“There's nothing magic about this opener. This is a series which has got off to a decidedly shaky start.” Read on for the critics' full verdict on last night's TV.

Merlin, BBC1
“There's nothing magic about this opener [... ] This is a series which has got off to a decidedly shaky start.”
Virgina Blackburn, Daily Express

Merlin, BBC1
“It looks splendid - colourful, exciting, and yes, magic.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

Merlin, BBC1
“It is, I guess, harmless, though having little taste for this kind of thing, I am left genuinely guessing as to whether fantasy fans will find its 21st-century offhandedness appealing or insufficiently solemn.”
Thomas Sutcliffe, The Independent

Merlin, BBC1
“Maybe I just don't get cutting-edge family entertainment. For this family man, the return of magic to Saturday night BBC TV only brought to mind Paul Daniels. I like it - not a lot.”
Mick Hume, The Times

Hole in the Wall, BBC1
“They could have called it Celebrity Schadenfreude.”
Mick Hume, The Times

The Mona Lisa Curse, C4
“He [Robert Huges] does it so beautifully.”
Sam Wollaston, The Guardian

Arena: The Hunt for Moby Dick, BBC2
“Should have been gripping but wasn't.”
Virgina Blackburn, Daily Express

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