Did you see the weekend ratings? Merlin got off to a decent start, pulling in 6.6 million viewers against the might of The X Factor - but it seems that many of you are divided on the question of whether the show itself has a magic spark.

Maybe the second episode, airing on BBC One this Saturday - this time safely out of the firing line of The X Factor - will help you make your minds up one way or the other.



Will Mellor (he of the interminable Two Pints) guest stars as Knight Valiant, who comes to Camelot to compete in the yearly sword-fighting tournament traditionally won by Arthur. But Valiant is hiding a secret weapon - a magical shield equipped with spitting snakes.

In truth, this episode follows pretty much the same formula as the first: a dastardly visitor ingratiates themselves with the King, only for Merlin to discover their true motives and be forced into exposing them.

It's episode three where things really start to heat up, though, as Michelle Ryan (she of the most definitely terminable Bionic Woman) makes her first guest appearance as the wicked sorceress Nimueh. She's the "big bad" of this season, if you will, and plays a large part in driving the overall mythology of the show.

Merlin airs Saturday at 6pm on BBC One.

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