Series 3 of Merlin may have now concluded but the young warlock will return for more adventures late 2011.

Series 4 will have a reduced episode count, down to 10 episodes instead of usual 13, and Merlin’s Producer Julian Murphy explained to SFX the reason behind it.

“It was brutally about money,” he admits. “Merlin is an expensive show, no question of that. And what we are not prepared to do is cut its budget or production values. It’s not a programme you can do that with. For us, Merlin relies on those production values. So I think it was a combination of our desire not to change or reduce the budget, and the lack of money at the BBC and elsewhere. The BBC has had a really tough hit.”

But the good news is, Murphy revealed they are already discussing Series 5 and maybe even some Merlin specials.

“We are now discussing the fifth series with the BBC, and I think it potentially preserves the programme for longer yes. There is talks of specials, there is talk about ways we can fill in the gap, but these are tough times for British broadcasters.”

So it looks as though we have at least another two years of Merlin to look forward to. We just hope the format will get shaken up a little next year. Less comedy episodes and more focus on advancing the story and the myth.