There will be a second season of Merlin

This summer, thanks to NBC, America discovered what Great Britain already knew: the pleasant joys of a quiet new light drama, Merlin, a retelling of the legend of King Arthur from the perspective of his future best friend, the wizard Merlin.

Of course, Merlin is a “before they were famous” take in the vein of Smallville, so while all the main players are on the table, not all of the relationships are yet established. But for Joss Whedon fans, here’s an extra morsel: one-time Buffy Watcher, Anthony Stewart Head, plays the often ruthless and yet relatable father-figure, Uther Pendragon, whose hatred for all things magic casts Merlin’s safety in doubt and his abilities a necessity to keep secret.

While Colin Morgan as Merlin, who doesn’t need any more of those best diet pills the rail-thin actor seems to be on, and the rest of the cast, return at full strength, for now the show is only airing on BBC in Great Britain. Whether the second series will end up back on NBC next summer, or on BBC America, remains to be seen.