With over-used ideas such as the legends of King Arthur, filmmakers often have their work cut out for them unless they are willing to go the extra mile to be creative. The producers of Merlin are no exception, as they have failed miserably in that aspect. The performances are laughable to say the least. Sam Neill's wiseguy persona seemed out of place for the typically cold and reclusive Merlin. And just when things couldn't get any worse than Helena Bonham Carter's speaking with an annoying lisp, enter Martin Short. As Frik, he delivers line after line of irritating one-line inanities. The producers probably thought it was funny to employ racist jokes, but I sure didn't. What does dressing up in traditional Chinese garb, slanting your eyes and blurting out "Farro mee! Farro mee!" ("Follow me, follow me") in a mock Chinese accent have to do with sword and sorcery in medieval Britain? Absolutely nothing. With a script so trite and meaningless, it's surprising that they didn't even bother to go all out and have the Rockettes perform with Darth Vader in front of Macy's Camelot. Hallmark has done here to the legend of Merlin what they also did to the Bible in the horrible 1999 NBC mini-series "Noah's Ark". They turned it into a laughable Las Vegas nightclub act. Unlike its brilliant cinematic counterpart "Excalibur", Merlin plays like an awful made-for-TV movie because it happens to be just that- an awful made-for-TV movie.