Writer: Howard Overman
Director: James Hawes
Cast: Colin Morgan (Merlin), Bradley James (Prince Arthur), Richard Wilson (Gaius), Anthony Head (King Uther Pendragon), Angel Coulby (Gwen), Katie McGrath (Morgana), John Hurt (The Great Dragon, voice), Will Mellor (Valiant), Keith Thorne (Ewan), Andy Linden (Devlin), Ed Coleman (Morris) & Nicholas Gasson (Steward)
Director: James Hawes
Cast: Colin Morgan (Merlin), Bradley James (Prince Arthur), Richard Wilson (Gaius), Anthony Head (King Uther Pendragon), Angel Coulby (Gwen), Katie McGrath (Morgana), John Hurt (The Great Dragon, voice), Will Mellor (Valiant), Keith Thorne (Ewan), Andy Linden (Devlin), Ed Coleman (Morris) & Nicholas Gasson (Steward)
"Valiant" just about goes the distance, but the storyline is thin and predictable for anyone over the age of 10. The eponymous knight Valiant (Will Mellor) has a dastardly plan to kill Prince Arthur (Bradley James) -- using a magic shield that can sprout real snakes, which he'll command to deliver a fatal bite in the midst of close-combat during a tournament. Needless to say, Merlin (Colin Morgan) realizes Valiant's using illegal magic but struggles to be believed as a lowly servant...The disappointing thing about Merlin right now (accepting its irksome tweaks to Arthurian legend -- such as the existence of Camelot before Arthur's reign), is how it appears to be aimed only at children. As family entertainment, it's pleasant enough for parents to sit through, but the current benchmarks of its genre are Lord Of The Rings and Harry Potter -- and it's simply not in that league of entertainment.
Robin Hood also struggled (more noticeably in season 1) with delivering plots that older teens and adults could enjoy, keeping things too light and pleasant so as not to frighten or confuse kids. But with bloody battles filling much of the Rings trilogy and the Potter franchise going into very dark territory post-Azkaban, it's annoying to see a show like Merlin being so toothless.
The great secret to kid's television is that children like to be pushed and have their horizons expanded. The best shows are written by adults who refuse to dumb things down, and instead challenge kids to keep up. At the moment, Merlin is too safe and comfortable with its pantomime back-story and glistening white castles. Shouldn't this be a time of darkness, evil and danger --inspiring Merlin to help Arthur usher in a world of chivalry? Maybe things will become more textured and interesting as we go along, but at the moment Merlin lacks a killer punch. The Hallmark mini-series Merlin (starring Sam Neill) was twice as entertaining and imaginative, yet within the ability of the BBC to replicate on a weekly basis. Lessons clearly haven't been learned from the muted response to Hood's ineffectual rethink.
Colin Morgan is agreeable and charming as the lead, thank goodness. You can imagine him becoming quite an intense adult as his abilities increase, too. But are we to believe Merlin will become the world's most powerful warlock simply by secretly reading a dusty book and re-enacting The Sorcerer's Apprentice every day? I think they missed a trick in not making Gaius (Richard Wilson) a Dumbledore figure, don't you? Instead we have a crabby man in a bad wig, moaning whenever Merlin uses the book he was given!
Elsewhere, there was mild improvement from Bradley James as Arthur, after his worryingly bland debut last week. The same can't be said of guest star Will Mellor (Two Pints And A Packet Of Crisps), who is utterly insipid as Valiant. While physically a decent fit for the role, Mellor is awkward in nearly every other respect. He looked plain embarrassed when required to kiss Morgana's (Katie McGrath) hand, such was the cliché of the gesture.
The story could also have been told in 20 minutes, meaning "Valiant" became something of a chore to sit through in its second half -- not helped by the fact everything wrapped up exactly as expected, with no surprises. If future episodes follow the pattern that seems to be emerging already (a magical threat to Camelot or its people, but Merlin saves the day using his own covert magic) then the show will become very boring very quickly.
Overall, if you're happy for Merlin to be aimed at the under-10s and just provide a bit of colourful nonsense, "Valiant" is proof that Merlin will be the show for you. But, if you'd like something a bit meatier and rewarding, that gets kids thinking and gripped by unexpected twists and clever imagination, this second episode doesn't offer any nourishment. Considering there are so many fantasy-themed books and films around for inspiration, it's rather dispiriting to find Merlin isn't producing something more relevant and complex that both kids and adults will enjoy. But, y'know, if green CGI snakes, Will Mellor scowling and beautiful locations are all you're really after… abracadabra!
27 September 2008
BBC1, 6pm
