BBC One Cancels MERLIN After Fifth Season

BBC One has confirmed that Series 5 of the UK fantasy drama MERLIN will be its last. The series will end in a two-part finale, airing in the UK at Christmas. The fifth season is set to premiere in the US on Friday, Jan. 4 at 10 p.m. EST on SyFy. According to a press release, the decision to conclude the series was made by co-creators and executive producers Johnny Capps and Julian Murphy, not by the network.

In a statement, Capps and Murphy commented, "This is the series where the storylines truly reach their apex. We always felt the story of the legend was best told across five series, leading to a spectacular finale that draws on the best known elements of this much-loved story and brings to a conclusion the battle for Camelot."

They continued, "We'd like to thank the amazing cast and crew for their professionalism and dedication, the BBC, FME and all of our partners globally for their incredible support and encouragement across the last five series. But chiefly, our thanks go to Merlin's remarkable and loyal audience around the world for their enthusiasm for the characters and Camelot universe."

BBC One programmers added, "Merlin's mix of magic, adventure and humour quickly became a hit with BBC One audiences and has continued to thrill families over the last five years on Saturday nights. I admire the creators' decision to end Merlin on a high, but also know that we will miss it in the BBC One schedule."

The show is produced and created by the award winning team at Shine TV. FME holds the exclusive distribution, home entertainment and licensing rights to "Merlin" (known as "The Adventures of Merlin" in the rest of the world outside the US and UK) and has sold the series to over 52 broadcasters in more than 180 countries including Network Ten in Australia, MICO in Japan and RTL in Germany.