Camelot Cancelled by Starz

I'm really not surprised by this news. I love the Arthurian Legend and couldn't get into it, so I knew it was in trouble. I review Merlin on this blog, and was seriously considering reviewing Camelot, but truth be told, I just didn't like the show enough to review it, and I thought it would be silly to post one snarky blog post after another, when anyone who was into the show could find better, more passionate reviews elsewhere.

I know there are those who probably believe that the show had potential and deserved a second season and they wouldn't be wrong. Some shows need that first season to work out all its kinks. Camelot was clearly one of those shows because it had no direction. Season Two could have changed that. Plus the rating were decent, the season finale was tantalizing, and there was rumblings of introducing Lancelot, always a plus, but considering that Guinevere was already knee deep in adultery stew, probably not the wisest move for her characterization...But when you are being compared to Game of Thrones and Spartacus, potential just isn't good enough.

Now, in the spirit of full disclosure, I will admit that part of me wasn't thrilled when I heard the news about Camelot because I feared that its bigger budget, and American distributor, would mean that it would overshadow Merlin, a show that has become one of my favorite adaptations of the Arthurian Legend, ever, but I was willing to give it a chance and I really hoped I'd fall in love with it. Unfortunately, the show was a nonsensical jumbo for me. I thought it was going be a fascinating and complex tale of sibling rivalry where both Arthur and Morgana had legitimate claims to the throne, but used different methods to get/keep it. Instead it was just a dud. I think my expectations were too high. For years I wondered, "what would Merlin be like if it was more adult, darker and had a bigger budget?" I thought Camelot would be my answer, but alas...

The major problem that I had with Camelot was Arthur.  He was too whiny and too hard to like. And yes, I understand this was a prequel and he was growing into the Arthur of Legend, but Merlin is a prequel too, and Arthur was far from the king of legend when he was introduced, but from the very moment Bradley James popped on my screen, I believed  I was looking at The Once and Future King. I'm sure that Jamie Campbell Bower is a fine actor, he just wasn't Arthur. In my opinion, he was miscast and it was a fatal error for the show.

Still, it wasn't all bad. Eva Green WAS Morgana. She made that show worth watching and I think watching her use Mordred in Season Two as a weapon against Arthur would have been delicious. If there is ever another movie based on Arthur and his knights they need to snap up Ms. Green in a heart beat.

Read more about the cancellation here.

Torchwood --- Miracle Day

I have a love/hate relationship with Torchwood. I wanted to like it, but the story lines were weak and the characters forgettable, worst of all, Captain Jack seemed nothing like his Doctor Who self.  Then came Torchwood: Children of the Earth, one of the best science fiction miniseries I ever saw. That miniseries went places that few television shows would have the guts to, and when I saw what this show could have been, I found myself lamenting that this was the end.

Although I felt COE was a phenomenal warp up to the series, I'm excited about the reboot on Starz.
Learn more about Torchwood at the Official Site.

Camelot Reimagined

Since I am currently obsessed with BBC's Merlin, I think it is only fair that I give some love to our American version, Camelot. I have to admit I love what Merlin has done with the characters so much that I haven't been open to embracing a new/old interpretation, but I am a sucker for the Arthurian Legend so I am going to watch. My only request --- please don't trash Guinevere like some of the other interpretations. She can be flawed, she always is, but I'd like her to be the heroine of the piece and to really love Arthur. I guess time will tell if I get my wish.

"Camelot" premieres at 10pm on April 1st, 2011. The series, initially planned for a 10-episode season, will star Jamie Campbell Bower as Arthur, Joseph Fiennes as Merlin, Eva Green as the sorceress Morgan, Tamsin Egerton as Guinevere, Claire Forlani as Igraine and Peter Mooney as Kay.

The series' official description is as follows:

In the wake of King Uther's sudden death, chaos threatens to engulf Britain. When the sorcerer Merlin has visions of a dark future, he installs the young and impetuous Arthur, Uther's unknown son and heir, who has been raised from birth as a commoner. But Arthur's cold and ambitious half sister Morgan will fight him to the bitter end, summoning unnatural forces to claim the crown in this epic battle for control. These are dark times indeed for the new King, with Guinevere being the only shining light in Arthur's harsh world. Faced with profound moral decisions, and the challenge of uniting a kingdom broken by war and steeped in deception, Arthur will be tested beyond imagination. Forget everything you think you know ... this is the story of Camelot that has never been told before.

Read more: Camelot Comes to Starz - ComingSoon.net http://www.comingsoon.net/news/tvnews.php?id=72546#ixzz18xghIRrX