#merlin 1998

[geekbehindtheglasses]

Found out its the 25th anniversary of The 10th Kingdom and someone mentioned Merlin in the comments on a post about 10th Kingdom so guess what today's double bill of watching has been.

Spent the last couple of nights watching 2 of my favourite cheesy late 90s/early 00s fantasy miniseries: The 10th Kingdom and Merlin.

We've got acting that goes so far beyond scenery chewing it may have looped back around to genius. We've got deeply questionable CGI. We've got legit actors and the finest in British soap actors side by side. We've got some pretty impressive costumes and sets for TV. We've got Rutger Hauer. We've got some quite adorable stories of true love winning over all.

It's honestly been some solid watching, 10/10 would watch again.

[medievalandfantasymelee]

I wasn't expecting to do this poll so soon, but as all of our Merlins were unhorsed in the Qualifying Round, it's time to determine by popular vote...

[queer-ragnelle]

Merlin (1998) | Merlins Vermächtnis by Peter Schwindt | The Winter King (2023) | My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult | New Adventures of a Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1988) | Guinevere Evermore by Sharan Newman | Knights of the Round Table (1953) | Blessed Bastard by Ruth Lehmann | The Green Knight (2021)

[prettysweetprettysweet]

Merlin (1998 Miniseries)

Costume Design for Queen Mab (Miranda Richardson)

Costume Designer: Ann Hollowood

[castlebunny]

fantasy princess core ˗ˏˋ✩ˎˊ˗

[transceratopsical]

Time for some actor trivia!

In the 1981 film Excalibur, the adult Mordred was played by Robert Addie.

In the 1984 TV film Morte D'Arthur, Mordred was played by Nickolas Grace.

That same year saw the debut of the TV show Robin of Sherwood, which ran until 1986, in which Robert Addie and Nickolas Grace appeared together as the recurring villains Guy of Gisburne and the Sheriff of Nottingham respectively.

(By the way, if you guys haven't seen the show--watch it. Watch it now. Also check out the soundtrack by Clannad, who recently released an extended version of the soundtrack album Legend).

The two would appear again in the 1998 TV miniseries Merlin, in which Grace played Sir Egbert and Addie played Sir Gilbert. (Fun fact: composer Trevor Jones did the score both for Excalibur and for Merlin).

Why am I pointing this out? Because Robin of Sherwood was one of my favourite TV shows ever (I got super into the legends of Robin Hood when I was ten), and seeing a clip of Robert Addie in Excalibur on YouTube got me curious about seeing the movie, which I now consider my favourite ever Arthurian film. The 1998 Merlin meanwhile, having first watched it at the tender age of around seven or so, was what got me into the Arthurian legends in the first place. So seeing these two actors recur in these pieces of media that made an impact on me and my interests is something I just find fascinating.

[fuckyeaharthuriana]

My favorite arthurian tv shows and minisiers (part 1/2)

(My favorite movies here)

More details under cut. Some of these I love, some are so bad so good, some are beautifully epic, some are just funny.

The Adventures of Sir Galahad: Short one season tv show (15 episodes) about Galahad having to recover Excalibur after it was stolen. Also the one and only show where Galahad and Mordred interact.

The Adventures of Sir Lancelot: 30 episodes of self contained light and sometimes comedic adventures focusing on Lancelot living at Camelot. Still very much enjoyable today! Other characters who appear are Merlin, Arthur and Guinevere.

Arthur of the Britons: The first attempt to make a tv show focusing on Celts and a Celtic Arthur. Episodes are self contained. Kind of strange sometimes, and the only arthurian characters are Arthur, Kay and Ector.

The Legend of King Arthur: An 8 episodes BBC show which adapts Malory. This is the best arthurian tv show ever created! It also has an amazing Morgan and a stellar Mordred. Actually made me cry!

Entaku no Kishi Monogatari Moero Asa: Toei original anime (no manga) of 30 episodes that follow Arthur's journey to reclaim Camelot after it was conquered by a villain.

The Boy Merlin: Very short 6 episodes series about Merlin as a kid discovering his powers. It was very light and with an historical aesthetic.

Merlin: Two episodes miniseries, extremely popular! It follows Merlin from his childhood to the death of Arthur. While it is not my favorite, it has some great scenes in the second part where Guinevere, Mordred and Lancelot are introduced.

The Mists of Avalon: Miniseries adaptation of a novel I really dislike - but I love this miniseries. It might actually be one of my favorite arthurian series. It focuses on Morgana and her relationship with Arthur and Guinevere. It also has an amazing Mordred and Morgause, one of the rare times where we see Morgause.

[blackchrysalys]

Ah yes, Merlin sassing every royal he can find,

[whitequeen]

I had won. I was trying to smile, but it was the smile of desolation. Inside, I felt only the pity and the terror and the waste of it all. Everyone I ever loved, and who ever loved me-- All gone... All gone down... And then Galahad returned and brought with him the holy grail and spring. And the land became fertile again. And the cycle of death and darkness ended. And so does my story.

[perioddramapolls]

Period dramas dresses tournament: Blue dresses Round 1- Group D: Morgan Le Fay, Merlin (gifset) vs Lygia, Quo vadis? (pics set)

Propaganda for Morgan's dress (written by a submitter):

She is magically given Roman-cut clothes in blue silk in order to become a fashionable (we are in the late 5th/ early 6th century after all) pretty lady in order to seduce her brother Arthur and become mother to his heir and nemesis, Mordred.

[mlobsters]

merlin (1998) tv miniseries, dir. steve barron

[cybersexuality]

Frik “Isn’t that rather unworthy of us?” - Mordred “Unworthy? What does that mean, mother?” - Morgan “Oh, I’ve forgotten. What does it mean?” - Queen Mab “Yes, it is unworthy. But I don’t like to be told, Frik.”

[weepingwonderlandharmony]

𝖄𝖔𝖚𝖓𝖌 𝕸𝖊𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖓 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝕹𝖎𝖒𝖚𝖊 (𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧, 𝟏𝟗𝟗𝟖)

[aaronthedietwitch]

Queen Mab, Merlin 1998

[prettysweetprettysweet]

1998 Sam Neill Merlin is like "surely it's not hard for men to be good. simply don't don't do bad things." and then the guy he's put all of his trust and affection into does something more cruel than any man has ever done before him and Merlin is like "the will and character of men probably shouldn't be so readily assumed." and then he meets a new man, and in under 10 seconds flat he's like "but not this man, though. this man is obviously a good man and I will bet everything I have on that fact." and then that man does something more self-serving and vile than any man has ever done before. and then Merlin is like "good king. bad king. I judge too easily and then i suffer for it." but then he meets another man.