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If Colin Morgan is tired of talking about his role playing the most famous wizard in history, it does not show.
The BBC’s fantasy series, Merlin, showing here on Prime, has been confirmed for a fifth season, which means the young actor gets a break before heading back to the wilds of Wales.
“I still love it,” Morgan says in his Northern Irish accent. “We finished the fourth season about a month ago and I remember looking at the clapper board and thinking, `I’m actually standing on a set filming a TV show called Merlin’. I don’t take the job for granted and I don’t ever want to get complacent about the role.”
Based loosely on Arthurian legend, the show revolves around a young Merlin – played by the 25-year-old, impish-looking Morgan – who must keep his powers hidden until his contemporary, Arthur Pendragon, who is a newly minted King of Camelot (Bradley James), becomes a wise leader.
Add to the mix Guinevere (Angel Coulby), who is sensible and feisty, and Morgana (Katie McGrath), a powerful sorceress who is doing her best to undermine them all. Not to mention a CGI dragon voiced by John Hurt, sword fights and enough chaste kisses, back-stabbing, spells and intrigue to keep everyone from 10 to 80 happy.
But Merlin was no overnight success. When it first aired in Britain in 2008, ratings were low. Over the past couple of years, and with a change of network, the show has found its niche. Morgan says the enduring legend has helped Merlin to survive.
Are you pleased with the response to Series 4 so far?
Johnny: “Yeah, we’re thrilled. Our audience figures are the highest they’ve ever been, so year on year we’ve built our audience which is terrific. Also the audience appreciation index, which is very important to the BBC, we’re getting into the 90s and anything above 85 is deemed superb.
“It’s really exciting that not only are we doing well audience figure wise, the people who are watching are also really enjoying it. As programme makers, it doesn’t really get better than that.”
Do you have a favourite episode of Series 4?
Julian: “So far I’d say Episode 3, the one where Uther died.”
Johnny: “I enjoyed Episode 7 with Gaius revealing Merlin’s identity, that was a great episode for me. But I also really enjoyed the dragon egg episode.”
Julian: “Also, this week’s episode is a favourite too.”
BMSESQ67 asks: Will Arthur and Gwen be bringing a Pendragon baby into Camelot in Series 5?
Johnny: “Blimey, I hadn’t thought about that, maybe Series 8!”
Q: Is there any more info on the Merlin movie?
A: “It’s in early stages – we’re discussing talent right now, e.g writers, directors.”
Q: Will we ever see Merlin’s mother again?
A: “There’s every chance! Wait and see!”
Q: If you could have any actor star in Merlin, who would it be?
A: “Tom Hollander, Brian Blessed, Felicity Kendal. In terms of guest casting, it depends on the parts – there’s lots of names in our heads! Judi Dench, Ian McKellen…”
: Will there be a sixth series of Merlin?
A: “We’ve always planned five series, but it depends on how popular the show is. There’s every possibility it could continue…”
Q: Will Merlin reunite with Freya?
A: “She’s important to the legend, so there’s a good chance they will reunite, yes!”
Colin Morgan, star of BBC’s hit series Merlin, is set to bring a touch of magic to Belfast during the Takeover Film Festival at Queen’s Film Theatre, part of the Cinemagic International Film Festival for Young People. His latest leading role is in Irish feature film Parked, the Northern Irish premiere of which will open the Takeover Festival.
What is Parked about and who do you play?
Parked tells the story of a character called Fred, played by Colm Meaney, who has nowhere to live and no job. He ends up living out of his car in a car park (hence the name of the film) and he can’t get welfare due to having no fixed abode. Things aren’t looking great for him, and my character, Cathal, is pretty much in the same boat, living out of a car in the same park, but for very different reasons.
Cathal is a bit of a junkie waster who has had something of a dark past. They strike up a friendship and Cathal tries to bring Fred back to the light, despite being in so much darkness, and together they find the importance of being at home.
The subject matter sounds quite dark and gritty, but is the overriding message an uplifting one?
The film tackles some big subjects, dealing with homelessness and drug addiction and the economic state of Ireland at the moment, and it does highlight all of those issues very well. However, there is also a really uplifting note to it, about hope and about finding happiness in the darkest of situations. My character Cathal, who is a very happy go lucky guy, tries to lift Fred up despite his own situation, and he does end up suffering as a result.
Merlin co-creators Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy have revealed that a film version of the hit series is in the works.
The pair made the announcement at a special BFI screening for the fantasy drama’s fourth series premiere.
“Julian and I are in discussions at the moment about whether or not to do a Merlin movie,” confirmed Capps.
No further details about the film project are known, though the show’s original cast – including Colin Morgan, Bradley James and Katie McGrath – are expected to star.
