TV show · 2008 · Action & Adventure, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy · English
Curator score: 6.9/10 (94.5K ratings)
Magic is his destiny.
Overview
The unlikely friendship between Merlin, a young man gifted with extraordinary magical powers, and Prince Arthur, heir to the crown of Camelot.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.9/10
IMDb: 7.9/10
Rotten Tomatoes: 85%
Metacritic: 57
TMDB: 7.8/10
Production
Shine TV
Cast
Colin Morgan, Angel Coulby, Bradley James, Katie McGrath, Richard Wilson, John Hurt, Tom Hopper, Rupert Young
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Pluto TV, Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads, Tubi TV
Curator Review
Verdict
A charming, easy-to-binge fantasy adventure that blends monster-of-the-week fun with a slow-burn Arthurian coming-of-age story. It’s at its best when it leans into the Merlin/Arthur friendship, playful banter, and mythic Camelot atmosphere; the writing can be uneven, but the series remains warmly watchable and emotionally satisfying.
Best for
Fans of light-to-medium fantasy with a strong friendship core
Viewers who like Arthurian legend reimagined as accessible adventure
People who enjoy episodic quests with an ongoing myth arc
Binge-watchers looking for a comforting, low-friction genre series
Skip if
You want dark, prestige fantasy with complex political realism
You prefer tightly plotted serialization and consistently high-end effects
You’re allergic to camp, formula, or occasional melodrama
Overview
Merlin is one of those shows that succeeds by being more charming than polished. It takes a familiar legend and turns it into a breezy, emotionally direct adventure series, with the central relationship between Merlin and Arthur doing most of the heavy lifting. The premise is simple, but the chemistry and the show’s earnest tone give it real staying power.
Worth noting
The first few seasons are the strongest, especially once the friendship dynamic settles in and the series finds a balance between humor, danger, and mythic stakes. It’s very much a BBC fantasy of its era: accessible, family-friendly, and built around weekly escapades that gradually feed into a larger destiny narrative. Some episodes are better than others, and the effects and plotting can feel dated, but the show’s heart is consistently in the right place.
Bottom line
By the later seasons, the mythology deepens and the emotional payoff becomes more pronounced, though the series can also feel repetitive at times. Even so, it remains a rewarding watch for viewers who want an adventure show with warmth, loyalty, and a classic fantasy sensibility rather than grimness or spectacle overload.
2001 · Curator 5.4/10 (156.5K ratings) · Where to watch: Hulu
A long-form origin story centered on a young hero learning his place in a larger destiny, with a similar blend of episodic and serialized storytelling.