ALMOST everyone in the world knows the legend of King Arthur, the "once and future king" who pulled a sword from a stone and became the greatest king that Britain has ever known.
The same could be said about Merlin, the magician with a pointy hat we all know and often see in Enchanted Kingdom, who, in the Morte d'Arthur of Sir Thomas Malory, is the adviser and guide of King Arthur.
Being a well-known tale, several movies and television shows were made based on the story of King Arthur which includes Camelot, Excalibur, King Arthur: Legend of Sword, King Arthur, Knights of the Round Table, and others.
However, of all the shows and movies I have seen that depicts the heroic tales of Arthur Pendragon, BBC's Merlin is the one that truly caught the attention of a lot of fans around the world, including me.
Personally, it is also my favorite.
Unlike other images we see of Merlin, the legendary sorcerer - or in this TV series' case, warlock - is not an old man with long white beard but a young man who is the personal servant to young Prince Arthur Pendragon.
BBC's Merlin, as the title says, is a fantasy drama that focuses more on the life story and adventures of Merlin played by Colin Morgan as he hones his magic skills and at the same time fulfills his destiny to protect and make Prince Arthur (played by Bradley James) the king of Camelot.
What first caught my attention was the age. The two main protagonists of the series are not middle aged men, quite opposite from how I perceived King Arthur and Merlin to be, assuming that the latter was really an old man.
Another is the fact that magic is actually forbidden in the Kingdom of Camelot, the kingdom ruled by Uther Pendragon, Arthur's father, and whoever was seen practicing magic will be executed. A dilemma for Merlin who has to hide his magic and at the same time accomplish his destiny to protect Arthur, for the prince is meant to be the king who will return magic to Camelot and unite the land of Albion.
Interesting enough is that the show contains humor, another thing I do not normally associate with anything Arthurian legend related, with all the bickering and jibe between Merlin and Arthur, and some of the hilarious instances when Merlin has to come up with excuses to keep his magic a secret.
The series contains five seasons, 13 episodes each, and in every season, we see Prince Arthur's character development, from being arrogant and a bully to a compassionate man fit to be the king who welcomes everyone including the commoners.
Merlin and Arthur's relationship also developed as the series progressed. As both of them learn more about each other, they also begin to respect and trust one another and work together.
All in all, Merlin is a story of friendship, loyalty, love, and tragedy.
The series has 65 episodes in total and is currently available on Netflix.