THE GOLD - SUNDAY 9pm Sunday - TV PACE. NO SPOILERS !!!!

[Blondeshavemorefun]

And looks like we finally have The Gold On for next Sunday

Been waiting for this

Seen ads. Looks great

So the loss of hv gains something good on a Sunday night - well hopefully

Based on a true life story

The drama explores one of the most remarkable true crime cases and its impact on the world after the event. Taking place on 26th November 1983, six armed men broke into the Brink’s-Mat security depot near London’s Heathrow Airport.

What was supposed to be a 'routine' armed robbery, actually ended up being one of the seminal events of British criminal history because the six men inadvertently stumbled across gold bullion worth £26m.

Known as the "Brink's-Mat robbery" or the "Brink's-Mat bullion heist", the largest gold heist in British history happened on 26th November 1983, like in The Gold.

At most, the gang of south London criminals thought that they would come away from the robbery with £3 million. But in reality, they actually ended up finding £26 million worth of gold bars, uncut diamonds and cash.

After the event proved even more wild, with the gang having to onboard the help of an expert jeweller to dispose of the gold, counterfeit stolen gold bars, the collapse of Johnson Matthey Bankers (where the bullion was stolen from) and the so-called "curse", which refers to the fact that several of those involved were shot and killed.

It was just supposed to be "a typical Old Kent Road armed robbery", according to detectives at the time. But it soon went on to be a massively remarkable event, not only due to the scale of the theft – at the time, the biggest in global history – but for its wider legacy.

The cast for The Gold is a star-studded one, to say the least. It's written by Neil Forsyth (Eric, Ernie & Me) and directed by Academy Award-winning Aneil Karia (The Long Goodbye) along with Lawrence Gough (The Last Bus, Snatch, Misfits).

The cast is led by Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey (www.radiotimes.com/going-out/best-downton-abbey-tours-uk/)) as Brian Boyce, Jack Lowden (Small Axe (www.radiotimes.com/tv/drama/small-axe-release-date-cast-trailer-bbc/): Mangrove) also stars as Kenneth Noye, Dominic Cooper (The Preacher) as Edwyn Cooper, Charlotte Spencer (The Duke) as Nicki Jennings, Tom Cullen (Becoming Elizabeth) as John Palmer and Emun Elliott (Guilt (www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-6qlfuh/guilt/)
, Old) as Tony Brightwell.

The cast also includes Sean Harris (Southcliffe), Ellora Torchia (Ali and Ava) and Stefanie Martini (
Prime Suspect (www.radiotimes.com/programme/b-jtsagk/prime-suspect/)
) in the real-life drama.

Just watched the last episode. Loved it

Did anyone watch The Curse that was based on the robbery too. That was pretty good

Disclaimer. I bloody love Jack Lowden and have seen most things he’s been in. I find him incredibly distracting in this. I don’t know if it’s because he’s trying to do an accent (he’s actually Scottish in real life), but he seems to do these weird things with his mouth and chin and I can’t not see it.
that said, I am enjoying it. I’m on episode 4 now.

And to whoever said Jack looks like Simon Pegg, he’s made a joke of it in the past. He really does.

@Goldpaw
“I find it amazing to think that London Docklands was financed through the money laundered as part of this.”

To put it in perspective, the Brinks Mat loot was only involved in a very small part of London Docklands redevelopment, most of the redevelopment took place a few years later and cost many, many times the entire proceeds from the robbery.

I binge watched the entire series and wanted to give up several times but it was so gripping I also returned to it several times, so stick with it, you will be rewarded! I found the mechanics of the money laundering a bit confusing but then money laundering is designed to confuse. The opening titles say how the series was “inspired” by the robbery and reading about real life events, this is an accurate description to the point where one major character in the series, along with detective Nicky, did not actually exist.

Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed it - it ended slightly open ended with the possibility of a second series?

@Walkinginthesand Apart from Nicky who is the other major character who did not exist ?

