I don't object to the idea of a young Merlin specifically, but I am worried. Here's why I'm a little nervous about Merlin: the creators of the show, who also did a British series called Hex, have said that they looked to Smallville as an inspiration. SMALLVILLE! Are they out of their minds? That show is terrible, and has been for a while, and no amount of dragons will make it good. I can see the parallels, of course -- it's like when young Lex Luthor came to town and met young Clark Kent, and they became friends, but would later become enemies, except here, Merlin and Arthur start out as enemies and become friends. (It's actually a lot like the new Star Trek movie in that respect.) But if it wasn't for the presence of Anthony Head as Arthur's dad Uther, I don't know if I'd have any desire to watch this thing at all. Legend of Earthsea left a bad taste in my mouth.

Merlin premieres Sunday night at 8/7C on NBC. Check back Monday for our recap of the premiere, and see why we wonder if a new medieval series is a good idea.