So I was right ^_^

[spacemonkeyluvn]

Shine producers Julian Murphy and Johnny Caps, who came up with the idea after working on BSkyB's teen horror show Hex, said Merlin was also influenced by US show Smallville, about the early years of Superman.

Smallville helped provide the idea that Merlin would see a "Camelot that existed before its golden age".

"Just as in Smallville we wanted to subvert expectations," said Capps. "Camelot is a land where magic is banned [and] Merlin ... is a young boy who works as Arthur's manservant and has to hide his abilities."

From here

ETA: If you want to actually read the TV Guide article about House and Wilson, bmax67 has scans up here.

Comments

[kirke-novak.livejournal.com]

They are also making The Graysons - which is about Dick Grayson before he became Robin. I... don't dig it.

[spacemonkeyluvn.livejournal.com]

Hmmm... Yeah, I don't know about that. Merlin works for me because I was craving some cheesy medieval slashiness ^_^

[hinkiepunk.livejournal.com]

Ahhhh I did think that! I remember saying to my mate that it seemed the same kind of idea of Smallville, tho I still can't kind of get my head around Merlin and Arthur being peers and around the same age. It seems very construed to an American market.

However whenever someone says 'Camelot' in it I get an overwhelming urge to go all Monty Python and say 'tis a silly place!'

[spacemonkeyluvn.livejournal.com]

I can definitely see that. Unfortunately, I happen to be a part of that market ;)

"It's only a model."