Owen-TV: There's little that's magical about this 'Merlin'

You missed the point. Perhaps you have a short attention span, no sense of humor, and/or no imagination. I heard about the series from friends in Britain and bought the DVDs a few months ago. My entire family adored it--from the youngest kids through the adults.

It is not Shakespeare, but it has comedy, drama, pathos, a lovely coming of age story, which puts a positive spin on loyalty, decency and the value of friendship.

The main characters, Merlin and Arthur, are perfectly cast--either the casting director is a genuis or got incredbly lucky. No it is not Harry Potter, nor does it create a completely new universe, but it is oceans funnier and has a greater cross-generational appeal. The kids are enthralled by the action and the monsters, while the adults able to laugh at the outrageous anachronisms, tongue-in-cheeks humor, nods to the familiar and less familiar references to the legends of King Arthur, and the terrific dialogue (shamelessly mixing modern and period expressions for the greatest effect).

You whine about the computer images not being up to your high-tech standards. That is just so strange when one has shots of incredible locations like the Welsh forests and land- and seascapes, and a huge, fabulous real-life (not CGI!) Camelot-like castle. What are you thinking?

What's wrong with cheesy generated snakes? (Ever go to the opera, the theater, the ballet, or see a puppet show?) I thought entertainment was about story, emotions engendered, and identification with the main characters. This series has all of those things in spades. This kind highly original re-imagination of one of the major legendariums in the English language is what people need these days, not better-slicker-faster computer-generated images. I'll have to write something about this somewhere else when I am not so irritated. Your careless pan made my chest hurt.

Shame on the reviewer! First of all, insulting British production values is both laughable and ridiculous and in Merlin's case, absurd. They filmed this series as they might a movie, giving it an epic scale and real locations as opposed to fake CGI foolishness. The filming style gives it a warmth and intensity; the music is grand and beautiful. Yes, the mythical creatures are a bit stylized and sometimes almost humorous but that is to hark back to a simpler time in movies and tv.

Second, when I watch a tv series, I want real stories and real character development and Merlin has this in spades. The lead actors know just how to play to the story and their own character arcs.

Third, I've shown this series to a number of my older friends in their 40s and 50s as well as showing it to teenagers and they've all loved it.

You've completely missed the boat on this one.

It's nice when Americans can look down their noses at a country's entire entertainment industry, isn't it?

Oshun got it right on the nose. Frankly, the reviewer's comments about British t.v. were insulting, and their focus on the lack of super-cool-awesome CGI effects just goes to show that they missed the forest for the trees when watching 'Merlin'. The show has plenty of great character moments, a talented cast (particularly in Colin Morgan and Bradley James), and terrific potential for family entertainment (there aren't enough shows on T.V. that can be thoroughly enjoyed by both young children and older adults alike, but this one has something for everyone). And it's such a refreshing change to have a show that's so overwhelmingly positive in nature that you can't help but have a smile on your face by the time the credits roll.

'Merlin' is a show that goes back to basics, and by merely harping on the fact that it's not American-made and can therefore have nothing of value to offer, you're missing out on a great viewing experience.