As Merlin wraps up its second season on the air in the UK, the cast and crew have received some good news. They’ll be going back to work for a third round of episodes.
Merlin tells the story of the legendary wizard’s early adulthood, living in the court of King Uther, Arthur’s father. The series features Colin Morgan as Merlin, Bradley James as Prince Arthur, Anthony Head as King Uther, Katie McGrath as Morgana, Angel Coulby as Gwen, Richard Wilson as Gaius, and John Hurt as the voice of the Great Dragon.
In the UK, the ratings were strong enough for BBC One to renew Merlin for a second season back in December 2008. Season two began airing in September 2009 and will finish on December 19th. While viewership has dropped a bit, the ratings are high enough for BBC One to greenlight a third season.
In a statement, Controller Drama Commissioning Ben Stephenson said, “With its mix of magic, adventure and humour, Merlin is perfect Saturday-evening family television, and we are thrilled that Shine Television will be creating a new series for BBC One. I’m looking forward to seeing what adventures our popular young wizard, and his friends in Camelot, will go on in series three.”
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Johnny Capps, Executive Producer of Shine Television (which produces the show), added, “Merlin is ready to burst back onto BBC One with more action, romance and, of course, magic to delight fans of all ages. After the thrilling finale of the current series audiences will be left wondering what happens next — and with so many of Merlin and Arthur’s adventures yet to unfold, we can’t wait to continue the story.”
Unfortunately, it’s still up in the air as to when or if the second or third season of Merlin will be shown in the US. An NBC network spokesperson tells us that the network has yet to make a decision on whether they will air another season. The ratings for season one weren’t very strong so, realistically, the chances don’t look all that good.
If NBC decides to air season two of Merlin, the series probably won’t come back until next summer, at the earliest.
If NBC doesn’t want it, the series could be picked up by another outlet. Or, at the very least, fans will eventually be able to purchase season DVDs. The first season has already been released in the UK and will no doubt be released in the US.
What do you think? Would you like to see NBC air the second and third seasons of Merlin? Would you buy them on DVD?
Image courtesy BBC One.
Yes …my entire family loves this show. Please air S2 & S3
Yes, I would watch it….I absolutely love the series. Everything about it is wonderful…the acting, the sets, the costumes, the story lines, EVERYTHING!
Please, please, please show seasons 2 and 3 in the USA.
NBC or some US network will air the 2nd season. If not,I should partition my US satelite TV service to add BBC UK. Love the series & cast!!!
Please air season 3 of merlin. . i would definitely want to watch it! it’s my favorite series
Most definitely air season 2&3, my family loved this show, great characters and story lines !
Great show. Bring us Season 2 and 3 to NBC.
Oh, I really would LOVE watching the third season. I just finished season 2 and I really, really love this series. It would be awesome, if there is a season 3.
I just discovered that Merlin Season 1 will be showing on the Syfy network March 28th. It is to be shown an all day starting with the first episode to the last espisode!!! Hopefully if enough people watch it, (or record it), maybe they will bring season 2 and three???? One can only hope. Still hoping that NBC will show season 2 and 3 also.
@Sberry: Actually, season two is scheduled to begin April 2nd. http://tvseriesfinale.com/tv-show/merlin-cancelled-season-two-coming/
i really do hope they air the third season! My friends and i love to watch Monty Python on the BBC, and we saw Merlin first being advertised, so we all gave it a try. Turns out we all love it, and discuss it avidly everywhere and anywhere :)!
The people making decisions at NBC are complete idiots! I am soooo sick of all the stupid reality shows. They must be cheap to produce. Why not have a show that is just enjoyable and entertaining, like Merlin? Most people watch tv just to get a little break from the stress of everyday life and don’t have time to spend sending emails or whatever it is that you are looking for to prove that people like this show.
NBC please air the second and third seasons of Merlin. Love this show. I have already purchased the first season on DVD and watch it over and over more than any other DVDs I have.
It is not surprising that the ratings were not strong: it was not well advertised. I had seen some mentions of it, but I mistakenly thought it was a movie or mini-series; and I don’t usually like care much for mini-series nor shows about past eras, so i didn’t watch. I did not find out the truth until a friend caually mentioned liking the SERIES Merlin. Fortunately, I was able to catch up by watching the missed episodes on Time Warner’s free PrimeTime On-Demand (I wish all the networks had their shows available, but I was lucky that Merlin was… Read more »
I have been patiently waiting for NBC to air season two of Merlin. Please – now that Jay Leno is gone you need something to take up those hours. Let it be Merlin!!
I love it so much! me and all my friends are in love with the show. We would all die if it was cancelled. Cant wait for series 3
Yes, please air season 2 and 3. And it would be great if we could at least get season 2 in a DVD format that will play in the US.