Merlin is a British television series developed by Julian Jones, Jake Michie, Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps. It began its broadcast on the channel BBC One on 20 September 2008. The series is based on the Arthurian legends of the mythical wizard Merlin and his relationship with Prince Arthur, but differs from traditional versions of the legend in many ways, especially the characters. It is produced by independent production company Shine Limited. American broadcaster NBC began airing the programme on 21 June 2009, but after a decline in viewership, the show moved to the cable network Syfy, where it began broadcast of the second series on 2 April 2010. The second series began airing on 19 September 2009 on BBC One.[1] As of 16 October 2010, 32 episodes have aired. The BBC One channel has also renewed Merlin for a third series.[2] The first two seasons are available on DVD in the UK, while only the first is available in North America.