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Merlin drama ‘will not replace’ Hood or Who

Published Thursday 7 December 2006 at 14:00 by Liz Thomas

BBC1 boss Peter Fincham’s plan to revamp Merlin for Saturday evenings will not spell the end for Robin Hood or Doctor Who.

The executive said that the reworking of the Merlin legend, which is being developed by independent production house Shine and BBC Wales, is likely to broadcast at 7pm on Saturday nights for 13 weeks in 2008.

He explained that this did not mean that Robin Hood or Doctor Who would have to go but that each production could be played out at different times of the year depending on schedules. He said: “We have only scratched the surface of family viewing. Our appetite is not exhausted. We could certainly accommodate a third drama.”

Merlin, which is still in the early stages of development and is being penned by a team of writers lead by Julian Jones, is understood to focus more on the wizard and his magic as a young man rather than the stories of Arthurian legend.

Fincham added: “There is a lot of talk about ‘three-generation TV’ - programmes that people watch with their kids and their parents. There’s not enough of this and I think it’s important for the BBC to do more.”

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