This month, we check out the pilot for the British tv show Merlin from 2008, which rewrites the Arthurian story in some pretty significant ways, some of which really rub us the wrong way. Why is Merlin so young? Why is Arthur living with Uther? And why does the dragon look so terrible?

Starring Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Angel Coulby, Anthony Head, Richard Wilson, and John Hurt. Written by Julian Jones. Directed by James Hawes.

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From the newsletter: We know a lot of people really enjoyed this show, and pilots of course are often uneven, but I really couldn’t quite get into this one. Maybe it’s my dislike of teen-oriented t.v. shows, maybe it’s the cheap mid-Aughts production, maybe it’s the way it plays too fast and loose with Arthurian lore in the service of making a show that looks too much like that heartthrob Robin Hood show or Torchwood, both from the same time period.

Well, anyway, everyone is mad at me for this one, and you’re all wrong.