Camelot is an Irish/Canadian historical fantasy-drama television series created by Chris Chibnall and Michael Hirst and based on the Arthurian legend which begins in the wake of King Uther's sudden death, as chaos threatens to engulf Britain.
When the sorcerer Merlin has visions of a dark future, he installs the young and impetuous Arthur, Uther's unknown son and heir, who has been raised from birth as a commoner. But Arthur's cold and ambitious half-sister Morgan will fight him to the bitter end, summoning unnatural forces to claim the crown in this epic battle for control.
The series aired in the USA on Starz from 25 February to 10 June, 2011. There are 10 hour-long episodes in one season.
The series originally aired in South Africa on TopTV's FOX Entertainment channel from 3 October to 5 December, 2011, on Mondays at 21h00. New episodes broadcast weekly. It later aired on FOX (DStv and TopTV), simulcast in HD on DStv only. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Camelot premiered on FOX on Tuesday 24 September 2013, at 20h00. New episodes broadcast weekly.
Synopsis
In the wake of King Uther's sudden death, chaos threatens to engulf Britain.
When the sorcerer Merlin has visions of a dark future, he installs the young and impetuous Arthur, Uther's unknown son and heir, who has been raised from birth as a commoner.
But Arthur's cold and ambitious half sister Morgan will fight him to the bitter end, summoning unnatural forces to claim the crown in this epic battle for control.
These are dark times indeed for the new king, with Guinevere being the only shining light in Arthur's harsh world.
Faced with profound moral decisions, and the challenge of uniting a kingdom broken by war and steeped in deception, Arthur will be tested beyond imagination.
Camelot takes Thomas Malory's 15th century classic Le Morte d'Arthur and shapes the well-known Arthurian epic with modern emotions, conflicts and relevance. It is an absorbing tale of fantastic adventure, romance, and unnatural sorcery. Camelot brims with drama, character and action shot in breathtaking Ireland.
The episodes chronicle the beginnings of the Camelot legend with sweeping cinematic scope – one young man emerges as king, against all odds, to fulfill his destiny and unite a divided land.
The series begins in a land of turmoil - Britain during the Dark Ages. King Uther Pendragon (Sebastian Koch) is a capable and well-regarded king who rules a land that is constantly at war - defending borders and negotiating tenuous alliances with bloodthirsty warlords.
Mysteriously poisoned during a party in his own castle, Uther is attended to at his death bed by the sorcerer Merlin (Joseph Fiennes). Merlin elicits from the King a royal order to appoint Uther's legitimate but publicly unknown son, Arthur (Jamie Campbell Bower), as the King's successor.
At the hand of Merlin and for his own protection, Arthur was sent from birth as the son of Uther's loyal subject, Ector (Sean Pertwee).
The royal order comes as a surprise to Arthur, who has no knowledge that the Ectors are not his birth parents. Stunned, Arthur accepts his destiny with his brother Kay (Peter Mooney) at his side.
Along the journey to Camelot, Arthur and Kay are shocked at the level of violence and destruction that they encounter in the kingdom, which has descended into chaos following news of Uther's death.
The magnitude of Arthur's sudden stature and the number of individuals eager to destroy him - abruptly and viciously - become all too apparent.
Paramount on Arthur's list of enemies is his own half-sister, Morgan (Eva Green), who, intending to claim her father's crown, installs herself in Castle Pendragon and forms an allegiance with a sworn enemy of Uther, King Lot (James Purefoy).
The first encounter between the half-siblings is deeply tense, and Morgan storms away with threatening reprisals. Morgan's escalating anger and efforts to destroy Arthur through her dark powers become a focal point in both of their character arcs and story throughout the season.
Forget everything you think you know... this is the story of Camelot that has never been told before.
Seasons
Season 1 (10 episodes)
Channel: FOX Entertainment | Premiere: 3 Oct 2011 | Finale: 5 Dec 2011 | Mon, 21h00
Channel: FOX | Premiere: 24 Sep 2013 | Finale: 26 Nov 2013 | Tue, 22h00