The Gold stars address how season 2 sticks to – and deviates from – real story
Sam Spruell and Emun Elliott spoke about creator Neil Forsyth's "massive amount of research".
While season 1 of The Gold was based fairly firmly in reality, telling the true story of the Brink's-Mat robbery and how the police went on the trail of, what they later found to be, half of it, the second may be slightly less firmly rooted in exact history.
This is because the second half of the gold was never entirely found, and therefore the synopsis for season 2 says it has been "inspired by some of the theories around what happened to the other half".
Of course, that isn't to say the second season is entirely divorced from the truth. Speaking with RadioTimes.com exclusively, Sam Spruell, who plays Charlie Miller in season 2 having been briefly introduced in season 1, explained more.
"From my understanding," Spruell said, regarding the balance of real history and imagination, "I would say that quite a few of these characters are not based on real, but they are based on an amalgam of real.
"And I think Neil [Forsyth, creator]'s research has been extensive, as with all his projects, it seems. And he has found his dramatic characters in the research.
"And so partly it draws on real-life events, or real-life people. But in the end, it's his imagination that shapes the final product."
Meanwhile, Emun Elliott noted the "massive amount of research" Forsyth has done, saying that he's been "obsessing about this story for years".
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"There are certainly truthful elements and the story is, as we all know, it's in the papers, it's historical, is based on a truth. But you'd have to ask Neil where he deviated away from that and took creative license."
The synopsis for season 2 says: "As the police investigation continues, it becomes a tense, high-stakes journey into international money laundering and organised crime.
"The Brink’s-Mat Task Force 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."
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We also now know that the series will deal with later events in the life of Kenneth Noye, with Jack Lowden returning to the role having not been in the original cast announcement.
He joins other returning stars including Charlotte Spencer, Hugh Bonneville and Tom Cullen, while newcomers include Tom Hughes, Stephen Campbell Moore and Joshua McGuire.
The Gold season 2 will arrive on BBC iPlayer at 6am on Sunday 8th June, before airing on BBC One at 9pm.
Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.
