NBC Merlin Premiere Draws 5 Million

NEW YORK: The British drama Merlin, distributed by FremantleMedia Enterprises, opened to 5 million viewers in its U.S. premiere on NBC on Sunday.

On the low-rated Sunday night, NBC came in second place with its two hours of Merlin and a repeat of Law & Order: SVU. In first place was CBS with repeats of Million Dollar Password (6.4 million), Cold Case (6.8 million) and Without a Trace (6.7 million). The two-hour disaster mini-series Impact, imported from Germany, drew just 4.7 million.

The Shine-produced Merlin focuses on the young sorcerer and Prince Arthur in the early days of their friendship. It was recently renewed for a second season by BBC One.