The Gold - BBC Drama

Chestnut

The first episode is always a bit confusing with new characters being introduced. I think most of them have been established, and the role they play. Things will become clearer. That bar of gold certainly had a starring role in the first episode! It was stunning. I wonder what it is worth.

It wasn't very heavy, though, was it!
They were waving it around as if it was a piece of wood covered in gold paint, not a real gold bar.
😀

I did nod off at one point so it can't have gripped me like Happy Valley did.

We missed the first episode, so watched it on catch up. It was so good that we binged the whole lot. Great cast.

I enjoyed it but is it a true representation?

Well that's a good question IrishDancing because it doesn't seem to match the Wikipedia entry very well. I suppose these true life dramas can never be totally accurate as conversations are invented and timeframes moved around. It happens with most of them I imagine, The Crown being a prime example of inaccuracy. Still, unless I was writing a book about it I'm not going to worry whether it's totally accurate.

IrishDancing A quick disclaimer came up onscreen at the start of each episode saying that some parts had been changed for the sake of the drama (can't remember the exact wording).

For example, according to an article online Dominic Cooper's character Edwyn Cooper appears to have been loosely based on real-life figure Michael Relton, who was a solicitor convicted of helping to launder proceeds from the robbery.

I enjoyed it but was a bit confused with what was going on at the start. There were a few strange things ... the keypad shown was not invented until later, that bar of gold would have been really heavy. A mention of 'flipping' property in 1983!! probably not.

I’ve watched all 6 episodes on iPlayer. I thought it was an excellent series, apart from the usual swearing. 😡I haven’t watched Happy Valley - looks depressing to me. Too close to home. 🙄 At times the accents were difficult to follow, but Hugh Bonneville was brilliant - rather different from his role in Downton Abbey!! There did seem to be lots of references to ‘us’, i.e. working class, v. ‘them’, i.e. ‘upper class’.
I liked the shellsuits and huge phones! I was looking out for anachronisms; I’m not sure whether the blinds in Cooper’s house looked too modern? The furniture was authentic though. I’m not sure which keypad was out of place? 🤔The Ford Capris brought back memories! 😎 Great cars!

I agree with Chestnut. But there is criticism that Noye is being glamourised by a very attractive actor (have you seen Slow Horses) and thought to be in the running for James Bond. The Peaky Blinders effect, no doubt.

Also, credit to Dominic Cooper; a fine actor.

Yes, the family of Noye's road rage murder victim (later on) has said that he is being portrayed as a loveable rogue. I haven't seen evidence of that yet (by Ep 4) but he is certainly being shown as rather handsome and charismatic, which is not a good thing. Jack Lowden is the actor.

I started watching Ep 1, but deleted it.

Okay 🤔

Well I've watched all six episodes and thought it was a quality production. The story is not finished! The gold and the money has reproduced itself and that is what makes it so fascinating.

I loved Hugh Bonneville's character Brian Boyce, a good old fashioned copper with years of wisdom and experience. I wonder if Kenneth Noye really was as charismatic as portrayed. I don't want to give anything away though.

I binge watched Gold, I thought the cast was wonderful. Bonneville was superb and I loved every minute!

I thought it was quite dull and won’t bother finishing it.

I'm with you Farzanah - wooden acting (apart from Hugh Bonneville and Dominic Cooper, both of whom are excellent actors) and sentimental glorification of what were extremely nasty and violent criminals. Watched 2 episodes, no more for us.

Totally hooked on this now!

I watched the first episode, which didn't really engage me that much, then read that the appalling Kenneth Noye was portrayed sympathetically, not someone who needs to be eulogised imo, an absolutely vile person by all accounts.

I know we shouldn't compare, but as others have said Gold followed Happy Valley which was such a stand out piece of television I think I was completely unengaged with this from the outset.

I watched it and wondered what had happened to Cooper, the character played by Dominic Cooper. Turns out he wasn't real at all but an amalgam of several people, including a solicitor who cooperated with the police then stopped after threats were made.
I also watched the documentary about the real robbers.I was struck by how handsome John Palmer was and how young Boyce was.

As far as Kenneth Noye goes he must have had some sort of charm, he did convince a jury that stabbing a man 10 times was not murder.

I agree he must have had charisma. How on earth did the jury let him off especially as five stabs were in the back of the poor victim. That is not reasonable defence from an intruder in your garden, especially as he had some pretty aggressive dogs, so why didn't the dogs defend him? There should have been no reason to stab the man 10 times if the dogs were jumping up at him. It makes no sense to me.

I enjoyed this drama as I knew very little about the robbery. I found it fascinating and binge watched it. Well worth a second look.

I don't think Noye was particularly romanticised. Certainly he turned on all his charm at his first trial and swayed the jury to acquit him, but he came over as much nastier later. "I hope you all die of cancer" aimed at the jury that found him guilty was apparently a genuine quote. According to the documentary shown on Monday it seems to have been pretty close to what happened. I googled some of the villains and several of them seem to have been shot a few years later.