Merlin returns with over 5 million viewers

The fourth season of Merlin kicked off on BBC One on Saturday evening with over 5 million viewers.

The fantasy drama, starring Bradley James and Colin Morgan, returned for its fourth season with the first of a two-part story, The Darkest Hour. The return of Merlin followed the sixth season finale of Doctor Who – The Wedding of River Song – on BBC One which marks the first time the two Saturday evening dramas have aired on the same night. The Wedding of River Song pulled in 6.1 million viewers with Merlin‘s return seen by 5.2 million viewers. It aired directly opposite ratings titan The X Factor on ITV1 which had 9.5 million viewers – so Merlin performed relatively well all things considering. Final figures for the episode – which will be released in ten days time – will likely boost its ratings significantly.