The Gold Robbers

Thirty nine years after seeing this series I still remember it as a gripping and unmissable piece of television. It was an absolute must-see and our whole family watched every episode, which was exceptional. I suspect that it would seem rather dated now but I can recall that at the time The Gold Robbers was a very well-made series. In this day and age, when the standard of TV drama has plummeted and fails to innovate, a release of this series on DVD would provide the original audience with a satisfying reminder of a classic series, and could show today's programme makers how it should be done. I just hope that the tapes are still in the archive somewhere; I don't remember it being repeated after its initial airing.

The series begins explosively with the robbery itself. As it progresses the detective, played by Peter Vaughan probes more deeply into the conspiracy. Each episode represents a different layer, the criminals featured in each episode becoming progressively more seriously involved.

As the detective draws closer to the centre of the crime there is a greater cost to him. The series cleverly used its 13 part format to increase the tension. There were a number of high quality dramas such as this produced in the 1960s on the BBC but also as with the Gold Robbers on commercial television.

Is a record of this series still in existence?

This was the era of the early police procedural -- 'Car 54 Where You?", "Z Cars", and so on. These were mild by today's standards, which is why The Gold Robbers stands out -- a violent, bleak drama with a downbeat, unresolved ending. To my knowledge it was never repeated and is unlikely to be, given that it is B&W. Notable early appearance of Peter Vaughan, whose career continues today.

"The Gold Robbers" as a title and it's illustrious cast listing for a series I had never heard of intrigued me enough to purchase the 2012 Network DVD release when it became available. I'm glad I did as I was kept intrigued, entertained and ultimately gripped throughout the 13 well-crafted episodes.

The story of a daring, efficient bullion heist and the individuals involved in it, from the lowliest petty criminal through those who organised it and ultimately to the "Mr. Big" behind it all, commences in great style with the snatching of the gold itself. This sequence, pretty violent for the time, is re-worked each week by steering the viewer towards one of the gang, before focusing on of how Chief Superintendent Cradock (Peter Vaughan) and his loyal sidekick Sergeant Thomas (Artro Morris) home in and ultimately get them. Or not, as the case might be as the intelligent writing acknowledges human failings and allows for failure or delays in success. Many obstacles stand in the Police's way, not least the underground criminal network that seems one step ahead for much of the time before they are able to make significant breakthroughs. Pressure brought to bear from many levels above only add to those faced daily to bring the entire gang to book - at a personal cost to Cradock who gradually, and subtly succumbs in an unexpectedly surprisingly way as the last episode rolls on.

This unfairly neglected series, made in black and white before full-time colour broadcasting commenced in the UK, deserves a wider audience today. It may lack a more violent edge throughout but that makes the violence that occurs effective as it arrives often unexpectedly. No histrionics or cliché's, just some excellent storytelling. Some modern audiences may find the language used a little alien, even old-fashioned. I actually enjoyed a return to a rich use of the English language and realise how much it has evolved over the past four decades - and not necessarily for the better. However, that cannot be allowed to detract from the quality of this series, even if the production values are a little cheap here and there but it has to remembered it was of its time and made by London Weekend on a budget. LWT who had to be rescued (IIRC) by a newspaper magnate, one Rupert Murdoch - Richard Bolt's distant relative one wonders?

"The Gold Robbers" is a very loose television adaptation of the real life 1963 train robbery. In this mini series, the train is substituted for a plane. Peter Vaughan - excellent as villains - is successfully cast against type as the determined Senior Police officer who leads the investigation into the robbery of millions of pounds worth of Gold bullion. There is a great supporting cast, Ian Hendry, George Cole amongst others. The pace rarely lets up and the 13 episodes whiz by.