Set in the early 20th century Birmingham (England), Peaky Blinders is one of the most popular British Crime TV shows. Steve Knight is the creator and writer of the show, along with Toby Finlay and Stephen Russell also sharing writing credits.
The show offers powerful characters, excellent cinematography, an intense story, ambition, and a look into damage-ridden post-war Britain. Additionally, fans highly appreciated the visual premise and costumes. All together, Tommy (Cillian Murphy) has a different fan following for his character’s intensity and the popular look.
The original network of the series was BBC Two. However, the fifth and sixth seasons were moved to BBC One.
Netflix acquired exclusive streaming rights in the US under a pact with the Weinstein Co. and Endemol in 2014. Hence, all the seasons (1-5) of Peaky Blinders are available to stream on Netflix in almost all countries where Netflix has a stronghold. Alternatively, the first two seasons of the show are also available on Amazon Prime and Vudu.
In the aftermath of the Great War and economic upheaval, amongst the gang wars and newly minted revolutions, Peaky Blinders is a name known to all, but what exactly is it?
It is a notorious criminal gang led by the fierce Tommy (Thomas) Shelby who is set on moving up the ladder in the world ambitiously, by all means necessary. The returning war hero, Shelby, and his family run the gang. When a crate of guns goes missing in the first place, he quickly grabs the opportunity to rise from just running the streets of Birmingham. Because above all, it was his ambitions that he wanted to fulfill.
The gang then gets into business, growing it through violence and fear. For this reason, a ruthless Northern Irish police officer, Major Chester Campbell, constantly pursues them. He is sent to Birmingham to take back control of the city from the Peaky Blinders. Campbell ends up being just one of the foes that Tommy and his family tackle. Further, Tommy goes up against various foes, including Billy Kimber, Luca Changretta, Oswald Mosley, and even sometimes Alfie Solomons.
Technically speaking, yes. However, it merely takes from the name of the actual Peaky Blinders gang of that era. Peaky Blinders, first of all, is fictionalized and highly dramatized. Although the actual gang emerged around the 1870s with anti-Irish sentiments. The story of the show is set 3 decades after the real gang operated at its peak. In summary, Peaky Blinders are real as well as fictional. For the most part of its existence, unemployed and disenfranchised young men were drawn towards the glamor of Peaky Blinders. Though Shelby’s family is not based on real historical figures. For those who are wondering how many Peaky Blinders seasons are there. There are 6 seasons in the British drama series, with the final season currently on air.
Production of the last season was delayed because of the pandemic. However, it was announced that production was wrapped on May 28, 2021. The last season of the series is now streaming on BBC Network, with an episode released every Sunday. The series started airing in the United Kingdom on February 27, 2022.
Season 5 ended with the spine-chilling cliff-hanger where a traumatized Tommy had his gun pointing at his head. In the show’s last season, Shelby is likely to face a new fascist enemy.
Here is the official trailer of Peaky Blinders Season 6:
https://youtu.be/2nsT9uQPIrk
The style of costumes is from the 1920s, which was an important era of transformation in men’s fashion. We see peaky Blinders in their trademark attire. Following gentlemen’s look, they wear a uniform based on a three-piece suit/ Along with oxford laced boots, a newsboy cap, a detachable collar shirt, and a heavy overcoat. As per the show, they have razor blades sewed in the peaks of their caps.
The show’s cast includes Cillian Murphy, Sam Neill, Late Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Annabelle Wallis, Sophie Rundle, Joe Cole, Finn Cole, Harry Kirton, Charlotte Riley, Noah Taylor, Tom Hardy, Natasha O’Keeffe, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Gaite Jansen, Alexander Siddig, Kate Phillips, Adrien Brody, Aidan Gillen, Charlie Murphy, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Sam Claflin.
Peaky Blinders won the Best Drama Series award at BAFTA Awards (2018). Laura Shiavo won BAFTA Television Craft Award (2020) for Makeup and Hair Design. Otto Bathurst won Best Director Fiction at BAFTA TV Craft Awards (2014). George Steel and Tiger Aspect Productions won BAFTA Television Craft Award (2014) for Photography and Lighting.
Cillian Murphy and Helen McCrory won TV Series and Serials Actor and Actress Golden FIPA at Biarritz International Festival of Audiovisual Programming (2014). Martin Phipps won for TV Series and Serials: Music in the same awards.
Steve Knight won the Best Screenwriter’s Award (2016) for Best British TV Drama Writing. Cillian Murphy won Best Drama Performance, additionally, the show won the Best Drama award at the National Television Awards, UK (2020). Apart from these prominent accolades, the show has won multiple awards and nominations.
| Genre | Period / Historical Drama, Crime Drama, British Drama |
| Release Date | September 12, 2013 |
| Certificate | (18+ per Netflix) |
| Cast | Cillian Murphy, Sam Neill, Late Helen McCrory, Paul Anderson, Annabelle Wallis, Sophie Rundle, Joe Cole, Finn Cole, Harry Kirton, Charlotte Riley, Noah Taylor, Tom Hardy, Natasha O’Keeffe, Aimee-Ffion Edwards, Gaite Jansen, Alexander Siddig, Kate Phillips, Adrien Brody, Aidan Gillen, Charlie Murphy, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Sam Claflin |
| Director(s) | Otto Bathurst, Tom Harper, Colm McCarthy, