurred, sorry I have been barely lurking for the last month or two.

[JupiterAmy]

whaaaaaaaaaaaaaa?

There's a Merlin TV show? Why did no one tell me!

[Delle]

If you're talking about the BBC show with ASH, then yes, I have been watching it. We are thoroughly enjoying it, although it is very important to forget everything you ever heard about Arthurian legend.

[olthar]

If you're talking about the BBC show with ASH, then yes, I have been watching it. We are thoroughly enjoying it, although it is very important to forget everything you ever heard about Arthurian legend.

wait, wait, wait wait wait... ASH is in this? How am I not watching it?

[Gandalf]

If you're talking about the BBC show with ASH, then yes, I have been watching it. We are thoroughly enjoying it, although it is very important to forget everything you ever heard about Arthurian legend.

I did wonder that, but I wasn't sure. I'm not too hot on Arthurian legend myself. I mean, I know the basics, but beyond that, it all gets a bit hazy. So each week, each new story, I do wonder how true to legend the show is being. I've even been known to get internetty with it, but more often than not, my searches come up with conflicting accounts of the legend relating to the particular aspect of the story I'm loking at (although they almost always never agree with the BBC show!).

[Troll]

If you're talking about the BBC show with ASH, then yes, I have been watching it. We are thoroughly enjoying it, although it is very important to forget everything you ever heard about Arthurian legend.

I did wonder that, but I wasn't sure. I'm not too hot on Arthurian legend myself. I mean, I know the basics, but beyond that, it all gets a bit hazy. So each week, each new story, I do wonder how true to legend the show is being. I've even been known to get internetty with it, but more often than not, my searches come up with conflicting accounts of the legend relating to the particular aspect of the story I'm loking at (although they almost always never agree with the BBC show!).

I just read a review where the guy said it was the worst rendition of the legend ever done, nothing but using the names, etc. But I can't watch the episodes. On the official site, it just gives me a notice that the episodes are only available to be watched in the U.K. for now.

[Gandalf]

I just read a review where the guy said it was the worst rendition of the legend ever done, nothing but using the names, etc. But I can't watch the episodes. On the official site, it just gives me a notice that the episodes are only available to be watched in the U.K. for now.

Well, as I say, not knowing much about the legend myself other than the names, I'm really enjoying. I can imagine someone getting really frustrated by it if they know the legend and think it should stick to it no matter what, but I say there's nothing wrong with a little artistic license, as long as it amuses me!

[Troll]

I just read a review where the guy said it was the worst rendition of the legend ever done, nothing but using the names, etc. But I can't watch the episodes. On the official site, it just gives me a notice that the episodes are only available to be watched in the U.K. for now.

Well, as I say, not knowing much about the legend myself other than the names, I'm really enjoying. I can imagine someone getting really frustrated by it if they know the legend and think it should stick to it no matter what, but I say there's nothing wrong with a little artistic license, as long as it amuses me!

Yes, his objections were that in the legend, Arthur founds Camelot. Its one of his greatest accomplishments. Merlin raises Arthur to become the man he became and is older than Uther. Again, its a pivotal point that Merlin is really Arthur's spiritual father and mentor. His objection was that if you just changed the names of the characters, it would have nothing to do with the Arthur legend and he's afraid that, if the show catches on, for a generation, people will think this has anything to do with the legend.

For myself, I see his argument but I also think its unfair to judge something by an outside standard rather than whether it is or is not good on its own merits. He seemed to think it wasn't even good on its own merits (an example he gave was the the characters behave like 21st century people with 21st century attitudes and comments) but he may still have that standard of authenticity that isn't really judging it in and of itself.

Unfortunatley, not being in the U.K., I can't see it yet.

[Troll]

Oh yeah also, it could inspire people to check out other versions of the legend.

I heard about it here and checked the website hoping that ASH was playing Merlin. When I saw he wasn't
(I didn't know this was a child Merlin) I somehow went through the characters in my mind and immediately said, Uther. I'll bet anything he's playing Uther.

Its nice to have something to chat on the Buffy board about but its just annoying that I can't see it yet.

[Troll]

And another thing Now that I think about it, when he was talking about good renditions of the legend, he mentioned a couple of them and then said, "... or even John Boorman's Excalibur." So he was rating "Excalibur" (the 1980 or 1981 movie) as being one of the worst renditions. BUT "Excalibur" is one of my favorite movies and my personal favorite rendition of the Arthur legend. I know there are differences from the classic sources and I've known people who just cannot get past absolute authenticity but I thought Excalibur really captured the power of the Arthur myth more than some of the more slavishly authentic versions he preferred. In fact, at the risk of being boorish, I tried to read "LeMorte D'Arthur" and, to me, its just a series of descriptions of episodic events than reads very blandly.