Review, The Gold, BBC1 - a sequel too far or on the money?
****
As every wrong 'un knows, returning to the scene of a crime is a major no-no. Yet here is Neil Forsyth, bold as you like, following his hit drama of two years ago with another dip into the Brink's-Mat gold robbery. Is he mad?
In the hands of any other writer it could be a sequel too far. Fortunately, the creator of Bob Servant and Guilt has expertly blown the bloody doors off again, so at ease everyone.
The first series focused on the robbery and the hunt for 'the gold'. It's always 'the gold'. The gold is a character in its own right, a siren luring men to their doom, and it is wildly entertaining to watch her at work. The second series is about the £13 million of gold that's still missing, and the dirty money that continues to wash through the system.
It's back on the chain gang again for gentleman copper Brian Boyce (Hugh Bonneville), with not enough budget but plenty of chemistry and quips from the detective partnership of Tony and Nicki (Emun Elliot and Charlotte Spencer; worth a spin-off series on their own).
Following the money was never going to be as exciting as watching the original heist, and so it proves. No one even breaks into a run until episode three (the whole series is on iPlayer now).
Forsyth makes up for this lack of action by adding layers to his characters, some old, some new. Of the latter, Joshua McGuire is a standout as a dodgy lawyer operating from the Isle of Man.
John Palmer (Tom Cullen), the country mouse who can't read or write but is worth millions, is in Tenerife selling timeshares and feeling the heat as other cowboys arrive. And Charlie Miller (Sam Spruell) proves to be a gangster with surprising depths. He does love a beautiful sunset, old Charlie.
At times, Forsyth's villains seem a touch too clever and eloquent. While this makes for some great dialogue - there's an old lag's speech that's one for the ages - it is not always believable. Be assured, however, the mistake of the first series, making one of the "faces" out to be a charismatic, Robin Hood-type, is not repeated here.
Add to this mix one of Forsyth's trademark poptastic soundtracks (Aztec Camera's Somewhere in My Heart anyone?), exotic locations and some very funny lines, and The Gold more than earns its keep. This is the sort of exhilarating, high-end short-run drama series that BBC Scotland and other commissioners see as the future, which is laudable. But there has clearly been some serious money spent. How many of these can BBC Scotland's coffers realistically run to?
That remains a known unknown for now. Ditto where most of the Brink's-Mat money went. As one villain says, 'Loads of people got rich from that job but it weren't the six blokes in the van.'
Behind every great fortune is a great crime, and behind that a tasty crime drama, as long as it's written by Neil Forsyth.
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Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
CHRISTOPHER STEVENS reviews The Gold on BBC1: Gold, greed, booze... this caper has the hallmarks of a classic crime flick
The Gold (BBC Where would you hide £10 million in gold bars? You can't bury it in the back garden — that's the first place police will look. Lock-up garages are too risky. Those places are apt to get burgled . . . the problem with being a big-time crook these days is that there are so many petty thieves. I'd go for the Gothic option — an overgrown Victorian graveyard. Plenty of cities have them, with tombstones and cracked sarcophagi all at crazy angles, overgrown by ivy. Take a crowbar, prise a few open, and conceal the ingots with the coffins. Ingeniously creepy, don't you think? Neil Forsyth, writer of The Gold, has a different theory for what happened to the missing half of the Brink's-Mat bullion. As he told Nicole Lampert, in the Daily Mail's Weekend magazine, it's an idea that was floating around in the 1980s: one of the villains behind Britain's biggest heist simply hid his haul in a Cornish tin mine. That's the basis for this comedy-thriller's second series. Good luck to anyone who hasn't seen the first run, aired in 2023, because many characters return with no introductions, including Hugh Bonneville as the luckless Met detective DCS Brian Boyce. Hugh, doing a gruff South London accent, is never quite convincing playing a straight-as-a-die copper who aims to get results by twisting a few arms and wearing out a lot of shoe leather. He lacks stolidness. There's always an edge of irony in his voice, a knowingness that doesn't fully match his character. But he's on a losing wicket from the start, because all Forsyth's sympathies are with the robbers and their associates. The chief failing of the first series was its insistence on making them likeable, even lovable — when the truth is that men such as Kenneth Noye and John Palmer were obnoxious thugs. Noye, played by Jack Lowden, hasn't returned yet, but Palmer (Tom Cullen) takes a central role. This time, at least, we can see what a vicious man he is — conning retirees into buying worthless timeshares in Tenerife, and lashing out with increasing violence as his paranoia grows. The real entertainment comes from supporting roles, especially Joshua McGuire as a spitefully camp accountant who specialises in tax dodges, and Peter Davison as the wonderfully snobbish Met Commissioner. Stephen Campbell Moore is effortlessly watchable, too, as a bent copper who sees himself as the Lone Ranger. Forsyth's reverence for classic gangland flicks shone through in a closing sequence of smelting gold, bundles of cash, boozing and greed, all set to a soundtrack of electronic music. It recalled one of the great crime movies, Thief, starring James Caan. Sam Spruell plays Charlie Miller, the crafty wide boy who is landed with that tricky problem of stashing a ton-and-a-half of ingots somewhere safe. The Cornish mine is his masterplan. Personally, I wouldn't risk it. The Famous Five are bound to stumble across it on a holiday adventure. 'I say, you fellows — look what Timmy's found!'
The Herald Scotland
4 hours ago
- The Herald Scotland
Review, The Gold, BBC1 - a sequel too far or on the money?
