The Boy Merlin facts for kids
Quick facts for kids The Boy Merlin |
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| Genre | Family drama Medieval fantasy |
| Written by | Stewart Farrar |
| Starring | Ian Rowlands |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language(s) | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Producer(s) | Pamela Lonsdale |
| Running time | 25 minutes |
| Release | |
| Original network | Thames Television |
| Original release | 23 April 1979 |
The Boy Merlin is a fantasy TV show from 1979. It was made by Thames Television. The show stars Ian Rowlands as the famous magician Merlin. It tells the story of Merlin when he was a boy. The idea for the show came from a special TV drama that aired in 1978.
Contents
About The Boy Merlin
This section tells you more about the story of the show.
The Story of Young Merlin
Merlin is a young boy with a special secret. He is the son of a princess and the grandson of King Conaan. But he is not welcome at the royal court.
So, he goes to live with a local smith and his wife. There, he learns how important honest work is. Merlin's foster-grandmother, Myfanwy, can see the future. She teaches him the magic he will need later. This magic will help him serve King Arthur.
However, the Saxon king, Vortigern, finds out about Merlin's powers. He learns where Merlin is living. King Vortigern then tries to cause trouble for the young magician.
How the Show Was Made
The idea for The Boy Merlin came from Anne Carlton. It was based on an episode of another TV series called Shadows. That episode was also named "The Boy Merlin." Vic Hughes directed it, and it was shown on October 11, 1978.
When It Was Shown
The show was broadcast in the UK on ITV. It had 6 episodes. They were shown from April 23 to June 11, 1979. One episode was not shown on May 7 because of a public holiday. The series was shown again from April 11 to May 16, 1980.
Some people thought the 1979 shows were stopped by a TV strike. But this is not true. That strike happened later, from August to October 1979. The show was also seen in Ireland and Australia.
Who Was In It?
Here are the main actors and the characters they played:
- Ian Rowlands - Merlin
- Meredith Edwards - King Conan
- Donald Houston - Dafydd the Smith
- Margaret John - Blodwen
- Rachel Thomas - Myfanwy
DVD Release
You can watch the series on DVD. It was released by Network DVD on May 2, 2011. The DVD also includes the first special episode that inspired the series.
