I'm sure we all know by now that Saturday 1 October is Merlin Day!

The first episode of season four will be broadcast on BBC One from 7:50. Titled The Darkest Hour, it's the first part of an opening double, directed by the wonderful Alice Troughton. I was lucky enough to catch the preview at the BFI, and I was blown away. It's scary and fun and delicious, and the new 35mm film stock amps up the beauty to eleven. ♥

Just to add to the Merlin festivities, don't forget to also watch the season finale of Dr Who, on the same channel from 7:05. Titled The Wedding of River Song, it was directed by our very own Jeremy Webb! ♥

Awesome sauce! What a night…

Bonjour, mon ami!

Just woke up to my last morning in France. I'm off to catch the Eurostar soon, but wanted to write up a little something about the fourth day in Pierrefonds - which was marvellous.

Warning: There are a few more little spoilers in here, but only the sort where it's obvious in the photos.

( Read more... )

Bonsoir, Merlin fans!

Well, we had a lovely day at the Chateau today, and as you'll have already seen, one of the real highlights was being hipstamatised by DoP hero Dale McCready... ♥

( Read more... )

For those of you disappointed over the BFI... Merlin is being showcased at the Empire Big Screen event in London during the day on Friday 12 August. They promise 'exclusive footage' from S4 and 'cast members in attendance'. (It doesn't look like there will be previews of the episodes, and in any case I assume they wouldn't be ready yet.)

Note that you have to be a Diamond ticket holder, which will set you back £65 for the day.

For more info visit the site at empirebigscreen.com - and this page in particular.

Thank you to Natalie who let me know via merlinlocations.com!

ETA: OK, so some people aren't very impressed by this news, while I quite welcome it. (And that's not just because I'm lucky enough to be able to afford to attend it - if only the work I do to earn the dosh didn't actually prevent me from having that day off.) So I've been thinking about why we are having such different reactions.

For me the point is that Shine/BBC are showcasing Merlin as a quality product to film buffs who care enough, and have disposable income enough, to be attending this convention on a high price ticket. I can't see a problem in expanding our audience in that general direction. Surely it's in the interests of the show. And after all, so many of us here reading this are already a captive audience. Yes, ideally they will look after us current fans, too - by attending Comic Con in France and the US, for example. But if you were marketing the show, and wanting even more people to love it, wouldn't you also be looking a bit further afield, and at a greater variety of opportunities...?

Naturally, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts in response.

ETA: Johnny, Julian and Bradley will be in attendance.

Apologies for not posting this sooner. I managed to upload my pics to flickr late on the 5th, but didn't have the time or energy to tag them, etc, until now...

As you may have gathered, we were in knight!heaven on Thursday, with a lovely long day of watching them training with Arthur, and Merlin looking on. Andreas was there for literally 24 hours; it seems he is very busy with other work as well, which is wonderful for him, but I was sad to see him go again so quickly.

I have posted the latest photos to flickr in the same set as the previous ones, starting here. Again, I don't think there's anything very spoilery here, as it's the expected actors playing out the expected kind of scenes. They were filming the fights that Andreas had rehearsed with them the previous evening.

And here's a preview:



( and... ) I hope you enjoy!

Please use them, if you like. A link back to Merlin Locations (merlinlocations, the website or flickr) would be much appreciated. Thank you! ♥

Well... as asifidletyou said, I was in Rupert!heaven yesterday. ♥ I got a fair few photos of my lovelies - Rupert, Dale and Angel - and some more general ones.

I have posted them to flickr here. There's nothing spoilery, it's all pretty generic courtyard stuff.

And here's a preview:



( and... )I hope you enjoy!

ETA: Sorry, I should have said: Please use them, if you like. A link back to Merlin Locations (lj comm, website or flickr) would be much appreciated. Thank you! ♥

I thought it was time to start keeping track of all the Season Four filming locations we're hearing about. It's all very exciting, isn't it...?

Thank you all for keeping such information and speculation behind a cut. Respect for those who want to avoid spoilers is A Good Thing. ♥

( So... what we know so far... )

This page lists any events or conventions at which we know Merlin cast or crew will appear, along with any theatrical appearances.

