BBC sets The Gold standard

BBC sets The Gold standard


By Michael Pickard
February 4, 2025

First Look

FIRST LOOK: Hugh Bonneville, Charlotte Spencer, Emun Elliott, Tom Cullen, Stefanie Martini and Sam Spruell reunite for the second season of factual drama The Gold, which is returning to BBC One and BBC iPlayer later this year.

Inspired by the true story of the 1983 Brink’s-Mat robbery and the decades-long chain of events that followed, season two picks up the story following the conviction of some of those involved in the theft. However, the police realise that those criminals only ever had half of it and must investigate what happened to the other half, and the criminal fortune it created.

As the police investigation continues, it becomes a tense, high-stakes journey into international money laundering and organised crime, the police embark on a series of dramatic manhunts as they desperately try to solve the longest and most expensive investigation in the history of the Metropolitan Police.

Bonneville (Brian Boyce), Spencer (Nicki Jennings), Elliott (Tony Brightwell), Cullen (John Palmer), Martini (Marnie Palmer) and Spruell (Charlie Miller) are joined by fellow returning actors Peter Davison (Assistant Commissioner Gordon Stewart), Amanda Drew (CS Cath McClean) and Silas Carson (Harry Bowman).

Charlotte Spencer (Nicki Jennings) and Emun Elliott (Tony Brightwell). Top: Hugh Bonneville (Brian Boyce)

New cast joining season two include Tom Hughes (The English), Stephen Campbell Moore (Masters of the Air), Joshua McGuire (Cheaters), Tamsin Topolski (The Madness), Joshua Samuels (Saltburn) and Rochelle Neil (Three Little Birds).

Antonia Desplat (Shantaram), Lorna Brown (The Witcher), Thomas Coombes (Baby Reindeer), Sean Teale (Doctor Odyssey) and Olivia Grant (Stardust) also join the show.

The six-part series is from writer Neil Forsyth (Guilt, Eric, Ernie & Me) and is produced by Tannadice Pictures, in association with distributor All3MediaInternational.

It is directed by Patrick Harkins (Tin Star, Guilt) with Charlie Leech (Bounty Hunters, Lovesick) returning as producer. Executive producers are Neil Forsyth and Ben Farrell for Tannadice Pictures, with Nick Lambon for the BBC.

In North America, both seasons have been picked up by PBS’s Masterpiece for audiences in the US and English-speaking Canada, while CBC Gem has secured VOD rights for the latter.

Both seasons have also been acquired by MagentaTV/Telekom in Germany, Stan in Australia, Rialto Channel in New Zealand, BBC Studios for Asia and India, and ERR in Estonia.

New sales will also see season one travel to Portugal on RTP2, to Ireland on RTE and Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina on Pickbox NOW and Pickbox TV. Season two will air on NPO in the Netherlands, COSMOTE TV in Greece and MTV in Finland.

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