Comedy breaks through the dramatic overtones of the third season of MERLIN with a hilarious tale of goblins, possession and coin-licking in an episode entitled “Goblin’s Gold” premiering Friday, January 21, at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT on Syfy.
Highly respected UK actor Richard Wilson, regarded as a national treasure in the UK for his comedic performances, is set lose in the hit SyFy series Merlin as Gaius in “Goblin’s Gold.” In the episode, Merlin stumbles across a secret chamber and accidentally releases a Goblin. The mischievous creature possesses Merlin’s mentor Gaius, leading the once wise physician to develop a taste for gold, ale and magical jokes. With a suddenly bald King Uther and a scourge of flatulence sweeping the royal household, can Merlin work through the mystery and banish the Goblin back to where he came from before any real damage is done?
Richard Wilson, a two-time BAFTA winner is best known for his iconic role as Victor Meldrew in the extremely popular UK television series One Foot in the Grave. Other TV appearances include roles in Only When I Laugh, Tutti Frutti, Born and Bred,Doctor Who and dozens of series, mini-series and TV movies.
Anthony Head, who portrays King Uther in Merlin, had high praise for working with Wilson on this episode where Heads character comes under a lot of abuse by the mischievous goblin, Gaius.
“When you know somebody to be a trusted, respectable actor in a role as a dignified member of Camelot’s court, you don’t expect them to be sticking their tongue out with such enthusiasm,” Head explains. “I so enjoyed the scene that he was slapping my head that I completely blew the take. His hands were wet with the ointment and I was wearing a padded prosthetic, so he was really slapping away, and the sound and the smashing of it just gave me such a funny visual that I couldn’t help but laugh.”