The DailyWire+ series “The Pendragon Cycle” received high praise from “Pulp Fiction” screenwriter Roger Avary, who said he was “completely blown away.” “These days, you almost don’t know… where to find television. And that’s because you can find it anywhere,” the 60-year-old Academy Award winner told Joe Rogan during a podcast appearance. He added that big studios are no longer dominating the industry and that smaller, independent studios are making superior content.  “The mainstay producers of it, the studios … they’re no longer reliable in producing quality television. And so suddenly we see stuff rising out of places that are completely unexpected … this was produced by The Daily Wire of all places.” “And this is good?” Rogan inquired about the series. “This is better!” Avary replied, “I have a very high watermark for Arthurian mythology. Like to me, [the 1981 drama] ‘Excalibur’ is the high watermark. And this really went there …” The producer and screenwriter admitted he had a “chip on his shoulder” when he started watching “Pendragon” and expected not to like it. But he was impressed not just with the quality, but with how it didn’t come from a major studio. “They did it on a microbudget, effectively. They made something that… kind of reinvents the mythology and they do it like proper television, where you kind of love the characters, and they weave an entire reality and universe that is just fantastic. And it’s done for very, very little…”  Avary added, “They’re spending billions making these ‘Lord of the Rings’ things, and nobody cares, they’re just awful to watch. In the meantime, these guys, without anyone paying attention, cranked this out. I’ve only seen four episodes of it, but I am completely blown away by it!” “This is, to me, as good as classic television,” he added. Oscar-winning screenwriter @AVARY gives massive praise to ‘The Pendragon Cycle’ on @joerogan: “They’re spending billions making these ‘Lord of the Rings’ things…and they’re just awful to watch…In the meantime, these guys…cranked this out…I am like completely blown away… pic.twitter.com/guviJGswqe — Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) February 11, 2026 “The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin” is an epic fantasy series based on Stephen R. Lawhead’s award-winning novels. WATCH THE PENDRAGON CYCLE ON DAILYWIRE+ The saga unfolds in the aftermath of Roman-occupied Britain, where the seeds of Christianity are beginning to take root in the wake of overwhelming spiritual and physical darkness. Barbarian invaders threaten to lay claim to the Island of the Mighty, and only those with faith in the true God will prevail.  Against this perilous backdrop, Merlin emerges not as the wizard we remember from typical Arthurian retellings that lean on medieval imagery and rote chivalry, but as a complex prophetic figure caught in a world of spiritual warfare, political chaos, and the dawn of Western civilization. The series was filmed across Hungary, Italy, and the Danube River valley. Multiple production diaries provided fans a glimpse of the endless challenges and the grand scope of the production, including the costumes, the stunning locations, and the epic battle scenes that take place during the series. Watch the 7-part series “The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin” now — only on DailyWire+. New episodes every Thursday.