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Merlin will cast its final spell on BBC One this Christmas. The fantasy-adventure show that’s loosely based on Arthurian legend airs on Syfy in the U.S. and will end after five seasons. Co-creators and exec producers Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy say the series is bowing out at its natural climax, with the finale bringing an end to the battle for Camelot. Capps and Murphy have also announced they are leaving Shine TV, producer of the show, at the end of the year to start their own production company. Shine and FremantleMedia Enterprises, which handles the show internationally, are in the early stages of developing potential Merlin spinoffs using the universe created in the series. Any future shows would be produced by Shine’s Kudos in partnership with FME. Merlin debuted in 2008 and stars Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Katie McGrath, Angel Coulby, Richard Wilson and the voice of John Hurt. Its other international broadcast partners include Germany’s Super RTL, France’s Canal+ and Australia’s Network Ten.
‘Merlin’ To End After 5 Seasons; Spinoffs Being Explored
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Shine and Fremantle are mental if they do any spinoffs without Bradley James and Colin Morgan.
After Spooks, Robin Hood, and now the depressing end of Merlin, I’m pretty much done with BBC dramas. Promising shows that always end badly. Bah.
@ Victoria. Seriously?
Five seasons in this day and age is a lifetime. Be grateful Merlin didn’t air on the networks – it would have been cancelled after two episodes and the cast would have been entirely different – starting with Gwen.
I have to agree with you. Although i was looking forward to one more season…i am grateful for the 5 seasons. I love the casting directors for their pick of Guinevere. Their ability to think out of the box was a winner. I loved her character and love Angel Coulby’s ability to play a part where her looks were initially down played. Her bio pics are awesome. She and Katie…gorgeous. Colin and Bradley both handsome. Giaus is probably my favorite character. Yet, being in the states….they would have wrapped this great show up long ago. So thanks to the BBC and the wonderful cast. I again will think of you guys when in London. Yet Season 5 was a waste making Gwen the bad guy …think it should have been about them being happy and concentrating on Arthur and Merlin and the reveal with happiness before the end. Love you guys ..best wishes.
You know I agree that they would’ve had a different Gwen. I like the diversity of the show as well. True, Gwen would not have been cast as the person you chose. She would’ve had long flowing corn silk hair, with blue eyes. So thanks for thinking outside the box and not being afraid to do so. The Love that Arthur had/showed for Gwen was magnificent. I would’ve liked to see how Merlin Emrys) and Arthur’s relationship would’ve fared with Arthur knowing about his powers. But alas, that shall never be. Thank you for the entertaining hours you’ve given me. It was a great show.
But Merlin is a show about Arthurian legend. Knowing Arthurian legend and depending on how long the show ran, you had to know there was a huge possibility the show would end on a depressing note.
Have you seen the show? Because the writers dropped the ball.
They are going straight from Smallville’s ‘before they were famous’ to a Greek tragedy’s ‘let’s watch them die’ without bothering to give Arthur as a great king and Merlin is an acknowledged wise and powerful sorcerer. BBC Merlin is skipping all that in order re-use the traitor-inside-the-castle plot and we will never seen the great king or the wise wizard. Instead, the show is basically a poorly written exposition of ‘life is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.’ Absolutely not what was promised on the tin and not what one expects for a family drama.
What a waste of good actors.
Absolutely agree. Talk about short changing viewers who have been loyal to the show. The final episode was like watching 3 seasons in fast forward. They could have spent an entire season on Merlin finally coming forward as a wizard and him taking his place by Arthur’s side but oh, no, that had to be done in the space of minutes. And the story line was just silly including but not withstanding Merlin, the most powerful wizard ever, taking the critically injured Arthur on horseback and on foot, and setting camp all over England while he spends his time cooking and gabbing away with Arthur!! One can only hope that there is a way to revive the show either through a movie or a 6th Season in the next few years. After all, in a time of magic, whose to say that Arthur will not return…
Victoria, are You….Wise…
What Were U thinking…..
