Common Sense Media Review
By Melissa Camacho
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Compelling, mature true crime drama with social commentary.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
The Gold
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Inspired by actual events, and based on the book of the same title, THE GOLD is a British series about what was once the biggest robbery in history. On November 26, 1983 six armed small-time thieves headed up by Micky McAvoy (Adam Nagaitis) and Brian Robinson (Frankie Wilson) broke into the Brink's-Mat security depot near London's Heathrow Airport expecting to steal thousands in foreign currency. What they found was gold bullion worth 26 million pound sterling. DI Nicki Jennings (Charlotte Spencer) and DI Tony Brightwell (Emun Elliott) want to find the gold before it's fully laundered, but DCI Brian Boyce (Hugh Bonneville) also wants to use the opportunity go after the bigger criminals involved, like fencers Kenny Noye (Jack Lowden) and John Palmer (Tom Cullen), whose criminal antics make them wealthy enough to afford living like high class people without being welcomed into high society. But laundering gold to move it requires someone from the upper class to funnel it through Swiss bank accounts to avoid suspicion. So Noye turns to Edwyn Cooper (Dominic Cooper), a solicitor who married into money and defends crooked police officers, to help him.
Is It Any Good?
The compelling drama follows the aftermath of a major criminal heist as a way of highlighting the class divide in the United Kingdom during the conservative Thatcher years. The Gold combines characters that are fictional (like DI Jennings and Edwyn Cooper) with those based on the people who were involved, and during the first half of the series they reveal what drives them. The second half is more suspenseful as investigators look for ways to close in on Kenny Noye and John Palmer in hope of finding the gold before it's completely laundered away. All of this comes together as a true crime docudrama that offers strong social commentary about Britain's class system during 1980s, and how it was designed to keep the working class from reaching the top of the socioeconomic ladder, forcing those who aspired get there to look for ways to build enough wealth to force their way up. Folded into this is a conversation about gender equality. The Gold manages to deliver all of this while still keeping viewers focused on how the crime story unfolds. Overall, it's an insightful retelling of a tale that helps us understand what happened, but with some fictional storytelling flare.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what actually happened during the Brinks-Mat robbery. Was there really an insider that helped with the job? Did everyone involved get punished for the crime? Why?
Why is Edwyn Cooper written into The Gold when he didn't exist in real life? How do his actions affect the way the story is told?
TV Details
- Premiere date : September 17, 2023
- Cast : Charlotte Spencer , Jack Lowden , Dominic Cooper , Hugh Bonneville
- Network : Paramount+
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : History
- Character Strengths : Perseverance , Teamwork
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
Suggest an Update
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate