Mr. Merlin

Mr. Merlin

Mr. Merlin Title Card
Genre Situation comedy, Fantasy
Created by Larry Rosen
Larry Tucker
Written by Larry Rosen (5 episodes)
Larry Tucker (5 episodes)
Tom Chehak (4 episodes)
Directed by Bill Bixby (6 episodes)
Harry Winer (4 episodes)
James Frawley (2 episodes)
Starring Barnard Hughes
Clark Brandon
Elaine Joyce
Jonathan Prince
Phil Morris
Composer(s) Ken Harrison
Country of origin USA
Original language(s) English
No. of seasons 1
No. of episodes 22
Production
Executive producer(s) Larry Rosen
Larry Tucker
Producer(s) Joel Rogosin
Editor(s) Robert F. Shugrue
John Farrell
Kenneth R. Koch
Cinematography Chuck Arnold
Ronald W. Browne
Running time 30 minutes
Production company(s) Larry Larry Productions
Distributor Columbia Pictures Television
Sony Pictures Television
Broadcast
Original channel CBS
Picture format Film
Audio format Monaural
Original run October 7, 1981 – March 22, 1982

Mr. Merlin is an American sitcom that ran for one season, from 1981 to 1982, about Merlin the wizard (played by Barnard Hughes), who is immortal, living in modern-day San Francisco, and disguised as Max Merlin, a mechanic. Mr. Merlin was produced by Larry Rosen and Larry Tucker, working as the Larry Larry Company, in association with Columbia Pictures Television.

Premise

Merlin hires Zachary Rogers (Clark Brandon) to work in his garage, and when Zac pulls a crowbar out of a bucket of cement, the crowbar is revealed to be Arthur's sword Excalibur and Merlin must reveal himself to Zac and make him an apprentice. Leo Samuels (Jonathan Prince) is Zac's best friend, who naturally has no idea his best buddy is a "wizard in training". Elaine Joyce is Alexandra ("Alex"), Max's equally magical liaison with an unseen "council" (who insisted Merlin take on an apprentice or lose both his powers and immortality).

Cast

Guest cast

Episodes

Title Director Writer Original air date
1 "Pilot" John Astin Larry Tucker,
Larry Rosen
October 7, 1981
2 "The Cloning of the Green" Bill Bixby Larry Tucker,
Larry Rosen
October 14, 1981
3 "Starsand" Herbert Kenwith Larry Tucker,
Larry Rosen
October 21, 1981
4 "The Music's in Me" Harry Winer Tom Chehak October 28, 1981
5 "All About Sheila" Harry Winer Larry Tucker,
Larry Rosen
November 4, 1981
6 "The Two Faces of Zac" Bill Bixby Tim Maschler November 11, 1981
7 "A Moment in Camelot" Harry Winer William J. Keenan November 18, 1981
8 "A Message from Wallshime" Alan Myerson Jeffrey Scott December 2, 1981
9 "Take My Tonsils... Please!" Bill Bixby Parke Perine December 9, 1981
10 "The Ache" Larry Elikann Stephanie Garman,
Hollace White
December 23, 1981
11 "Not So Sweet Sixteen" Alan Myerson Tom Chehak December 30, 1981
12 "Romeo and Dreidelwood" James Frawley Larry Tucker,
Larry Rosen
January 6, 1982
13 "Getting to Know You" Leo Penn Ann Woodall,
Paula Lintz
January 18, 1982
14 "Alex Goes Popless" James Frawley Tom Chehak January 25, 1982
15 "Everything's Coming Up Daisies" Jeffrey Hayden Don Tait February 1, 1982
16 "The Egg and Us" Howard Storm George Geiger February 8, 1982
17 "How to Help a Gymnast in a Foreign Country" Leo Penn Martin Donovan February 15, 1982
18 "Change of Venue (Part 1)" * Bill Bixby Tim Maschler February 22, 1982
19 "Change of Venue (Part 2)" * Bill Bixby Tim Maschler February 22, 1982
20 "An Absence of Amulets" Harry Winer Paul Haggis,
Michael Mauer
March 1, 1982
21 "Arrivederci, Dink" Alan Myerson Julie Kirgo,
Dinah Kirgo
March 15, 1982
22 "I Was a Teenage Loser" Bill Bixby Tom Chehak March 22, 1982

* Originally presented as an hour-long episode.

Note: a Mr. Merlin strip ran briefly in the British TV Comic.

External links