Could U have Done, A
BETTER JOB !!!???
I agree with Victoria..there is nothing natural about the ending of Merlin at this time. The writing has not brought the story to the point that we see Colin Morgan’s Merlin as the powerful sorcerer that is recognized for all that he has been all along and is. If the J’s think that any of the fan base will EVER trust them again after they botch that important aspect needed to finish the story…they better think again. There is no spin-off possible without Colin Morgan and Bradley James. Their off and on screen chemistry is what made even the substandard writing given them the whole charm of the show. It simply won’t work without it. The J’s have killed off the goose that laid the golden egg to launch their own production company. No film or spin off will now be possible. Who would want to take a chance on being lead on to a future diappointing ending AGAIN? NOONE.
Perhaps the spin off will be totally fiction. Since Merlin is all powerful. Perhaps he will time travel back to a critical point in history to *right a wrong* and continue the story on a different timeline.
Merlin was the only reason I watch BBC America and Syfy. Now that the world of magic and fantasy ended I have to go back to watching boring, fake, and dumb reality shows…Hope there is a spin-off. If the original cast decide not to continue the show, they should at least become a guest star at the beginning to shows, where they are still main character, then somewhere/somehow 5-10 years into future comes an older Merlin n Arthur (the new cast). So many ideas and potential to keep the show alive. Wishful thinking
I agree 110 % I am so sad I love Merlin my favorite show! I will miss it!
NOOO!
Forget spinoffs; they should just move on to youth-a-sizing other ancient legends. Maybe Beowulf, starring one of the kids from One Direction in the title role?
Five seasons is a good run. Best of wishes to all involved in the series.
I feel sad that we won’t have a few more seasons.But I’m intrigued by the spinoff idea.
So he is going to find out Merlin uses magic on the series finale and die?
Way to ruin the series.
I’d have liked Bradley James and Colin Morgan to have had a series to really show Arthur and Merlin in their prime. Both are wonderful actors and I look forward to seeing them in future projects
NBC aired the first season, then cancelled. Luckily, this was produced outside of the American studios/networks. The show and concept would have been a one-season program.
Reaching five seasons and still having a captive following is an achievement! Well done cast, crew and creators! Frankly, I would have loved to see Arthur and Merlin’s relationship develop further with the climax of a betrayal so great…Arthur discovers Merlin has magic. Maybe a season six could have explored their fractured relationship and struggles culminating of course with the battle for Camelot where magic becomes a double -edged sword…Morgana/ Mordred destroy Camelot and Merlin uses magic to save it and Arthur.
I am only 10 years old and i love Merlin:-) It is really disapponting having to lose my favourite proggamme:-(
Why cant you keep it running because its faboulous?
Also I am really upset not being able to get the 2012 annual this year, i have all of them.
Thank you for having a magical and exiting proggamme the best ever yet!!!
Hopefully all of you van get it to have a series 6 and everybody Thank you!!
Dont ever forget Ill always want it back:-)
Miss everybodyx
Wait its only at season 4 here in the us. The season finale hasnt happened yet so why are we talking about whats to happen ect. Its sad its ending but as great shows and movies always do they must come to an end. Season 5 will be great I’m sure. Lets all cherish what time this wonderful show was here and give thanks to the creators cast and crew ect for giving us a awesome journey
thanks bbc!
Great run. Five years is plenty. Time for a break and to let the actors rest and reflect on their futures. They must have made a shit load of money and set themselves up for life. I will be sad if they return to productions made for juveniles. There were glimpses of significant talent. Particularly from Ms Coulby.
I trust her role in “Dancing on the edge” will be a watershed and that she will be seen by producers as being someone that will make them even wealthier.
i will miss my biggest magical heroes.I think there should be a sixth season where arthur and merlin work together to defeat morgana.
