Merlin

Network: NBC
Status: New Series
Timeslot: Sundays 8 PM EST
Premiere: tbb
Website: tbd

Merlin is actually a British television series produced by the BBC which NBC plans to air after it wraps up its initial run overseas in December. It focuses on a young Merlin (played by Colin Morgan) who comes to Camelot to act as the apprentice to the court physician. Uther Pendragon (played by Buffy veteran Anthony Stewart Head), ruler of the city and father to Arthur, has outlawed magic, so Merlin must keep his abilities secret. While in Camelot, Merlin discovers that he has a destiny to protect the young Arthur, who will one day become the king of the land. This rare joint venture between a major network and another country was supposed to have lead off a planned Sunday night fantasy block. NBC has since shifted its plans, leaving the Merlin in limbo.

Merlin comes from the same crew who also produced the British supernatural series Hex and has received some comparison to Smallville because of its younger take on well know characters. Thirteen episodes of the series have been produced and it looks promising especially in light of some of the other recent genre shows that have come from Britain like the Doctor Who revival, Torchwood, and Primeval. Should NBC completely back out of the joint venture, this one will likely show up on BBC America at some point.