In The Gold (BBC One), penned by Neil Forsyth, the mastermind behind the Scottish crime drama. It follows a daring heist that took place in 1983. Six men wearing balaclavas stormed into the Brink’s-Mat secure storage facility located near Heathrow Airport. Their plan was to steal a million pounds in cash, but fate had other plans. Instead, they walked away with a staggering haul of gold bullion worth a whopping about £26 million. It features a talented ensemble cast including Hugh Bonneville, Emun Elliot, Charlotte Spender, Stefanie Martini, Tom Cullen, and Jack Lowden. Here is everything you need to know about the same if you’re wondering whether or not this movie is based on reality.
Is The Gold (2023) based on a True Story?
Yes, the BBC miniseries ‘The Gold‘ is based on a true story, specifically the Brink’s-Mat robbery that took place in November 1983. This notorious robbery, which grew to be one of the biggest robberies in British history, is dramatized in the series.
A Brink’s-Mat facility close to London’s Heathrow Airport was the target of the crime, and a stunning number of items were taken. They stole gold bars, diamonds, and cash totaling $33.2 million USD, which is equivalent to almost $133.6 million USD in today’s money. Brink’s-Mat was a joint venture between the security firm with US headquarters Brinks and the business with UK headquarters MAT Transport. In a historic moment, the score achieved was the biggest ever recorded in British history.
Even while the series is based on actual events, it does use theatrical techniques to distill the intricate subject into an exciting six-episode storyline. In addition to being a landmark incident in British history, the robbery had long-lasting effects on money laundering and the London real estate boom.
Several people were arrested after the crime, however, a sizable amount of the gold was never found. However, it is thought that by 1996, more than half of the initial stolen gold had been melted down, recast, and reintroduced into the jewelry market. Some of the gold was eventually discovered at the Bank of England. It’s interesting to note that part of this gold is thought to have returned to Johnson Matthey Bankers Ltd, its original owners.
While there are still some unanswered questions regarding the incident, it is widely believed that many people who bought gold jewelry after 1983 may unintentionally be the owners of some of the gold that was stolen during the Brink’s-Mat robbery.
‘The Gold’ aims to remain as accurate to the real events as possible in terms of its accuracy. The series creator, Neil Forsyth, has established himself as an expert on the Brink’s-Mat robbery by co-authoring a book on the subject. While some characters are based on actual people who took part in the events, the series may have combined or simplified some details for storytelling.
‘The Gold’ offers a dramatized narrative of the Brink’s-Mat robbery, giving insight into one of the most important crimes in British history and its far-reaching repercussions.