A fourth series of Merlin is currently wrapping up filming in Wales and will begin on BBC One next month.
A fifth run has already been commissioned, with Capps claiming that the advance pick-up will allow future episodes to focus on “slow-burn” character arcs.
What is he discovering about himself and what is he discovering about his magic?
He’s discovering more and more how lost he is, which is kind of anti-discovery in a way, because the more you’ve found out, the more you lose. He’s finding out that as everyone else is slotting into place, he’s suddenly in the middle, going “Where do I fit in?” And he’s never fitted in, but this is when he feels it the most. And when family ties and loyalty and royalty overrule friendship, that’s a big blow to him. Throughout the series, Merlin’s very much left in a limbo.
So there are big changes in Merlin and Arthur’s relationship?
I think so, yeah. There’s a serious tone now going on, and you often have some situations where Merlin’s trying to get that friendship going on and is met with a wall, and he’s not sure how to deal with that, so there’s a lot going on there. When it’s time to put the childhood things away, how do you move on, maybe when you’re not ready to do that? That’s the big theme that’s explored in this series.
So Season 4 is more moving into the adult age?
It feels like it. It’s like Toy Story 3. I’m Woody. [laughs]
Q: Were you aware of the Arthur legends before the show, and if so were you a fan?
A: I guess I knew as much about the Arthurian legends as anyone, through the Disney Sword in the Stone, and an awareness of Excalibur and Merlin as legend. But as I’ve been involved in the series, I’ve read up the classic tales of La Morte De Arthur and Idylls of the King, and basically anything with Merlin in the title, I’ve read. I think you can never inform yourself too much, no matter what you do, and when you are working in that kind of genre, you might as well as explore it and see what it’s like. When you get home at night and read about knights and castles, and the next day you’re in a castle with knights, it’s good to be a part of that world and read about it.
Q: Do you pinch yourself when you find yourself working with the likes of Richard Wilson, Miriam Margoyles and Warwick Davies? Working with them as a young actor must be a godsend….
A: I generally pinch myself every day on set but when we get such brilliant guest stars I have to pinch that bit harder!
Colin Morgan has admitted he would love to portray a darker side to the wizard Merlin in the fourth series of the BBC show.
Colin Morgan wants viewers to see a darker side to Merlin.
The 25-year-old actor portrays the mythical wizard as a young man in the BBC TV series of the same name and revealed instead of his character hiding his emotions all the time, he would love to show his “damaged” side when the show returns for a fourth series next year.
He explained to BANG Showbiz: “We often see Merlin go through so many situations in that he has to put up a front and appear pretty jolly and suppress a lot of his true emotions. I’d like to see a lot more of the raw things come out from under the surface and get to see him in a more mature and damaged way.
“I think that is dangerous territory for what it is supposed to be a comedy show but our audience are growing up, as are the characters and I think it’s important that those elements are incorporated into it as long as we don’t lose touch with the characters and change too much. But people do change and I think anything that moves towards a maturity and an unearthing of true emotions I think would be great.”
Colin Morgan has revealed he would love for Bill Bailey to appear in ‘Merlin’ as his crazy uncle.
Colin Morgan wants Bill Bailey to play his “crazy uncle” in ‘Merlin’.
The Northern Irish actor – who plays the title character in the BBC TV series based on the Arthurian legends of the mythical wizard- revealed as he can’t work with his first choice, the late US star Paul Newman, he would love to see the ‘Black Books’ actor on set.
He explained: “I’ve always said I’d love Bill Bailey to be like Merlin’s crazy uncle or something like that, I think that would be great. But if I were to go really out there and pick anyone that I could ever want, I’d probably want Paul Newman to be a wise sage to Merlin or something like that. Although there’s no chance of that happening now.”
While Colin admitted it has been a challenge to move past people’s perceptions of Merlin as the old wizard from the legend, he is relishing the physical challenges of the role, including horse riding and doing some of his own stunts.
Merlin star Colin Morgan has claimed that the show’s fourth series will air in the autumn.
The actor told CultBox that filming on the new run “started last week”.
“It feels like, coming into the fourth series, the show’s really taken its place in people’s hearts,” he suggested. “We’ve just got scripts for the first three episodes through and it’s hugely exciting.”
He continued: “It’ll still [air] this autumn, either in September or October this year.”
“The basis of the story that we’re working on is so strongly established in legend, so it’s great to see these icons coming through,” he said. “The show has always been about taking the legends and showing them in a different and unexpected way.”
He added that there are “huge changes” in store for Merlin in the future.
“I think it’s clear that Camelot is heading in a new direction,” he claimed. “The characters’ arcs are starting to take their place.”
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