cellio9

Having discovered this wonderful series quite by accident while searching for 'Merlin of the Crystal Cave', I was delighted to find 'The Boy Merlin', a story about Merlin's childhood, raised by a loving adoptive family. It recounts his early training in magic (mostly from his grandmother, the extraordinary late Margaret John), and is a compelling origin story, featuring wonderful performances from the entire cast and a beautiful musical score. The episodes are like short theatre pieces with a very limited budget and resources, but the story and performances leap beyond any of those limitations. It is appropriate for all audiences, although some frightening situations may cause some apprehension for children (nothing compared to what we see in contemporary programs).

Every frame is a thing of perfect beauty. The voice acting is superb, the puppetry is beyond brilliant, the music is wonderful, and the writing is captivating, the sound design, lighting, costumes, sets... they're all just perfect. It's true to the spirit of the original film, building on the mythology in a wonderful way. It's one of my favourite series of all time.

I've just discovered this show on Amazon Prime in the UK, and it is making me ridiculously happy! Pure 90's retro scifi joy with great performances and great characters.