I want the series to move up to 6 not 5, because the film is more suit.
I really cannot believe merlin has finished I thought we might have had one more series.
Such a good program and thoroughly enjoyed it what to watch now on a saturday night?
I think the problem with the show was that the plot was mostly circular just around Arthur, the other characters served as accolades without much interesting development. After a while we get that they want to kill Arthur in so many ways they run out of stock and the audience got a little bored. Merlin got sterilized in one and only purpose, that is, to serve his beloved and grumpy king while being the rug the monarch cleaned his shoes, concealing the very fact that he is a wizard. Thus to avoid being sentenced to death nonetheless, not much gratitude there. And other characters with some exceptional shades that never get hold. Morgana became too monotone and evil all the while those things that are in the wrong with Arthur are more or less forgiven and forgotten with parsimony. All in all the acting of Colin Morgan and Katie McGrath were –for me- exceptional and I hope to see more of them in whatever acting job they get.
I have been a fan of Merlin since I saw the Sword in the Stone as child from Disney . I have seen all the Merlin movies all of them.
I’m really sad about Merlin being over… the ending was extremely depressing {someone said the show was suppose to end on a ‘high’ note? wow.}
This was a great show, though… I just really wish BBC could have done one more Season, and shown more of Merlin’s recognition in Camelot, Gwen’s reign and Arthur’s resurrection.
I will miss this show. It was my absolute favorite! Great job to all the producers, actors and writers!
i was truly outraged wen i heard that merlin was to end after a short 5 years and cryed myself to sleep. its such a fantastic show and it livened up my saturday nights the way it ended shocked me cos we never knew if merlin ever went back to camelot and wot happened to gaius i dont believe merlin would leave him without sayin goodbuy as he was like a father to the young warlock. i do hope there is a spinoff but it wont be the same without gaius(richard wilson) arthur (bradly james) and merlin (colin morgan) im not sure that i would watch if it did not have these actors init and possably a few more from the show they made it wot it is today and with most of the same cast i can only imagine that it could be as good as the original (not as good) but almost i also think a film with the same cast would be brilliant aswell if a film isnt possable a double feature episode showing wot happened next and wot happened to the amazing gaius(richard wilson) i look forward to hearing if any of thee are possable in the future months to come…..
merlin what can i say superb acting fantastic storylines comical heart warming viewing for all ages please let us see these actors in future projects they were the best thing on television all year
i really feel sad that Merlin has ended, but i really enjoyed the one’s they were able to produce. Kudos to you guys.
i really feel sad that Merlin has ended, but i really enjoyed the one’s they were able to produce. Wish to see you guys come up with better ones
I had a great time with this series, thank you! I especially enjoyed the acting for Merlin and Arthur, plenty of great humour. Now let’s see, what’s next to watch? Perhaps Grimm.
i have read on wikipedia bout the legends of arthur and there is a way were they can bring it back far a 6th or a 7th series becouse in the legend it states that arthur is set down stream in a boat to the isle of avalon and 3 mysterious women heal arthur and he was to return some time later the legend was set around 1150ad so why did merlin end up walking past a lorry he would have had to been around 800 years old (unlikly) i think somebody could pick it up and do more with it i hope someone sees this and realises that more can be done with the series also in the legend merlin became arthurs trusted court advisor but we did not see this all we saw is merlin the man servant there r a lot of flaws in this version of the legend plz plz plz someone pick it up and finish of the legend as wrote in the welsh manuscript
Yeah we got screwed over when they cancelled Merlin they don’t care what the viewers want to watch all they care about is what brings them $$$$$$
Great job BBC, thank you for 5 years of enjoyable FAMILY entertainment. YWould of loved more time with this wonderful cast
Absolute huge blunder to end the story of Merlin. We would have enjoyed another 5 years seeing how Merlin and Arthur interacted once Arthur knew of Merlin’s magic. I am so numbed they end the story so abruptly.