White Gold is a British sitcom featuring a group of UPVC window salesmen in mid-1980s Corringham, Essex. It stars Ed Westwick as Vincent, the head of a double-glazed windows sales team, with former Inbetweeners cast members Joe Thomas and James Buckley. BBC Two announced that series two of the show would air on 6 March 2019. Series 1 was released internationally by Netflix on 11 August 2017. Series 2 was released internationally by Netflix on 17 May 2019.
White Gold is a British sitcom set in Essex during the 1980s. The series follows a group of ambitious double-glazing salesmen working at Cachet Windows, centring on charismatic salesman Vincent Swan and his colleagues Brian Fitzpatrick and Martin Lavender, under the management of their boss, Tony Walsh, as they navigate the competitive world of sales, workplace rivalries and the excesses of the era.
Season 1 follows the exploits of Vincent Swan, a charismatic and unscrupulous double-glazing salesman at Cachet Windows, along with his colleagues Brian Fitzpatrick and Martin Lavender. Over the course of six episodes, the series depicts their high-pressure sales tactics, personal conflicts, and moral compromises, as Vincent navigates marital difficulties, financial troubles, and workplace rivalries. The season concludes with Vincent undertaking a bold scheme to restore his standing, illustrating the competitive and morally ambiguous world of 1980s sales culture.
Season 2 continues the story of Vincent Swan and the Cachet Windows sales team in midâÂÂ1980s Essex. The season focuses on the challenges they face from a rival company and the pressures of maintaining their business. Vincent must manage new complications, including the involvement of his boss RonnieâÂÂs son RJ, while the team engages in various schemes to secure sales. The season concludes with Vincent and his colleagues facing the consequences of their actions, forcing them to confront the limits of their ambition and the ethical compromises they have made in the cutthroat world of 1980s sales.
The show is produced by BBC Comedy along with Fudge Park Productions, which was established in 2015 by the creators of The Inbetweeners â Damon Beesley and Iain Morris. Beesley created White Gold and acts as show runner and executive producer, in addition to having written eight of the 12 episodes. Joe Thomas and Chris Niel wrote two episodes each.
White Gold was renewed for season 2 but production was suspended in November 2017 following allegations of sexual assault against Ed Westwick. Filming recommenced in November 2018, after Westwick was not charged with a crime. Season 2 aired in 2019.
James Buckley responded to a fan on Twitter stating that he was unaware of any cancellation of the show after a Facebook post from the BBC started circulating online. It was later confirmed by the BBC that the post was fake. At this time, it has not been officially confirmed whether White Gold will return for another season.
White Gold received generally positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the first season holds an 88% approval rating, with reviewers praising its 1980s setting, dark humour, and performances, while noting that the tone and characters could be polarising. The second season has a 90% approval rating, based on a smaller number of reviews, with critics highlighting the continuation of the seriesâ style and charm, though some felt the humour and plot were less consistent than in the first season.
Media commentary often noted the seriesâ embrace of 1980s culture and humour. A Chortle review remarked on the showâÂÂs âÂÂladdish swaggerâ and exposed the eraâÂÂs Thatcherite backdrop, with charactersâ superficiality presented as part of the comedic world. Another review described the comedy as grounded in exaggerated, foulâÂÂmouthed dialogue and highlighted its use of period details such as music and fashion to evoke nostalgia.
The showâÂÂs style and character dynamics were sometimes noted as contentious. While some found the antiâÂÂheroic traits of Vincent and his colleagues entertaining, others observed that their exaggerated behaviour could be irritating or offâÂÂputting to some viewers. In interviews discussing the series, cast and creators emphasised that the charactersâ language and behaviour were intended to reflect the setting and to be humorous rather than purely provocative.