Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Worlds collide in Netflix’s new British comedy White Gold. Gossip Girl alum Ed Westwick channels his inner Don Draper in the role of Vincent Swan, a narcissistic salesman in 1980s Essex, England. Westwick’s Swan is tasked with selling unglamorous double-glazed windows–the white plastic frame that fits around a glass window pane–and he’s willing to charm, lie, and scam his way to a sale. Selling enough of the insanely marked-up product ensures the sales team (made up of The Inbetweeners stars James Buckley and Joe Thomas) easy access to drugs, sex, cars, and the cash flow required to live a life of luxury. As Westwick says in the trailer, it’s not “just a lump of white plastic, it’s white gold.”
If White Gold seems like a lower stakes Mad Men, there’s a reason. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, writer-director Damon Beesley (also of The Inbetweeners) discusses how American television influences his tastes:
“There is that culture of the maverick bad boy, but very endearingly charismatic and handsome as well . . . These kind of very interesting, complex characters that were inherently flawed or bad, but people are enjoying them.”
Sound like any slick-haired, identity-stealing creative directors you know?
White Gold was actually produced for BBC Two, and its six-episode first season aired from May to July of this year. The move to Netflix will introduce the series to a larger audience, but it’s Westwick’s performance that will likely draw in American viewers, particularly those in the 18-24+ demographic who grew up watching Gossip Girl.
If that’s you, rejoice: Ed Westwick doesn’t look a day over 25, and he schemes just like Chuck Bass, except this time, he describes his shady plans in a British accent. Literally what else could you hope for?
Check out the trailer above for a look into Westwick’s newest project. It may not be a Lucky Strike pitch yet, but it has some promise.
