Summing Up Camelot in One Word: Excalibur?

Starz released its brief behind-the-scenes trailer for Camelot, a new series from Chris Chibnall (possibly best known among SF circles for Torchwood but also well known in the UK for Law & Order: UK). Unfortunately, there’s so much “behind the scenes” that we don’t get to see a scene illustrating this cast’s take on the familiar characters. My first impression is that Camelot is the anti-Merlin, or the “adult” as well as “young” version, striving to be realistic for the time period (lots of swordplay!) and different from the many other Camelots, Excaliburs, Merlins, Sword in the Stones, First Knights, and Holy Grails before it. It may have to be distinctive to survive, but this brief preview does look intriguing. I worry more about its late-February sneak-peek first episode being shown more than a month before its April debut. Still, I was a fan of Xena and Highlander (lots of swordplay!), and the Arthurian legend is my favorite mythology. Perhaps Camelot will do Arthur proud.