White Gold

You know your getting old when they start making shows from an era you grew up in. As you watch it you start to point out the cars, clothes, music and haircuts the 80's really were the time that fashion forgot. The makers of the show have nailed that period in time superbly, and the script by Inbetweeners creator Damon Beesley is equally good. Anyone who lived through that period would have come across the lead character Vince Swan played by the impressive Ed Weswick. In the case of White Gold we have double glazing salesman all pushing for that big end of month bonus. But it could just as easily been Estate Agents Car Salesmen the 80s were all about excess and earning as much money as you could and that's really the premise of the show in a nutshell. There are natural comparisons to the Inbetweeners as Joe Thomas and James Buckley play pretty much play the same characters Jay and Simon in this show, nothing wrong with that the Inbetweeners was one the funniest sitcoms of recent years. And whilst White Gold may not reach those dizzy heights it's not far behind.

This TV series, which just premiered on Netflix, is basically a chance to see Ed Westwick play the part of Chuck Bass again. If you loved the arrogant asshole that Chuck Bass was in Gossip Girl, you'll definitely love Vincent Swan. The cast in this show is absolutely great. Ed Westwick, James Buckley and Joe Thomas are an incredibly funny trio that you will for sure grow fond of over the episodes. If you've ever worked or been in contact with sales, you'll definitely relate to the characters and the situations that they find themselves in. It is a great example of a smart comedy. What I think makes the series so funny and interesting is the fact that the main character, Vincent, talks a lot to the audience, becoming also some sort of narrator. The soundtrack is also great, featuring a lot of amazing songs from the 70's and 80's , such as Another One Bites the Dust, by Queen. However, something that I've wondered is : How will the writers continue the series without making it boring, since, well, a salesman's life can be interesting only to an extent. There's one thing that,to me, isn't much of a problem, but I can understand why some people have complained about it is that, even if you are a fluent English speaker, but don't understand very well people that speak with a heavy Essex accent, you'll definitely have trouble understanding everything they say, which means you'll have to pay a great deal of attention to what's being said.

Pros - Great acting - Funny, but not stupid - Great soundtrack

Cons - How will they continue the story ( not necessarily a con) - Heavy accent

This is an enjoyable easy watch with many laughs, sometimes vulgar under the belt. A little trashy and filled with eighties nostalgia. There is no refinement, subtleties or finesse. Just raw spot on cynical comedy without political correctness. Be warned.

It is a fun way to spend some time off watching this if you have lots of free time to fill. Each episode is also short so easy watch now and then.

Some might love this kind of humour, others will be a bit offset by the crude style and dialogue.

Update 010619: After

Lets see more of these UK shows on Netflix. There's a huge expat market in the USA and we miss the type of telly we know and love from the UK.

No one from England should have any trouble understanding an Essex accent. I saw the review where someone had trouble understanding the dialog. Bless.

Yeah its original (ish) Sometimes its like watching Jay from the inbetweeners with a tash and a job and simon with the same problems and a job.

Theres only so far you can take something when you are recycling the same material within a series so to stop this from dying an undignified death it may be better to let it be.

However i have a feeling that timeshare will be next on the list and unless the writing at BBC2 comes up with something better a lower score might be applied later.

However some humour and laughter, good enough for a 7 even. Just no more.