Full episodes are on NBC.com now too (presumably geo-locked so that only U.S. viewers can watch). I had to go there to see the last 10 minutes of the second episode because of the golf overrun.

Since the premiere I watched all of season 1 over the internet (all episodes already aired in England) I think it was witty and thoroughly enjoy fantasy plots.

Can’t wait for Season 2!

I’ve always been curious as to what factors make a show do well, and doubt that the content matters all that much, at least for scripted fare. Canada and the U.S. have similar cultures, but Arrested Development was a ratings success in Canada (which led to it getting a twice a day syndication deal on major broadcaster CBC for a while) and did poorly in the United States, why?

Is it a case that Americans simply prefer more crime series against anything else, or is NBC really that unappealing?

I’m noticing that those of us who have seen the entire first season of Merlin so far are reacting to it positively. That’s the thing with this show – it doesn’t start out strong, but it gets good as it progresses on.

Compared to the dour & hard to watch “Kings”, “Merlin” is a home-run (I could point out it had more then triple the ratings of “Kings.. but that says something about NBC)

The good news is, I don’t really have to worry about ratings that much, because it was VERY popular in the UK, and has been renewed for a second season and is currently in production. So, since Season 2 starts in the UK in August, I at least know there is that

I have seen the entire run of Merlin so far and the show really does get quite interesting IMO, but I can understand it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. This is a lighter take on Camelot and I think the creators meant it to appeal to younger audiences, not people who really delve into this stuff and expect complete historical accuracy. I thought it’s pretty well produced and entertaining, which is all I really want in my summer tv. And I find the cast appealing and think Colin Morgan’s comedic timing is great.

I watched a few eps of Legend but thought it was pretty lame. In one episode, the old wizard claims he didn’t knock some girl up because he was “pretty sure” he used “magical protection” (i.e. magic condoms) during sex. In the next, you see the girl swordfighting against several armored dudes and just whacking all of them… The seeker guy himself also fights without armor.

Have studios stopped presenting their “good stuff” to NBC? Have producers shyed away from NBC because it seems like they’re in an extended rut and people are tuning them out??

Robert and Bill – any possible explanation(s) for NBC being in such miserable shape? I mean, can you blame it all on the guy(s) at the top? Or are the a number of factors that have just seemed to converge on NBC at the same time that have resulted in their present situation. I seem to recall that it wasn’t too long ago that NBC dominated (or at least led) the major networks in ratings.

If NBC’s new fall lineup has a number of shows that tank, what do they do then? Let them run their course with crappy ratings – move up midseason shows to earlier “start dates,” have Leno on 2 HOURS a night??

Thanks!

It seems like a Smallville villain-of-the-week show for now, but it does get much more complex and interesting and they do have a couple of story arcs in there from Camelot canon. Like any other show, it needs a few episodes to set up the story and characters which is why the pilot and 2nd episode aren’t as strong as the rest of the season.