# The Mists of Avalon (2001)

> A two-part televised retelling of the Arthurian legend told from the perspective of the women around King Arthur, as pagan magic and the rising Christian church collide.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/4988

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 2
- Episode runtime: 91 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: fantasy, drama, action
- Created by: Gavin Scott
- Network: TNT
- Cast: Joan Allen, Julianna Margulies, Anjelica Huston, Samantha Mathis, Caroline Goodall, Klára Issová, Edward Atterton, Michael Vartan
- TMDB rating: 6.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0244353/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: dense
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: melancholic, mythic, sweeping, elegiac, intense

## What critics say

Critics were mixed, with praise for the lush, female-centered retelling of Arthurian legend and its strong cast, though some found it sprawling and overly faithful to the source novel.

## Synopsis

The Mists of Avalon (2001) is an American two-part miniseries created by Gavin Scott for TNT, adapted from Marion Zimmer Bradley's novel. Told across two feature-length episodes of roughly ninety minutes each, it retells the Arthurian legend through the women who shape it. Julianna Margulies plays Morgaine, a priestess of the old goddess religion, whose devotion to the island of Avalon pulls her against the Christian church spreading through Britain. Anjelica Huston is Vivianne, her mentor and the keeper of the sacred ways, while Samantha Mathis plays Gwenwyfar, a queen caught between faith and duty. Edward Atterton's Arthur and Michael Vartan's Lancelot sit within a web of ambition, marriage, and prophecy. The engine of the story is a struggle over the soul of a kingdom, where ritual magic, royal succession, and personal loyalty collide in violent campaigns and court intrigue. Its tone is lush and melancholic, with a mythic, elegiac register that leans into sacred ritual and the cost of change. Set in a medieval Britain of shifting kingdoms and fading old gods, it suits viewers who enjoy epic historical fantasy. Fans of Merlin, Camelot, and Game of Thrones will find resonance in its political scheming and mythic scale.

## Shows like The Mists of Avalon

- [King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table (1979)](https://ember.film/tv/20278)
- [Knightfall (2017)](https://ember.film/tv/63690)
- [The Seven Deadly Sins: Four Knights of the Apocalypse (2023)](https://ember.film/tv/138716)
- [Arn: The Knight Templar (2010)](https://ember.film/tv/46775)
- [Merlin (1998)](https://ember.film/tv/38194)
- [Cursed (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/70945)
- [The Legend of Prince Valiant (1991)](https://ember.film/tv/498)
- [Merlin (2008)](https://ember.film/tv/6727)
- [Britannia (2018)](https://ember.film/tv/61630)
- [The Letter for the King (2020)](https://ember.film/tv/83514)

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