**** As every wrong 'un knows, returning to the scene of a crime is a major no-no. Yet here is Neil Forsyth, bold as you like, following his hit drama of two years ago with another dip into the Brink's-Mat gold robbery. Is he mad? In the hands of any other writer it could be a sequel too far. Fortunately, the creator of Bob Servant and Guilt has expertly blown the bloody doors off again, so at ease everyone. The first series focused on the robbery and the hunt for 'the gold'. It's always 'the gold'. The gold is a character in its own right, a siren luring men to their doom, and it is wildly entertaining to watch her at work. The second series is about the £13 million of gold that's still missing, and the dirty money that continues to wash through the system. It's back on the chain gang again for gentleman copper Brian Boyce (Hugh Bonneville), with not enough budget but plenty of chemistry and quips from the detective partnership of Tony and Nicki (Emun Elliot and Charlotte Spencer; worth a spin-off series on their own). Following the money was never going to be as exciting as watching the original heist, and so it proves. No one even breaks into a run until episode three (the whole series is on iPlayer now). Forsyth makes up for this lack of action by adding layers to his characters, some old, some new. Of the latter, Joshua McGuire is a standout as a dodgy lawyer operating from the Isle of Man. John Palmer (Tom Cullen), the country mouse who can't read or write but is worth millions, is in Tenerife selling timeshares and feeling the heat as other cowboys arrive. And Charlie Miller (Sam Spruell) proves to be a gangster with surprising depths. He does love a beautiful sunset, old Charlie. At times, Forsyth's villains seem a touch too clever and eloquent. While this makes for some great dialogue - there's an old lag's speech that's one for the ages - it is not always believable. Be assured, however, the mistake of the first series, making one of the "faces" out to be a charismatic, Robin Hood-type, is not repeated here. Add to this mix one of Forsyth's trademark poptastic soundtracks (Aztec Camera's Somewhere in My Heart anyone?), exotic locations and some very funny lines, and The Gold more than earns its keep. This is the sort of exhilarating, high-end short-run drama series that BBC Scotland and other commissioners see as the future, which is laudable. But there has clearly been some serious money spent. How many of these can BBC Scotland's coffers realistically run to? That remains a known unknown for now. Ditto where most of the Brink's-Mat money went. As one villain says, 'Loads of people got rich from that job but it weren't the six blokes in the van.' Behind every great fortune is a great crime, and behind that a tasty crime drama, as long as it's written by Neil Forsyth.
Wales Online
7 hours ago
- Wales Online
How many episodes are in The Gold series 2?
How many episodes are in The Gold series 2? The Gold season 2 returns to the BBC The second series of The Gold is set to grace our screens tonight (June 8), marking the comeback of the factual drama that first aired in 2023, reports the Express. The initial series chronicled the real-life heist at the 1983 Brink's-Mat depot near Heathrow Airport, where a staggering £26 million worth of gold bullion, diamonds and cash were taken. The Brink's-Mat robbery was the largest bank heist of its time, involving a colourful cast of characters in executing the crime. For those needing a refresher, the entire first series is available to binge-watch on BBC iPlayer now. Series two follows the police investigation into recovering the stolen loot after it emerged that only half was retrieved and the rest seemed to disappear into thin air. Hugh Bonneville as Brian Boyce in The Gold series 2 (Image: BBC ) Article continues below How many episodes are in The Gold series 2? The premiere of series two will also be broadcast this evening on BBC One at 9pm. The second episode is scheduled to air on Tuesday, June 10 on BBC One at 9pm. The third episode will be shown on Sunday, June 15 on BBC One at 9pm. While the fourth episode will be aired on BBC One on June 16 at 9pm. The BBC has yet to announce the airing dates for the final two episodes. Tony Brightwell and Nicki Jennings return for The Gold series 2 (Image: BBC ) The new series sees the return of many cast members, including Hugh Bonneville as detective Brian Boyce, Charlotte Spencer as police officer Nicki Jennings, Emun Elliott as policeman Tony Brightwell, Tom Cullen as John Palmer, Stefanie Martini as John's wife Marnie Palmer and Sam Spruell as Charlie Miller. Returning cast members to the drama include Peter Davison as Assistant Commissioner Gordon Stewart, Amanda Drew as CS Cath McClean, Silas Carson as Harry Bowman and James Nelson-Joyce as Brian Reader. Joining the ensemble are newcomers Tom Hughes, Stephen Campbell Moore, Joshua McGuire, Joshua Samuels and Tamsin Topolski. While The Gold is rooted in real events, certain aspects and characters have been adapted for dramatic effect in the BBC series. Series creator Neil Forsyth shared his thoughts on the new instalments: "The second and final part of The Gold sees the story of the Brink's-Mat robbery, and everything that stemmed from it, become even more expansive, surprising and international. The Gold series 2 follows the second half of the stolen goods (Image: BBC ) "It has been a real thrill for me to see the scripts brought to life so brilliantly by our director Patrick Harkins, our fantastic cast, and our hard-working crews in the UK and Spain. "We are delighted with the results and look forward to the series launching later this year." Forsyth also gave insight into what viewers can expect from the upcoming season, noting that it will not only follow the trail of the remaining gold but also explore the "consequences" that befall various characters. Article continues below He further explained the decision to conclude the show after its second run: "I always saw The Gold as a two series show, following the two halves of the gold, so this will be the final series." The Gold season 2 is available to stream on BBC iPlayer now
