The Gold

Neil Forsyth is an excellent writer and The Gold has assembled an excellent cast. It's a very well-written, well-performed, heavily-dramatised version of real events and works well as escapism. Where it doesn't work is when it's trying to be a lesson on class struggle in the 1980's.

Firstly, the viewer didn't ask for, and doesn't need, a one-sided, finger-wagging morality lesson on societal iniquity. Secondly, Kenneth Noye and his associates were not class warriors fighting a rigged class system; they were a demonstration of amoral violent greed that makes even the worst of the class system look relatively humane.

But don't let that put you off watching The Gold; it's very entertaining and mostly manages to remember that it's supposed to be entertainment. In a world of multiple streaming options which credit the viewer with a modicum of intelligence, it would be great to see the BBC survive and thrive. If it's able to understand that the entertainment viewer primarily wants to be entertained and isn't actually looking for a simplistic, sophomoric morality tale, it might be in with a chance.

Overall not a bad drama except for some very clear facts. Kenny Noye was not a slick 'business' type. He was a rough villain, successful yes, but not the slick geezer they portray he was an hard man. John Palmer, who I met once had a high pitched, soft Birmingham accent, not the West Country twang portrayed here (just view the YouTube videos). Marnie was a Bristol girl an did have a Bristol accent. A couple of parts of the story could have been highlighted that are missed, the van that the bullion was stolen in could hardly move because of the weight of gold. Noye did fly to Jersey to buy a gold bullion bar to get a receipt to cover his tracks but he was already under surveillance. John Palmer two Rotwieller dogs that guarded the 'Battlefields' Coachhouse were named 'Brinks and Mat' they were not friendly. The money from the Brinks Mat robbery coincided with the new prediction of Ecstasy coming from Amsterdam, new music from Manchester and Ectstasy created a huge influx in drugs into the UK. The Leah Betts death and the Essex Boys murders are all connected to the Brinks Matt money in a linear way.

#thegold #thegoldtvseries @bbciplayer - 6 episodes about 1 hr each - binge watched this too - I thought it was the lead up to the robbery but it's after and how the police go about trying to catch the robbers - based on facts about the Brink'sMat robbery in 1983 - well acted and worth watching if you're interested in this - I remember the robbery but couldn't remember anything about it so I found it interesting to watch and of course I didn't know the outcome ! It shows the arrogance of the nouveau riche criminals and frustration with the still prevalent class system which they just can't quite be accepted into - also shows the links with them and the Masons and how corrupt it all is especially when top police are involved - hand shakes and favours to look after each other - apparently a lot of policing methods were changed after this event and you now have to reveal if you are a mason in the police - give it a go ! £26 million was robbed which in today's money is approx £101 million !! @bonhughbon @jack.lowden @emunelliott_ @charlottelouisespencer @stefaniemartini @sean.gilder @dominiccooper #crime #drama #robbery #police #themasons.

...except they made it 6 episodes. I'm all for character development but it lost its way exploring the back stories of everyone, I was confused in the end who the main protagonists were and what the ultimate ending was. And now they announced a second season - let's hope this one is tighter. Even with 6 episodes, the ending seemed a little rushed, with only text on the screen providing information about prison sentences - there could have been more trial scenes at the expense of some of the non-essential Switzerland and Spain scenes.

There's nothing wrong in making a shorter series, the performances were compelling and the storyline initially was interesting enough, and I particularly liked the cultural and historical references of the times.

As Episode 1 of "The Gold" (2023 release from the UK; 6 episodes of about an hour each) opens, it is."26 November 1983" and six guys enter a warehouse near Heathrow Airport, and overwhelm the security staff. They make off with a bunch of gold bars worth £26 million (more than $120 million in today's currency). Now comes the hard part: how to convert the gold into cash? At this point we are less than 15 minutes into Episode 1.

Couple of comments: this is billed in the US as a "Paramount+ Original", but let's be clear: this is a BBC production from start to finish, from top to bottom. And what a great TV series this turned out to be. The mini-series starts with the robbery and doesn't look back as to the why or how of the robbery. Instead it focuses exclusively on the aftermath of the robbery. It affects not only the 6 robbers, but also their families and others who become entangled in the fallout. The no-star ensemble cast is terrific all the way through. Also loved the careful recreation of the early-to-mid 80s scenery in (primarily) London. And then of course there is this: how does it all play out? Will anyone get caught or will they get away with what was then the greatest robbery in England's history? Just watch!

"The Gold" aired on BBC in early 2023, to immediate critical acclaim. It currently is rated 91% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason. "The Gold" recently started airing on Paramount+ and I just finished it last evening. If you have any interest in true crime drama or simply yearn for a terrific classic BBC tv series, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.