The BBC’s Merlin series, which follows the story of a young Merlin under the rule of king Uther Pendragon, will be airing in the United States on NBC starting June 21, 2009 (Sunday night).

Oft-described as the United Kingdom’s Smallville, the program has gained quite a following during its first season.

The show is set in Camelot, where Merlin meets Uther’s son Arthur, who is about the same age. (Other characters, such as Morgana and Guinivere are part of the story as well.) Merlin must prevent mishap after mishap while subtly preparing Arthur to be the prophesied king…all without revealing his powers to Camelot, with its ban on all things magic.

A new website, MerlinSite.com, run by the same group behind the leading Smallville fan site, will cover all the news about the show. We will tip you off here of anything major, if it comes to our attention.