Camelot: a weak show with a weak king

Camelot, which airs on Starz Friday nights, is TV's latest take on the Arthurian legend.

The show begins as Arthur takes the throne and seems to be primarily about his struggles to gain recognition and legitimacy. The unique take on the story is that Arthur was raised by commoners and had no idea he was of royal blood, while his sister, Morgan, had every reason to believe that she was the sole and legitimate heir to the throne.

Arthur and Morgan

Arthur himself is apparently some kind of puppet to Merlin's plans, although it's still unclear if putting Arthur on the throne was his goal, or just a means to an end. As Merlin's efforts to legitimize Arthur are revealed in the show, Arthur comes off more and more as a hapless young man bumbling through his new responsibilities. Unfortunately, it's unclear if that's intentional, or if the writing and acting for the part of Arthur is so weak that the character comes off as weak.

Merlin

Arthur is actually the most boring character on the show. Morgan is quite a lot more interesting, although it often seems like the actress is trying too hard, particularly when she is trying to seem regal: she comes off a bit like an evil cartoon character. However, the supporting actors for her storyline seem quite talented and the whole her scenes are the most watchable.

Merlin is an interesting character, but tends to seem weirdly out of place. He stays mostly behind the scenes, trying to manipulate events to his will, but he's so withdrawn that once he puts Arthur on the throne he ends up having little to do with anything.

 Arthur looks more like a king in the promotional poster than in the show

As the show progresses, it seems to be more and more about a child playing at King than the legend of a great king. The show is intended for an adult audience, but if not for the occasional adult content it would probably be better off in a Saturday afternoon time slot where it can be enjoyed by children. After a few episodes, the show is likely to lose the interest of all but the most dedicated fans of the Arthurian legends and fantasy genre.