Snubbed King Arthur Series Finds New Life on Prime

By Jennifer Asencio
| Updated 6 seconds ago

The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin premiered back in January on Daily Wire+, but it’s finally getting the wider exposure it deserves after arriving on Prime Video internationally. Between the fact that the streamer is mostly news and podcasts aimed at a target audience, and the fact that it is full of controversial personalities, critics ignored the show, and as of this writing, it still has no critic score on Rotten Tomatoes. Many people who dislike both Daily Wire and the show’s creator, Jeremy Boreing, used this as an excuse to claim the show was a failure.

The fact is, The Pendragon Cycle is actually a very good show. I reviewed the entire series, and the series averaged a 4.5 based on strong performances, an incredible script that balanced action, intrigue, drama, and humor, and high production values that included beautiful sets and practical special effects. I’ve also gotten to talk to some of the cast, including Steve Varnom (King Custennin in episodes 5 and 7) and Tom Sharp (who played Merlin himself).

I’ve also made it very clear that I went into the show skeptical of its merits and expecting a bomb. Given that Boreing himself described the show as “probably the most Christian piece of entertainment since Braveheart,” I expected the show to be laden with patriarchal messaging and heavy-handed preaching.

So it was with pleasant surprise that I wound up viewing a show that had realistic, feminine women who were also strong and powerful in their own ways, and that treated religion with only as much bias as the story required. In other words, I expected to see everything that made other critics snub the show but was rewarded with a series that could easily compete with shows like A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms or Rings of Power for fantasy dominance, if it were given a chance.

Overlooked, Award-Winning Performances

Now, the show is finally getting its due. First, episode 3 actor Colin Cunningham, who played King Vortigern, won a British Columbia Leo Award, similar to a Golden Globe, for Best Actor in a Dramatic Series. Then The Pendragon Cycle was released on Amazon Prime Video in the United Kingdom and Europe.

Given that much of the original legend, which Stephen R. Lawhead relied on to write the books the series is based on, has a lot of European roots and deals directly with the “Once and Future King” of England, the audiences there have a stake in the story the show portrays. The show premiered fourth in the UK, and top 10 in several European countries, including Spain and Portugal.

Potential Fans Can See For Themselves

This is exciting news for this great show, because it means it has been opened up to a wider audience. To top it off, Steve Varnom made this post on July 11, 2026:

With The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin finally coming to a major streaming service, it will be interesting to see if critics finally bother to review it, and whether they judge it based on its merits or its makers. However, they can no longer tell audiences what to think of it anymore, because viewers will be able to see for themselves how great this show really turned out to be. One claim that was made about the show was that there was no way to measure viewership, but that it wasn’t very high. Now that it has been widely viewed all over Europe, real metrics will begin to surface and reflect the show’s true audience interest.

This is also good news for fans who are clamoring for a second season. If the show gets enough viewers to justify a second season, it is almost certain that Jeremy Boreing will find a way to continue his passion project. The show was always meant to be a huge success for Boreing, but his status as founder of Daily Wire seemed to outweigh the work he and the rest of the crew put into the show. Now that the show is out there for all to see, the possibility of more fans and a more accurate reception could set the stage for his work to continue.

It is good that The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin is finally getting the exposure it deserves. Hopefully it will see the same success in the United States as it did in Merlin’s homeland.

Stay tuned for release details.