“A 5-star heist drama”: An inside look at BBC The Gold’s “tremendously good” second series

If you're looking for a 5-star heist drama, they don't come much better than BBC One's The Gold - and the good news is, it's returning for a second run. Based on the true story of the real-life 'Brink's-Mat' robbery in the 1980s, series 1 received rave reviews when it aired in 2023 and, judging by the details, series 2 will be just as tremendously good as the first.

The infamous heist is one of the biggest robberies in British history, and we saw it brought to life in series one by Dominic Cooper and Slow Horses star Jack Lowden portraying two of the robbers, with Hugh Bonneville playing the detective tasked with tracking them down. Now that some of the culprits are captured, the second series will cover what happened to the gold which escaped the police's net in series one, driving the plot right into the criminal underbelly of 1980s London. We can't wait to tune in.

Ahead of the show's return to our screens, here's everything you need to know about the second series, including what to expect from the new plot and the true story behind the drama.

What is The Gold about?

The Gold is a heist drama set in 1980s Britain which received five-star reviews from both viewers and critics when it first aired in February 2023. It follow six thieves (including Edwyn Cooper, played by Dominic Cooper and Kenny, played by Slow Horses' Jack Lowden) who take on an audacious robbery - and succeed.

The gang make off with millions of pounds worth of gold - but now what? There's a special police task force, led by DCI Brian Boyce (played by Hugh Bonneville) on the case, resulting in a gripping cat and mouse chase. As the robbers try to smelt, sell and launder proceeds of their crime before fleeing, the police close in. Who will be caught, and who could make a break for it?

"This is so much more than the story of an armed robbery," says Director of BBC Drama, Piers Wenger. "The Gold looks beyond the auspices of the theft itself to explore how the case united the criminal underworld with corporate finance, caused personal tragedy and spawned one of the most shocking, influential and mysterious cases in British criminal history."

Is The Gold based on a true story?

The Gold is based on the infamous Brink's-Mat robbery in 1983, which saw a group of six thieves steal £26 million (around £100 million in today's money) in gold and other valuables from a security depot near London's Heathrow airport. It became a global story with huge ramifications for the criminal underworld, which even seeped into everyday life.

At the start of series one, a message on the screen reads, "If you have bought gold jewellery in Britain since 1984, it is likely to contain traces of the Brink's-Mat gold". The proceeds are also rumoured to have helped fund redevelopment of the London Docklands area, including the Canary Wharf financial district, as well as illicit criminal trades.

While the series contains a disclaimer that some of the characters and events have been altered for dramatic purposes, the show is based on the real heist and what happened next.

What will happen in The Gold series 2?

Now that some of those involved in the Brink's-Mat case (for the initial theft as well as for the handling of the gold) have been convicted, the police investigation intensifies as they follow what happened to the other half the stolen loot. When the police realise that the criminals they've arrested (who we met in series one) only had half of the gold, they set off on a quest to discover who got their hands on the rest and what happened next. That's what series two will explore.

Hugh Bonneville returns as DCI Brian Boyce, who's on the case to "try to solve the longest and most expensive investigation in the history of the Metropolitan Police." As the chase continues, "it becomes a tense, high-stakes journey into international money laundering and organised crime," reads the BBC synopsis, promising a desperate "series of dramatic manhunts." All the action in series two of The Gold will take place over six episodes.

Who's in the cast of The Gold series 2?

The returning cast of The Gold series 2 includes:

• Brian Boyce – Hugh Bonneville
• Nicki Jennings – Charlotte Spencer
• Tony Brightwell - Emun Elliott
• Kenneth Noye – Jack Lowden
• John Palmer – Tom Cullen
• Marnie Palmer – Stefanie Martini
• Charlie Miller – Sam Spruell
• Tony Lundy – Stephen Campbell Moore
• Douglas Baxter – Joshua McGuire
• Jerren – Joshua Samuels
• Logan Campbell – Tom Hughes
• Alice Harper – Tamsin Topolski
• CS Cath McClean – Amanda Drew

New cast members include:

• Tom Hughes (The English, Victoria)
• Stephen Campbell Moore (Masters of the Air, Criminal Record)
• Joshua McGuire (Cheaters, Blitz)
• Tamsin Topolski (The Madness, Slow Horses)
• Joshua Samuels (Saltburn, Sexy Beast)
• Rochelle Neil (Three Little Birds, The Nevers)
• Antonia Desplat (Shantaram, Modi)
• Lorna Brown (The Witcher, Vampire Academy)
• Thomas Coombes (Baby Reindeer, Boiling Point)
• Sean Teale (Doctor Odyssey, Rosaline)
• Olivia Grant (Stardust, All the Money in the World)

How can I watch The Gold?

The Gold will return to BBC One at 9pm on Sunday 8 June. All episodes will be available to dream on BBC iPlayer from 6am on the same day.Series one of The Gold is available on BBC iPlayer now.