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Great Hera!

The BBC Is Replacing Arthurian Drama Merlin with Greek Mythology Drama Atlantis

by Rebecca Pahle | 11:01 am, February 13th, 2013


Fans of Merlin may still be reeling after the show’s abrupt cancellation (I don’t want to talk about it), but we now know the show that will be taking its place, in the BBC’s lineup if not in our hearts: Atlantis, a Greek mythology-themed fantasy drama.

That… that might manage to take Merlin‘s place in my heart too, actually. I’ll have to see how good it is, but… Greek mythology-themed fantasy, guys. Greek mythology-themed fantasy.

The official series synopsis describes Atlantis like so:

“The city of Atlantis is a mysterious, ancient place; a world of bull leaping, of snake haired goddesses and of palaces so vast it was said they were built by giants [A/N: O hai Crete!].

“It’s into this strange, compelling realm that the young Jason arrives and an amazing adventure begins, bringing to life the vast store of Greek myths and legends re-imagined for a new generation.”

The show was created by Howard Overman, who created Misfits and wrote several episodes of Merlin, among them the one where Gaius was possessed by a goblin, but I’ll try not to hold that against him too much.

The 13-episode series will begin filming in April for a start date on BBC One this autumn in Merlin‘s old Saturday night timeslot. Among the shows joining it are Jamaica Inn, a gothic romance based on a novel by Daphne du Maurier, and Death Comes to Pemberly, a murder mystery based on the published Pride and Prejudice fanfic of P.D. James.

(via: Digital Spy)

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  • Anonymous

    Is this supposed to be their idea of diverse programming?

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=501983222 Matt Graham

    Hairy Zeus on a streetlamp, I am excited.

  • http://twitter.com/jehssuda jessyfreitas

    As longs as there is homoerotic unresolved sexual tension, I am in. Greeks is even more easier to do so.

  • http://twitter.com/lysana Space Marine Lysana

    Why unresolved? We *are* talking about mythological Greeks and the BBC. :)

  • Anonymous

    There’s never enough Greek Mythology themed thingies out there :)

  • http://twitter.com/NerosLyre Christin

    Always happy for more Greek mythology stuff but they’re already going in the wrong direction with the title. I know “Crete” doesn’t have the same ring to it but c’mon.

  • http://www.facebook.com/heather.l.jenkins.77 Heather Louise Jenkins

    Much more excited about Jamaica Inn. Didn’t really rate Merlin, but who knows, maybe this will be better.

  • Rebecca Pahle

    The name threw me off, too. I get that Crete is one of the possibilities for a real-life Atlantis (or “possibilities” for a “real-life” Atlantis), but I hear that name and I think “Oh, this is a show about conspiracy theories, then.” It’d be better with a Greek mythology-related title, I think.

  • Mr The Batman

    If you know of the BBC, then yes. As they do period dramas very well, but everything else is shiny to them…wasn’t always like that, but I tend to avoid a lot of their productions (except Dr Who).

  • http://twitter.com/jehssuda jessyfreitas

    I really enjoy the UST, but hey no one said we can’t have BOTH!

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