We'll keep this information as up-to-date and correct as we can, but of course it's always worth checking the official sites before making any firm plans. Also, when cast or crew plan to attend events, this is always subject to their work commitments which of course must take priority.

Thanks are forever due to our Research Geek gealach_ros  and various Locations friends!

filming

We are often asked how people can see the cast and crew filming on location.
The studio sets are all closed to the public. We never know ahead of time when and where any filming will occur in Wales or England. We only hear about filming locations after the event. So while there's a chance of you being lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time, it does indeed come down to luck. Or insider information that we're not privy to!

The one real opportunity to watch the magic happen is at the Chateau de Pierrefonds in France. Filming has generally taken place in Pierrefonds during April, June and September - though this has shifted a bit in 2011. Filming only takes place on weekdays. The Chateau remains open during filming, though parts of it will be unavailable. Again, much of this comes down to luck, however. If they are filming an interior scene, then you won't have access to that room, and you won't be able to watch. If they are filming in the courtyard, in the carpark (the tournament ground) or in front of the Chateau, then chances are you'll be able to see what's going on.

You will of course be asked to respect the fact that our beloved cast and crew are all working hard! Silence is requested while the cameras are rolling (someone will call out to warn you). Our cast are generally friendly and approachable, but please be respectful enough to wait until they can spare you their time and attention. Being able to see them like this is a real privilege, and we're sure you will treat it accordingly.

In 2010, filming took place at the Chateau from 8 to 21 April, from 3 to 17 June, and from 7 to 17 September.  Both the June and September blocks were shortened compared to previous years because less footage on location was needed, due to the nature of the blocks' storylines.

Please keep in mind that we only ever receive secondhand information, without any official confirmation. Thanks are due to various friends for the info and heads-up.

If official dates are posted, then keep in mind that the first and last days involve only the crew setting things up or packing them away. The cast are not there at all. And, in April 2010 at least, the crew started work a whole week earlier than the cast - presumably for the sake of fixing and redressing the town set, and so on.

Happy hunting!

filming dates for Pierrefonds...

The filming dates for 2011 were:

• Tuesday 26 April to Tuesday 10 May inclusive


• Tuesday 21 June to Monday 27 June inclusive


• Tuesday 5 September to Monday 12 September inclusive

Things to take into account when planning ahead:

• always leave a day at the beginning and a day at the end of each period for the crew to be setting up and dismantling


• in April, the crew may have up to a week of time to prepare before filming commences


• they only filmed for two weeks in each block in 2010 (not three, as they sometimes did before then), and only one week for the second and third blocks in 2011, partly because they've built more 'castle corridor' sets in Cardiff

The information I find is in the public domain, but when all is said and done we're not supposed to know. So I'm reluctant to point everyone towards the source; the powers that be (bless them) will probably ask them to be more discreet if we make too much fuss. So, again, it's up to you what you do with this info, but I offer it in good faith.

Good luck! ♥

past events

Island premiere, Glasgow | 20 February | glasgowfilm.org/festival/whats_on/2250_island

Colin Morgan attended the premiere of his film Island at the Glasgow Film Festival, and participated in a Q&A afterwards. I was lucky enough to attend - and utterly loved the film! Plus Colin was his usual charming self, and Brek was just as wonderful. ♥

Kapow! Comic Con, London | 9 April | kapowcomiccon.com

Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Angel Coulby, Katie McGrath and Johnny Capps attended a Merlin panel, and before that were (too briefly, alas!) available for autographs.

The Dragon Tower, Warwick Castle | 13 April | warwick-castle.co.uk/entertainment/merlin-the-dragon-tower.aspx

This permanent attraction has now opened, and of course becomes yet another Merlin Location! The cast have been involved with the opening, but so far there haven't been any launch events that could also be attended by fans.

Collectormania 17, Milton Keynes | 29-30 May | collectormania.com/miltonkeynes

Tony Head attended this con on the Sunday and Monday.

The Big Match 2011, Stoke-on-Trent | 29 May | scfcdirect.com

Bradley James was living the dream and playing soccer for charity.

Soccer 6, Burnley | 5 June | burnleyfootballclub.com

Bradley James, Tom Hopper and Eoin Macken played for Team Merlin in this Soccer 6 tournament. They won, and Bradley was awarded Star Player for the day!

