IT was one of the shortest, best- loved dramas ever to appear on television – the "will it or won't it?" fairytale romance between a handsome stranger and a beautiful woman who couldn't get enough of his coffee.

And West Country actor Tony Head, who played that knight in shining armour in the Nescafe Gold Blend adverts alongside actress Sharon Maughan, is donning the chain mail again, but this time for a more serious role in the BBC autumn drama Merlin as Uther Pendragon.

And while the coffee ads – voted by viewers as one of the sexiest commercials of all time – launched his global career, Tony says it's been a lifelong ambition to return to England in the time of King Arthur and take part in a swashbuckling adventure.

As a young boy, he admits he was captivated by armour-clad knights and the great castles in which their legends were born.

"We used to travel to France on camping holidays, and my big thing was collecting these beautifully crafted toy knights," explained the actor, who lives on a farm in Timsbury, near Bath.

"My parents also built me a big castle, which I've still got. My favourite programmes on television were things like Robin Hood and William Tell. I loved all that." So when he found himself dressed in full medieval regalia and walking the corridors of the spectacular Chateau de Pierrefonds outside Paris, he couldn't disguise his joy.

"Swanning around in chain mail and armour, getting to dress up in really cool clothes because I'm a king... has it been fun? Hell, yes. It's as if I've come home," he grins.

There were, of course, more mature, professional reasons why he was attracted to playing Arthur's father, King Uther Pendragon, ruler of Camelot.

Tony, who starred in the internationally successful Buffy the Vampire Slayer series, says he was immediately drawn to the potential of Merlin as a mass-appeal, family show, and really enjoyed the challenge of bringing characters like Merlin, Arthur, Guinevere and Morgana to life.

He is particularly excited by the new twist on the familiar Arthurian legend that Merlin presents. "I like the fact that Camelot exists before Arthur comes to power and that it's part of his life," he says.

"I like the licence they've taken with the story to create this pre-history. It's fun. It gets in and messes around with things. They introduce characters who will play a part in Arthur's later life."

But anyone expecting to see Tony as the quiet, likeable, smooth chap in the coffee commercial will be in for a shock! He admits that Uther is one of the drama's darker characters. "He's a complete bastard!" he laughs.

"According to history, legend or whatever, Uther was a drunkard. He was rumoured not to have been a very good king. But I like the fact that they've given him this big bee in his bonnet.

"He's completely against magic. He's banned magic from his kingdom for, as far as he's concerned, very good reasons."

Off camera, the younger and less experienced actors have all been keen to get advice from a man who knows more than most about working on a hit television programme.

Merlin, which begins a 13-week run this month, is due to be shown on NBC in America, too, and many cast members have been asking his advice on how to survive and thrive on the other side of the Atlantic.

Tony has certainly taken advantage of the opportunity that has come his way. Since working on Buffy in the US, his career has been going through a golden period. Roles have ranged from the Prime Minister in Little Britain to a co-starring role with Warren Clarke in The Invisibles.

"I'm getting a fantastic range of work. It's been really pleasant for the last year-and-a-half. It's really taken off.

"I'm suddenly being asked to do all sorts of things which I'm enjoying enormously," he says.

But one of the great joys of his life is living in the countryside on his farm at Timsbury with his partner Sarah.

The couple have set up an animal charity at Tilley Farm.

"We're raising funds to promote kind, respectful handling of animals and to support the vital puppy foster work that Sarah and I have been doing for the past year," he said.

"The charity will also include the rescue, rehabilitation and release of local wildlife following the recent closure of the original wildlife charity that was based on a small parcel of donated land at the farm."

Factfile

MERLIN is a fantasy drama set to enchant family audiences in a brand new 13-part series on BBC1.

Every Saturday night, audiences will experience a series of magical adventures as they follow the unlikely friendship of a would-be wizard (Merlin) and the future king (Prince Arthur).

The drama brings together a cast of acclaimed British actors (Richard Wilson as Gaius and Tony Head as King Uther Pendragon) as well as exciting new faces.

Colin Morgan stars as the young wizard Merlin, Bradley James plays the arrogant but brave Prince Arthur, rising star Angel Coulby stars as Guinevere and newcomer Katie McGrath plays Morgana.

Multi-award-winning actor John Hurt has been cast as the voice of the Great Dragon. Enigmatic and powerful, he alone knows Merlin's true destiny.