[Merlin Series 2] Merlin and the X factor [Radiotimes article transcript]
Thanks to exoticrooftile who provided a scan of this weeks article in the Radiotimes.
I've made a transcript of the article.
WARNING: Contains mildest general spoilers for series 2.
Merlin and the X factor
Can the rising young stars of the hit family drama outshine ITV's top rating talent show?
It's a HIT Saturday-night TV show that transforms bright-eyed unknowns into global stars. No, not The X Factor - we're talking about the fantasy drama Merlin, which returns to BBC1 this week for a second, 13-part series. Last year it regularly pulled in well over five million viewers, despite being up against the ITV talent show. No surprise then, that Merlin's 23-year-old lead, Colin Morgan, isn't an X-Factor fan:
'I'm really not into reality programs', he says, 'I'm much more into intriguing, well-made dramas like Merlin. I'm not a fan of real-life TV.' [bless you, Colin!!! ❤]
Morgan's rise has also been dramatic. Two years ago, while still at drama school he was cast in a stage version of the CBC Pierre novel Vernon God Little. That brought him attention, but his TV work amounted to small roles in The Catherine Tate Show and the 2008 Doctor Who episode Midnight before he was offered Merlin.
'I was on my own when I got the call,' he says. 'So I phoned my parents - "I've got the part!" - and we screamed down the phone. After five weeks of auditions, I knew how badly I wanted it.'
Merlin's magic formula is to pair talented newcomers with experienced pros - re, just like The X Factor. There's the pic-headed autocrat (despotic King Uther Pendragon played by Anthony Head), the silver-haired eccentric (Richard Wilson as Merlin's mentor Gaius) and a talking dragon (voiced by John Hurt). And the fresh spin on the Camelot legend with Merlin and Arthur as adolescent contemporaries, is working its magic overseas: Merlin has been sold to more than 180 countries and is the first British Drama since The New Avengers 30 years ago to air on a major US terrestrial network (NBC).
'It's incredible;' says 26-year-old Katie McGrath (Morgana), who was plucked from obscurity as a wardrobe assistant on The Tudors and given a small part in that, just before being cast in Merlin. 'All of a sudden, you're in a show that's a worldwide hit. I saw Morgana dubbed into Italian - I sound like a 45-year-old"'
Have the cast got used to their new fame? 'I found the buses strange,' says Morgan, recalling the promotional campaign on double-deckers in London, 'but it's only a photo I suppose.' A 6ft photo. Of your face. On a bus!
'Well, yeah,' he laughs. 'See, there's nothing about Merlin I take for granted.' His name is in the title after all. 'Yes, and I feel a huge responsibility.'
Indeed, with the demise of Robin Hood and ITV's Primeval and no full series of Doctor Who this year, Merlin is flying the flag for Saturday-evening family drama. 'There's a lot more going on in the show this year,' says Morgan. 'More action, more romance, and the stories are more complex. We get darker and more adult, as Merlin realises his place in the world.'
Bradley James (Prince Arthur), 24, agrees: 'Arthur grows up a bit this year. You can't have Merlin saving him every episode. There's only so long before he finds out about Merlin's powers.' [YAY FOR THAT! \0/]
'They're writing more for us this series,' says 29-year-old Angel Coulby (Gwen), 'although we're all quite like our characters - Bradley in particular [❤] He just is Prince Arthur. And Colin is very Merlin-ish in real life.' Coulby hints that we may even see some Lost-style "flashforwards", 'But I can't say any more,' she protests. They've sort of sexed-up Gwen. She's moving towards becoming Arthur's queen.'
Guest stars this series include Mackenzie Crook (this week) as creepy Cedric, Adrian Lester as devious Myror, Charles Dance as the sinister Witchfinder and Sarah Parish as an odious troll, while the Great Dragon has a more crucial role.
'At last I got to record my scenes with John Hurt face to face,' Morgan enthuses. 'A Merlin moment in history! You can get a bit starstruck meeting legends, but John is such a lovely guy. We had a laugh. He makes a brilliant dragon.'
[transcript from the Radiotimes article, written by Benjamin Cook]