I’ve probably said too much already …

Has he or she appeared in episode 1 ?

Eden Cooper is a fictional character. And presumably his wife, father-in law, and girlfriend are as well. Though on Wikipedia it does say some money from the robbery found its way into wing of Cheltenham Lady's College.

Yes I agree now Noye is not shown sympathetically. Actually I think it's Palmer who is shown the best. You'd like him as your mate!

On YouTube you can find an old Cook Report on the real criminal. Though I think it's just the second of two episodes he did ("Laundry Man 2").

For those watching at TV pace, watch out for the episode which (for some reason!) recreates a scene from The Godfather!

Edwyn!

To put it in perspective, the Brinks Mat loot was only involved in a very small part of London Docklands redevelopment, most of the redevelopment took place a few years later and cost many, many times the entire proceeds from the robbery.

True, but the Brinks Mat money got the ball rolling which begs two questions

1. Would it have been started otherwise without this money to kickstart it
2. How much of it is financed through other money laundering projects.

London is awash (pardon the pun!) with laundered money, isn't it known as the money laundering capital of Europe/ the world? Particularly Russian money.

“True, but the Brinks Mat money got the ball rolling”

Did it? There were many other investors at the same time and yes it would have got started without the Brinks Mat money, the Government of the day put in lot of effort to ensure a successful regeneration of a bleak, abandoned area. As for how much of the other investment was as a result of other laundered money, who can tell?

The Long Good Friday (1980) predates Brinks Matt and had a backdrop of gangster involvement in the planned dockland developments:

m.youtube.com/watch?v=k33gU7ApT_Q

Good Friday 8s on Britbox. Highly recommended to anyone who hasn't seen it - and to those who have - it's an excellent film worth a second look.

Stand on Waterloo Bridge, Goldpaw, look west and look left. Then ask how it is that hundreds of the recently built Riverside flats have stood empty for years when there's a major housing crisis. Dirty money? Never.

Exactly!

Am now watching The Long Good Friday on All 4 now. A real nostalgia fest! Concorde! Pre-M25!

Saw episode 2 last night , it's gripping , thoroughly enjoying it !

I still feel like they're eking it out a bit, but the storyline developed and there were some good one liners last night, so on the whole I enjoyed this episode more.

I'm really enjoying this, I think it's excellent and the performances are top notch. It reminded me of the Long Good Friday too (and I don't know about Godfather but there's definitely a Goodfellas tribute scene in there!)

i have just caught up with episode 2 and enjoying it
why is Call the Midwife star a widow?
do we know?

it is so shocking that he can just withdraw so much money,
they just look at him through the window but do nothing about it

Not sure that it's mentioned.

She is very good isn't she?

Great in Mum, as Betty Boothroyd & now this!

Yes no spoilers but I’m on the last episode! I’ve really enjoyed it, good acting and shouldn’t say it but I can’t help not liking some of the “ characters” although I’m well aware in real life they would be horrible, Kenny Noye is played well, he ‘s all Jack the lad type but sinister underneath.
Love some of the roles, the character from the financing the docks, Gordon Parry, plays him well as a wee insignificant man who could suddenly turn and be nasty, Dorothy Atkinson is played brilliantly too.
Just showed how corrupt the system is with the police judges etc all involved, great TV.

Agree Dorothy is great and was also great in mum

@Crumpetdisappointment they did say why she was a widow but I can’t recall the reason. Too much wine when I watched 😂However, she was used for laundering because she needed the money, hated the police and was likely to not blab.

Nobody in this series talked like a real person! Every five minutes someone would give a monologue on the history of Freemasonry or the class system in England, or the London Docklands 1920-1989… And Boyce! At one point DP said ‘ he sounds like Uncle Albert… ‘During the war…’’ 😁

Well that was disappointing. Little speeches about the horrid class system every few minutes.
And the female detective was anachronisticly powerful.