There had been rumours that writers had a 5yr arc for BBC’s Merlin, and it looks like those rumours were true as the hit show ends it’s retelling of the Arthurian legend this Christmas.
Should point out, this does appear to be an artistic decision rather than a cancellation, as Merlin has been getting a pretty healthy 6 million average viewers over the series.
Co-creators and executive producers, Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy, confirm the current series will be the last:
“This is the series where the storylines truly reach their apex. We always felt the story of the legend was best told across five series, leading to a spectacular finale that draws on the best known elements of this much-loved story and brings to a conclusion the battle for Camelot.
“We’d like to thank the amazing cast and crew for their professionalism and dedication, the BBC, FME and all of our partners globally for their incredible support and encouragement across the last five series.”
I’ve been struggling a bit with this season of Merlin, so have some catching up to do. I think the timing is right to bow out on a high though.
What I’m really interested in seeing is whether the BBC decide to replace it with another fantasy drama to run in that Saturday evening family slot whilst The Doctor is away. We’ve had 2 classic british legends from the BBC – Robin Hood and Merlin. Then of course, Sky have bought us Sinbad and ITV/Watch bought us Dinosaurs with Primeval.
So what would you like to see the BBC tackle next in the Saturday evening family viewing slot? Leave your suggestions in the comments!
