TV Home Forum

Merlin

New Series starts on BBC One Saturday (September 2010)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
WE
Westy2
Anyone know when BBC HD is showing it, as there's no simulcast?

(Notice the same is happening for 'Bang Goes The Theory' as there's no mention on the trails)
BE
Ben Founding member
When does BBC One HD launch? Could be related to this?
TV
TVnut15
I am looking forward to Merlin with eager anticipation this year. However, having a quick look around the schedules it appears that Merlin won't be shown in HD. Which is a shame as with all the majic it is one of the obvious programmes to show in HD
DV
DVB Cornwall
BBC HD is blocked on Sarurday with the Proms, PI on the BBC Press Site notes that the series IS in HD. I suspect it will be shown later on BBC HD in catchup mode awaiting BBC ONE HD when it starts.
DV
DVB Cornwall
Suggestion from someone I trust in a PM on another board in the last hour, is that BBC ONE HD is likely to start on Friday 1st October to coincide with the first SCD proper, so as for Merlin, this could mean doubling up the two part opener on the BBC HD Channel on 18th Sept, running ep 3 on the HD Channel on 25th, before switching to BBC ONE HD on 2nd October.
LM
Lee M
Merlin has not been shown in HD in the past because it is (or was) shot in Super 16 (info from BBC blog on HD here). Whether it has changed for this season I'm not sure, but providing it hasn't, it won't be shown on BBC HD before BBC One HD launches, but will be on BBC One HD as an upconverted simulcast.
DV
DVB Cornwall
PI on the BBC Press Office webpages clearly identifies it as HD for S3 ....

Sat 18th Sept ….

WWW.BBC.CO.UK/PRESSOFFICE
09-09-2010 @ 0:37
JA
JAS84
BBC HD is blocked on Sarurday with the Proms, PI on the BBC Press Site notes that the series IS in HD. I suspect it will be shown later on BBC HD in catchup mode awaiting BBC ONE HD when it starts.
It's a simple pre-emption then. Probably a double bill on 18/9, but it's still TBA at present.
DV
DVB Cornwall
Unfortunate news ...

Have just had a reply from Danielle Nagler to an EM I wrote earlier, references on the BBC PO site to Merlin in HD are wrong. the programme, she says, was produced for S3 in SD only.

She is to find out why this incorrect flagging is occurring.

On the subject of BBC ONE HD, an announcement as to the start date is imminent - a quote ...

Quote:
I expect to be making an announcement of our launch date within the next couple of weeks. I hope you will appreciated that we wish to be certain that there are no technical issues with the channel before we go public on a date.
Last edited by DVB Cornwall on 13 September 2010 5:07pm
NG
noggin Founding member
Yep - I thought Merlin was still SD. ISTR it is shot by an indy and on Super 16mm. They would have had to switch to 2 perf or 3 perf 35mm or Electronic acquisition to be commissioned in HD.

I know that it airs (or has aired) on an HD network in the US - but I was never clear if it was up-converted from 16:9 576i or post-produced in HD (but not BBC HD compliant - some US networks are OK with Super 16mm sourced-HD - like The West Wing)

There would also be the issue of the CGI stuff costing more in HD?
LM
Lee M
There would also be the issue of the CGI stuff costing more in HD?


This was the reason used by the production staff on Doctor Who for not going HD until the four specials in 2009/10. I would say that Doctor Who uses far more CGI shots than Merlin (with Merlin relying more on practical special effects rather than computer visual effects), and Doctor Who has an extra episode a year. Parts of Merlin are shot in France I think, so could this have an effect in terms of resources needed? Perhaps also that Doctor Who is a BBC in-house production, whereas Merlin is produced by an indie?
DB
dbl


I know that it airs (or has aired) on an HD network in the US - but I was never clear if it was up-converted from 16:9 576i or post-produced in HD (but not BBC HD compliant - some US networks are OK with Super 16mm sourced-HD - like The West Wing)


I was in the states when NBC first showed Merlin, it was upscaled from SD 16:9 on NBC's HD channel.

Newer posts