A new series has just been announced by the BBC, one that’s going to fill the void left by Merlin (as in its literal time slot) and it’s called Atlantis. Yes, it’s going to be about the famed mythological city that supposedly sank underwater.
Howard Overman
Atlantis is being created by Howard Overman, the man behind Misfits, and also the occasional Merlin episode. I may have had my issues with the latest season of Misfits, but I still trust Overman to deliver great scripts and fantastic characters. I grew up loving Greek mythology (and the cheesy-yet-wonderful take on it in shows like Xena and Hercules), so I can already start to feel myself getting excited for the fall.
The show is also supposedly coming to us by way of Merlin co-creators Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. It’s not entirely clear who’s actually in charge: some sources are saying that Overman is a creator, and others are just pegging him as responsible for the scripts. For now, let’s call it a joint production by all three.
The world of Atlantis is being described as a “strange, compelling realm” with “snake-haired goddesses and places so vast it was said they were built by giants.” Given the series’ time slot, one held both by Merlin and Doctor Who, don’t expect to see a take on the darker sides of Greek mythology: this will be another family-friendly series. We already know the lead character’s name is Jason, though whether it is he of the Golden Fleece remains to be seen. The show will film in Wales, just like many other BBC family dramas, but it will also film in Morocco: one of the mythical locations of Atlantis.
Atlantis will begin shooting in April, though no casting announcements have been made yet. It’ll air when Merlin used to this autumn, so expect a premiere sometime in September.
Are you excited for the new series? Not sure how you feel, or just wish Merlin was coming back (or that Doctor Who would start up again already)? Let us know in the comments below!
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I have to say I’m a little unenthusiastic about this. I loved so many things about Merlin, I really did, but there were a lot of things wrong with it. And I think the show runners were to blame for most, if not all, of those. I’m worried we’re going to get a Merlin 2.0, insofar as it’ll be great enough in many ways to suck us in and make us care, but then it’ll torture us with formulaic writing, reset buttons, and refusal to really develop and change the story, all over again.
Merlin had a lot of problems. So yeah, I’m a bit wary of anything that comes from that team again. What Merlin had going for it was Bradley and Colin, and so it’ll depend on the casting for this. I’m just not sure anymore.
Re: Merlin – as someone who was once so obsessed with the show she frequently discussed trips to Pierrefonds to watch filming, I haven’t even seen the final season yet. That says a lot, I think.
At least I got to interview the boys while I was still invested in it.
I think this is one I’m not going to watch until I hear word about it. And I don’t just mean a season or so in, I’d need it to be over, or to be multiple seasons in, and hear that it’s actually really good and doesn’t display Merlin’s (or other major) problems.
Depending on how much control Howard Overman has, it could be really good. I had my issues with Misfits season 4, but none of them were the really fundamental problems that Merlin had. It’s definitely going to be a wait and see.
You got to interview the boys? That is awesome. They seem so adorable.