The Sorcerer's Apprentice poem's story is alluded to in several episodes of the fairy-tale drama "Once Upon a Time", especially in "The Apprentice". A variation of the Dukas piece also plays in certain scenes. The apprentice himself is a recurring character, while the sorcerer is shown to be Merlin. The "Fantasia" version appears in the video game series "Kingdom Hearts", with the sorcerer Yen Sid serving as an adviser to the heroes, teaching Mickey, Sora, and Riku the Keyblade skills needed to guard the universe from his former friend Xehanort's plan. A world based on the "Fantasia" version also appears throughout the series,
The Magician's Apprentice (Doctor Who) the episode five stars, claiming it was "full of wit and menace" and "unafraid to take on the show's museum piece classics". However, Benji Wilson in "The Daily Telegraph" gave it 3/5 saying that the "jury is still out" and questioning whether "seemingly catastrophic events" can be very thrilling in the "Doctor Who" universe which "keeps reminding you you're not supposed to take it seriously". The Magician's Apprentice (Doctor Who) "The Magician's Apprentice" is the first episode of the ninth series of the British science fiction television series "Doctor Who". It was first broadcast on BBC One on 19 September