Gaius: Merlin's Magic Is Beyond All Comprehension. With Each Passing Day, He Only Grows More Powerful.

Merlin, on the phone: Just break his kneecaps and he’ll talk, alright, now look, I’m at the parent teacher conference.

Merlin: *hangs up*

Merlin: Anyways, you were saying Daegal is enjoying finger painting. That’s great.

Morgause, on the phone: Hi, my idiot brother chased a cat and is stuck in a tree.

Fire department: Sorry, right now we’re only responding to fires.

Morgause: I see.

Morgause:

Morgause: Give me a second.

Gaius: I told you to look after merlin.

Lancelot: He'll be fine. He's a sorcerer.

Gaius: That's just what they're called. It doesn't mean he actually knows what he's doing.

Gwen: Will you look after Arthur?

Lancelot: He'll be fine. He's the King of Camelot.

Gwen: That's just what he's called. It doesn't mean he actually knows what he's doing.

Percival: What movie is this?

Lancelot: I Love You, Man.

Percival: I love you, too, bro, but, seriously, what's the movie called?

Lancelot: I LOVE YOU MAN

Percival: I LOVE YOU TOO BRO

Arthur, in Avalon: This is the worst day ever.

Freya: Because you got killed?

Arthur: No, because it’s kind of cold out - yeS BECAUSE I GOT KILLED!

Arthur: There's something really suspicious going on here...

Arthur: There's a sorcerer in the castle... Merlin vanished, and then an old man with Merlin's eyes showed up and called me names just like Merlin does... then he disappeared and I found Merlin again

Arthur: Hold up one second!!!

Arthur: That means...

Arthur: MERLIN WENT TO THE TAVERN AGAIN!?!?!?

Say what you want about BBC Merlin, but none of the actors had to go as hard as they did with their performances. It was a show for kids, the CGI was shite, and on Robin Hood (which was the series before Merlin) no one except Richard Armitage bothered to act as seriously. 

But the fact that they did is what makes it so popular, what makes it endure, what pushes it and its characters and ships up the list in the fandom metrics each year. The actors took it seriously, they left an amazing legacy, particularly Colin Morgan and Bradley James. Even the devastation of the ending couldn’t break the fandom apart because it was sad, but it was so well done you almost didn’t mind. And that’s why a show which ended eight years ago is still so strong in the hearts of so many people.