The Gold

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.

...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were compelling and the storyline initially was interesting enough, and I particularly liked the cultural and historical references of the times.

A group of Armed robbers successfully rob £26 million worth of gold from Brinks Mat, expecting a much smaller haul, they face a major problem, how to dispose of it.

Without a doubt, this is one of the best things The BBC has done for some time, it is a quality production. Not one single dull moment, as one episode ends, you'll want to move on to the next.

Set over six parts, it's based on actual events, but of course dramatised, some of the changes seemed reasonable, some seemed to fit the present day climate and narrative.

The story is a compelling one, it makes you wonder if any of the jewellery in your home is part of that haul. This is an exciting, surprising and fast paced series, it is brimming with tension, suspense and drama, several moments will have you on the edge of your seat.

The acting is first rate, this is a cast list to savour, Hugh Bonneville is phenomenal, he truly is one of the best, star quality comes in the form of Dominic Cooper, great to see him in a made for television role.

9/10.

As a television drama series, The Gold was very well done, well-acted, and a reasonable story line, but this is a fictional story, very loosely based on fact.

These are not nice, warm-hearted criminals, who would never hurt anyone outside their community, they are hardened, vicious and violent career criminals, who will stop at nothing in their way, it is very important to remember that.

The series makes compulsive viewing, but it is wrong to convey them as nice people, they are simply horrible people, who should not have publicity, it is a pity that the series did not portray them as such, and a pity it is not so factual.

However, despite all this, it is worth watching.

#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.