There’s an epic new Merlin/King Arthur series available in the streaming world, and, if I do say so myself, it’s pretty awesome. Contrary to what you might think, we’re not zeroing in on the Arthur-Guinevere love story. Instead, we’re tracing an origin story, and it’s a must-see for fans of historical fiction and fantasy. The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin is a 7-episode historical fiction series based on Stephen R. Lawhead’s line of popular Pendragon Cycle novels.
Chances are you might not have heard about it, and there’s a good reason for that—it’s only streaming on DailyWire+. Let’s dive into what the logistics of the series are and see the issues around streaming.
About The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin
A legend is born
The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin is a retelling of the Arthurian legend in the historical context of the 4th through 6th centuries in a Roman-occupied Britain, with a heavy emphasis on the transition from paganism to Christianity. Rise of the Merlin focuses on Merlin’s origins, on the birth of the Arthurian legend in sub-Roman Britain, and on Britain’s struggle for unity.
Our plot kicks off with a prequel centered on the downfall of Atlantis and the survival of Merlin’s parents, the coveted bard Taliesin (James Arden of EastEnders) and the Lady of the Lake, Atlantian Princess Charis (Rose Reid of A Thousand Tomorrows). The main story, though, follows their immortal son Merlin (Tom Sharp) and chronicles everything from his tragic upbringing and descent into madness to the shocking disappearance that generated the legend surrounding him today.
Set before King Arthur’s birth, Merlin, assumed dead or a myth, re-emerges in war-torn Britain to unite its fractured kingdoms against Saxon invaders before Arthur’s rise. We’ve seen this effort elsewhere in other adaptations—the best of which is Antoine Fuqua’s 2004 film, King Arthur. There, Merlin emerges to fight with the British rebels, who are called Woads, but in that adaptation, Arthur and his knights were part of the insurgency. In Rise of the Merlin, Arthur is not yet born. MGM+’s The Winter King is another great adaptation, too.
Nevertheless, The Pendragon Cycle’s overarching plot is how Merlin winds up the trusted adviser to the One and Future King as well as the prophetic forces that shape the kingdom. We’re setting the stage for Arthur’s birth and eventual rise to power.
Does The Pendragon Cycle tie into the Merlin series?
A reimagining of a familar story
Credit: BBC One
Rather than serving as a direct prequel or tie-in to the BBC’s 2008 Merlin series, The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin offers a historical-fantasy reimagining. Both explore the Arthurian mythos, but where they contrast greatly is in setting, tone, and character origin.
Where Merlin focuses on a magical, medieval-esque Camelot, The Pendragon Cycle is rooted in a post-Roman, pre-Middle Ages Britain and focuses on blending Celtic Druidism with the emergence of Christianity and the fall of Atlantis. In the 2008 series, we see a young Merlin serving as Arthur’s protector and servant as a way to hide his magic. In The Pendragon Cycle, we’re dealing with Britain’s political unification, fighting the Saxons, and the rise of Aurelius and Uther—Arthur does not yet exist. Furthermore, Merlin portrays the mythical magician as a young man from Ealdor with an unknown familial magical heritage. Rise of the Merlin posits him as an immortal child of Atlantis.
While the 2026 series exudes a grimmer, more historical tone compared to the lighter, high-fantasy tone of the 2008 series, both feature the same legendary characters and stand as separate interpretations of the Merlin and King Arthur story. As someone who has consumed both, it’s interesting to see all the ways in which they compare and contrast.
The streaming issue
It’s not on a typical streaming service
Credit: DailyWire+
The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin is a historical fiction fantasy gem worthy of a major platform like Netflix, HBO Max, or Prime Video. Instead, it landed on DailyWire+, the head-exploding, conservative news app. How and why?
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Daily Wire co-founder and former co-CEO Jeremy Boreing spearheaded the project, which is the result of an intentional, multi-year, high-budget effort by The Daily Wire to produce its own “culture-creating content” rather than content criticizing mainstream media. Still, it poses a major issue.
Because The Pendragon Cycle debuted on DailyWire+, fewer people watched it or knew about it unless they were already subscribers to the platform. In fact, there isn’t a single critic’s review of the series on Rotten Tomatoes yet, but there are over 250 audience ratings that average out to a healthy 86% audience score. Because the fantasy series hails from a politically polarizing service, it only hurts the reach of the show, which needs to see huge viewing numbers to ensure its survivability.
While The Daily Wire has produced a number of feature films—both scripted and documentary—and a couple of animated series, The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin represents the biggest swing for them to date. The only way to watch the new King Arthur/Merlin series is with a DailyWire+ subscription. Unfortunately, there’s no free-trial period, but if you don’t want to pay the $15 monthly fee, I recommend using a VPN.
Despite its riveting performances, dramatic intrigue, and sprawling setup with an epic battle buildup, The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin doesn’t see enough closure in season 1. It demands a second season—there’s still plenty more of Merlin’s story to be told and too much left undone and unseen. The best way to ensure that happens is for you to watch the show and encourage DailyWire+ to continue this epic adaptation that’s left us salivating for more.
