Of all the myths and legends that pepper the history of the British Isles, none is more evocative for me that the story of King Arthur. And in that story, even though it is filled with strong and vibrant characters whose names - Uther Pendragon, Lancelot, Guinevere - echo down the years without stilling or quieting, none stands out more than Merlin.

The majestic wizard, who has given rise to many interpretations from the bumbling batty Disney version to the terrifyingly powerful vision of Marion Bradley, is now to be the lynchpin of a new drama for the Beeb, set in Camelot at the time when Arthur was a young man. In a break from tradition, this adaptation also depicts Merlin as a young man-about-court, and one who often clashes with the young king in waiting.

Richard Wilson (as Gauis) and Anthony Head (as Uther) are joined by newcomers Colin Morgan as the eponymous Merlin and Bradley James as Arthur and the series, which was announced today, will be broadcast in 13 parts

Julian Murphy, Creative Director with the team at producers Shine Limited, said: "The BBC are renowned for their high-quality drama and we are delighted to be working with them on such an ambitious project. The story of Merlin is a much loved classic and with the new take that this version adopts we hope to appeal to all audiences."

New take? I really hope that means "new take" as in Merlin is younger than usual and not "new take" in the same way that made a complete horlicks of the new Saturday evening outings for Robin Hood.

Jane Tranter, Controller, BBC Fiction, who commissioned the series, said: "The writer Julian Jones and award-winning team at Shine have delivered scripts which are bold and original, entertaining and enchanting, and director James Hawes's bravura vision for this piece is perfectly suited to the adventure we are all embarking upon. Merlin is a wonderfully ambitious and beautifully crafted series which we're sure will enchant families later this year."

Merlin will transmit on BBC One in autumn 2008.