Camelot

[Aldern Foxglove]

So I just watched the first episode of Starz's new Camelot. I am not yet sold, but it was stronger than I was expecting it to be, looked higher budget than I anticipated and had a few decent actors thrown in.

I am not sure about King Arthur, he does not look very kingly, though he is very young so perhaps that's not fair, and I found him a bit grating. But not so horrible I could not grow to like him in the role I suppose.

The blokes from Shakespear in Love (Joseph Fiennes?) as merlin was a little odd, but potentially interesting.

How do others feel about it, have more episodes been shown in the U.S?

 

[edemaitre]

I'm more of a fan of the lower-magic versions of the King Arthur legend such as The Last Legion, the 2004 King Arthur, and the 1975 King Arthur: the Young Warlord than Malory's Morte d'Arthur, First Knight, or the recent Merlin TV show. However, I do like the 1981 Excalibur and even Monty Python and the Holy Grail.

Only one episode has been shown so far in the U.S. (Boston), and I agree that Arthur seems rather callow, but that's the point, isn't it? The unlikely young man who discovers he has a great destiny and burden is the heroic archetype, from Achilles to Arthur to Luke Skywalker. Casino Royale's Eva Green is a pre-Raphaelite vision as Morgan, and Joseph Fiennes brings a wacky intensity to Merlin.

As a fan of Starz's Spartacus, I think the sex and violence of the Dark Ages myths, impressive Irish sets and gorgeous costumes, and strong cast are initially impressive. Camelot might not reach the level of HBO's Game of Thrones, but as a longtime fantasy fan and role-player, any decent tale involving swordplay and heroic ideals is fine with me!

 

[Mark CMG]

Thanks for the heads up.

Camelot (TV Series 2011) - IMDb

Quite a cast, indeed. I will need to check this out.

 

[Banshee16]

I didn't even know this was being made....cool! And CBC's involved in the production, which is rather neat. Some big name actors in there.

What channel does it play on in Canada?

Banshee

 

[Mark CMG]

This is starting back up on Starz (and I assume Netflix) tonight.

 

[Mark CMG]

Four episodes in and I think this has been surprisingly good. The different ways they approach the legend(s) has been interesting.

 

[Fast Learner]

Agreed. This week's revamp of The Lady of the Lake was particularly haunting and creepy.

 

[Mark CMG]

The pacing of this series has been a bit uneven.