Merlin magic with a twist

MANILA, Philippines - There are stories about wizards and then some. You see magic powers galore, sorcery, a slew of dragons, castles, swordplay, etc. The parade of eye-popping objects can blow you away

Fine. We’re only human, after all. Spectacles grip us; magic keeps our jaws wide open.

Except that they should not. There’s got to be a story to be told. In short, it’s got to be worth it. And Hallmark Channel thought there’s something more than meets the eye on Merlin, a new 13-part drama series which airs Tuesdays at 9 p.m.

So what’s so spectacular about the story of a boy wizard and the infamous sorcerer of Arthurian legend? A lot more than just flying swords and the lead actors’ good looks.

First, Merlin (played by Colin Morgan) rose to power, not because he overthrew a ruler. He rose to power because he had talent. And this helps him unlock the secrets of Camelot.

“You need Merlin to have intelligence, charm and humor,” says producer Johnny Capps. 

Neat, huh? Not quite. Merlin gets a lot of flak from the headstrong Arthur (Bradley James), heir to the throne. The other fly in the ointment is ruthless tyrant Uther Pendragon (Anthony Head of Buffy the Vampire Slayer), who has banned the use of magic in Camelot

Battle lines are drawn. The action begins. Thank goodness the lead stars have a spring to their steps; an innocence in their ways. Merlin is no doddering old wizard but a boy Generation Next can relate to. He shifts to action mode even before you can say ‘wow!”Arthur is just as raw, with wanderlust written all over his face.

“There’s magic, action, adventure, comedy. But it’s balanced with some serious themes,” observes Morgan. “It’s cross-generational and the whole family can watch it. Each person will get something different out of it. It touches on moral lessons as well.”

Such as? For starters, how about helping even someone who sees you as a threat? 

“During filming I was asked to do some pretty outrageous stuff,” explains Colin. “I had to run full pelt into a freezing cold lake to rescue Arthur in the rain.”

Merlin ran into a freezing cold lake to rescue Arthur in the rain.

This little act of kindness softens the otherwise rough and tumble scenes that pockmark the series. And you realize things can’t be all that bad.

Things can’t be all that bad, too, when you use your innate powers, not to bully or rule the world but to make it a better place to live in.

Shocked at seeing someone die because of magic, Merlin decides to keep his God-given gift a secret. But when push comes to shove, Merlin changes his mind. He finally uses his magic powers to help Arthur become the legendary king he was destined to be.

The fascination with magic has always been with the 22-year-old Colin even as a boy.

“I was doing magic tricks when I was three,” he recalls. “If I ever saw magic on television I would say, `I want that. That’s what I want from Santa Claus.’ So the cupboard in my bedroom was full of boxes of magic tricks, cups and balls, cards and foam rabbits, all sorts of stuff.”

Now that he’s outgrown those cards and foam rabbits, Colin wants a different kind of magic power.  

“If I had Merlin’s power,” he muses, “I think the best power is the ability to slow down time. I think we’ve all found ourselves in situations where we’d love to go back in time, or try to stop it. So I think the ability to control time would definitely be fun.”

Until then, we have the Merlin magic to make us gape, forget our worries, and transport us to a world unseen and untried.

Anthony Head sums it all up when he said, “What did I learn from this series? I guess never to let go of the magic. Magic is a very important part, whether it’s abstract magic or whether it’s magic in the real term. Never, never let go of that: the wonder, the amazement, the excitement magic makes.”

Perhaps that’s why, no matter how advanced science can get, magic will always hold us in the palm of its hands.   It will always make us sit up and notice..

And it will always give the retelling of the Merlin tale — give and take some fresh twists and turns — worth doing over and over.

Ready for your weekly magic carpet ride?