Adventures of Merlin

[BLAKDUKE]

anybody already seen and/or watching "Adventures of Merlin" on NBC last night.   If so any opinions.

[Carl Heinz]

Ok, but not fantastic.  The grandson seemed to like it.  We'll see if it grown on us.

[Lairde Guardn]

I have read many legends of Merlin and Arthur, but the show seemed to go out of their way to change everything and make Arthur and Merlin the same age and Prince and servent at that.....

It might of been good but could not get my mind around the twisted legends.....and therefore thought it sucked....

[Carl Heinz]

I suspect they were trying for the Harry Potter market.  At least one of the ads tried to make a link.  They'd have probably done better trying for Dumbledore.  In comparison, this was pretty light weight.

Reminded me a bit of the Robin Hood series that was on one of the cable channels a few years back.  Kids will probably like it while waiting for July 15th.

[DuCoeur]

I watched both episodes last night...

The OC meets Medieval England....

Anymore when I watch anything "Made for TV"  I have to forget everything I have ever read or seen on the subject and try and look at it as a clean slate.

I am so starved for anything sword and sorcery on TV that it will do.  Until Legend of the Seeker,  returns

[Lupa]

I watched it... very difficult to disregard traditional Arthurian legend while watching, but it was OK.  It was kind of like rewriting the Marvel Universe...

[BLAKDUKE]

I watched it... very difficult to disregard traditional Arthurian legend while watching...

And I understand this, but one thing to keep in mind about legends, that is all they are, legends.  There has never been a definitive writing that proves Arthur ever existed.  So I always find it fascinating when someone comes up with a plausible alternative.  That is why I liked Clive Owen in "King Arthur" .  Another thing to keep in mind is that the medival mind was so superstitious as to boggle modern man and there was little in the way of written stories and what was written was controlled by the clergy, so you are always going to get a clerical view on any legend.  The legend of King Arthur come almost entirely from Mallory and some 1000 years after any supposed events and even that time frame is suspect.  I found the King Arthur interpretation most interesting,  and it allowed for most of the legendary events, the drawing of the sword not from a stone but from the earth, after 1000 years of telling and retelling the translation might get lost.  So there was no love triangle, another story lost to antiquity.  An analogy could be in some of the re-interpretations of the bible.   One that comes to mind is the commandment "Thou Shalt Not Kill".  I read not long ago that some biblical scholars have re-interpreted the Aramaic word that was used for KILL and what they came up with it should have been Murder.  So the commandment should have read "Thou shalt not Murder"  which gives a whole new and I might add a more sensible wording, because there is a major difference between killing and murder.   JMHO,   that and $1.50 gets you a cup of coffee.

[LadyMeg]

Here hear, BLAKDUKE.  I watched it.  I'm not 100% hooked on it yet (but that's typical for me.  Give me at least three episodes just to see how it works), but so far, I rather enjoy it.  Arthur is a great legend to play with when it comes to film and television.  There's tons of potential for it with all the different tales and what not.  And as much as I rather like the BBC Robin Hood (guilty pleasure for lovely Armitage), I think Merlin was handled much better... and it's great eye candy.  And I rather like the young Merlin/Arthur dynamic they're playing with here.  I recommend it, so long as you don't get so hung up on trying to fit it into what we already know of the legends that you forget to enjoy it.

[LadyShadow]

I kinda enjoyed it.  It was a bit entertaining.  But there were parts were I could tell that there things missing or misplaced and then in the next scene they were back.  Hubby kept telling me if I didnt stop yelling at the tv he was going to change the channel.  New one tonight though.  Lets hope they get better.

[Carl Heinz]

The grandson likes it.  Unfortunately, it gives me a case of the HoHums.

I agree that I hope it gets better.  I quit watching the Robin Hood series a few years back for much the same reason.

[Merlin]

Meh..... I've seen better.

[Charlotte Rowan]

I was so excited for it. One thing I love about the Arthurian legends is that there are so many different versions of it, and the story is never quite the same. I was looking forward to seeing this interpretation of the legend, but so far am kind of disappointed. I can't seem to get interested. Although I am curious to see how Gwen, Morgana's hand maiden, is going to end up married to the king...

[Queen Bonnie]

 I watched it last night. It was Ok but it also upset me that all in the legend was twisted around.  Guenevere a seamstress? Merlin and Arthur the same age? I read everything Arthurian I can get my hands on.
Entertaining but upsetting at the same time. Will children believe this legend rather than what has been written- because it is on TV?
I enjoyed Robin Hood. Hated the Clive Owen King Arthur. Not because they changed things there. It was just not a good movie in my opinion.

[Carl Heinz]

If Uther were as inflexible as he's being portrayed, he'd never have lasted more than a couple of months as king.  Ditto on the other legend deviations.

At least this last episode was a bit less dull.

Keeping an eye on the clock while watching a program is not a good sign. 

[LadyShadow]

I ended up missing it last night.  Realized at 10 last night oh well, maybe next week.