Ten most popular British TV dramas in China

A poster for the British TV series Merlin [File Photo]

Merlin

Merlin, the British fantasy-adventure television program, plays a large role in many young Chinese audiences' spare time, especially among colleague students. From the first season to the fifth, the TV series received around 40,000 comments, with the average rating point reaching above 8/10 on Douban.com. The derivative videos, such as Merlin: Secrets & Magic (2009) and The Real Merlin and Arthur (2009) also enjoy high popularity due to people's love of the original TV episodes.

Meanwhile, British actors Colin Morgan and Bradley James are becoming increasingly known in China for playing the protagonists Merlin and Arthur in the drama. The close ties and brother-like relationship between the two roles became a hot gossip among young audiences. Some of the classic dialogue in the episodes has even been used in as a teaching tool on English education websites, such as hujiang.com.

The show is loosely based on the Arthurian legends of the young wizard Merlin and his relationship with King Arthur but differs from traditional versions.