[ Sam Benstead ]

CURSED GOLD: A SHIPWRECK SCANDAL, from BBC Studios and based on a New York Times Bestseller “Ship of Gold in the Deep Blue Sea,” tells the true story of maverick scientist Tommy Thompson and his resourceful team who stunned the world in 1989 by recovering three tons of gold from the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean from the famous 1857 shipwreck S.S. Central America.

The three-part series follows the 30-year story of adventure, deception, and personal turmoil that takes Tommy from a celebrated celebrity to infamous fugitive, and - ultimately - to the inside of a prison cell. With exclusive access to over 600 hours of archival footage and thousands of slides, prints, photos and newspaper clippings on the original exploration mission – many of which have never been seen before – the series is a cautionary tale of obsession and its devastating consequences.