Parked at Brussels Film Festival | 25 June | brff.be

Colin Morgan attended a screening of his film Parked at the Brussels Film Festival. And it won the Audience Award!

Comic Con France, Paris | 2 July | comic-con-france.com

There was a Merlin panel at Comic Con in France, with Bradley James, Colin Morgan, Katie McGrath and Julian Jones - who were also available for autographs.

Comic Con International, San Diego | 24 July | comic-con.org/cci/

Colin Morgan, Bradley James, Katie McGrath, Anthony Head, Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy - and surprise guest Santiago Cabrera - were in attendance for a Merlin panel at Comic Con International.

Warwick Castle | 6 August | warwick-castle.com

Colin was at Warwick Castle for the unveiling of waxwork!Merlin. Unfortunately Bradley couldn't attend due to illness.

Empire Big Screen, London | 12 August | empirebigscreen.com

Merlin was showcased at the Empire Big Screen event in London during the day on Friday 12 August. Johnny, Julian and Bradley were in attendance.

Dolbardan Film Horses display, Holywell, North Wales | 28 August | greenfieldvalley.com

There was a display by our own Dolbardan horses on Sunday 28 August at the Greenfield Valley Museum.

S4 Preview at the BFI, London | 15 September | bfi.org.uk

We had a preview of the first episode of Series 4 plus a Q&A, on Thursday 15 September. Colin, Angel, Katie, Johnny and Julian joined us for the Q+A.

Supanova, Brisbane | 5-6 November | supanova.com.au

Colin attended the Supernova Pop Culture Expo in Brisbane, Australia, and it sounds as if everyone had a wonderful time!

Takeover Film Weekend, Belfast | 18 November | takeoverfilm.com

Colin introduced his film Parked for its Northern Irish premiere, as part of the Takeover Film event.

Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival | 19-20 November | iffmh.de/en/

Colin attended screenings of Parked in Mannheim on 19 November and in Heidelberg on 20 November.

Parked, London | 25 November | apollocinemas.com

Colin did a Q+A after his film Parked was screened on Friday the 25th at the Apollo Cinema in Piccadilly Circus, and he was beautiful and intelligent and all good things.

Merlin screening at Caerphilly Castle | 11 December | cadw.wales.gov.uk

This turned out to be both a cast-related event and a locations-related event, and how cool is that...?

Cadw and BBC Cymru Wales screened episode 412 a week ahead of the tv schedule, on Sunday 11 December, as part of the castle's Medieval Fayre. The screening took place in the castle's Great Hall, which stood in for Hengist's hall in ep 204. There was also a display of costumes, and so on. This was attended by Tom Hopper (Sir Percival) and Adetomiwa Edun (Sir Elyan).

past theatre

Company, Southwark Playhouse, London | 2 February - 12 March | southwarkplayhouse.co.uk

Rupert Young (Sir Leon) starred as Bobby in this Sondheim classic. ♥

I was lucky enough to see this musical four times, and loved it. Rupert was brilliant: he sings beautifully, and his effortless affable charm made him a natural for the lead role.

Our Private Life, Royal Court Theatre, London | 11 February – 12 March | royalcourttheatre.com

Colin Morgan starred as Carlos in this black comedy set in modern Columbia.

I also went to see this play four times, and was well impressed. Colin was utterly wonderful, in a lovely detailed nervy performance, and the rest of the cast were all great, too. A difficult play, but worth the effort.

apologies...

SFX Weekender 2, Camber Sands | 4-5 February | sfx.co.uk/tag/sfx-weekender

Unfortunately Anthony Head wasn't able to attend the SFX Weekender, due to work commitments.

Island at the Curzon Renoir, London | 25 April | curzoncinemas.com

Island was screened in London on Easter Monday, with a Q&A afterwards featuring Elizabeth Mitchell and Brek Taylor. While they'd been hoping that this would include Colin, his Merlin filming commitments ended up not allowing it.

Warwick Castle | 14 August | warwick-castle.com

Tom Hopper (Percival) had tweeted about the knights 'chillin' at the Castle for the day, but has since indicated that they won't be able to attend.

Camelot's Court, Birmingham | 18-20 November | mtsconventionscompany.webs.com

This planned convention was cancelled.