| "The Dragon's Call" | |
|---|---|
| Merlin episode | |
 The Great Dragon informs Merlin of his destiny. The dragon was completely computer-generated. | |
| Episode no. | Series 1 Episode 1 |
| Directed by | James Hawes |
| Written by | Julian Jones |
| Original air date | 20 September 2008 |
| Running time | 45 minutes |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"The Dragon's Call" is the first episode of the first series of the British fantasy-adventure family television series Merlin. Written by Julian Jones and directed by James Hawes, the episode was first broadcast on BBC One on 20 September 2008.
The episode tells the arrival of Merlin (Colin Morgan) as a young man in Camelot, where magic is banned by King Uther Pendragon (Anthony Head). Taken under the wing of Camelot's physician, Gaius (Richard Wilson), he is warned that he must keep his innate magical ability a secret. In Camelot, he meets Uther's heir, the arrogant Prince Arthur (Bradley James), as well as Lady Morgana (Katie McGrath) and her handmaid, Guinevere (Angel Coulby). As a witch (Eve Myles) plans revenge on the King's heir for the execution of her son, Merlin is informed by a cryptic dragon (John Hurt) that his destiny is to protect Arthur.
Merlin was conceived by Julian Murphy and Johnny Capps to be an origin story for the characters of the Arthurian legends, with family-centered entertainment. Young actors with little experience were cast as the four lead characters, while better-known actors were cast in supporting roles. Many of the scenes in Camelot were filmed in France, at the Château de Pierrefonds, while the rest was filmed in England and Wales. Special effects were done by The Mill, who had the task of creating the talking dragon. "The Dragon's Call" was watched by 7.15 million viewers in the UK and 6.3 million in the US on NBC. Critical reception was mixed, with some feeling the show had promise but lacked imagination, and the actual plot of "The Dragon's Call" was deemed slight.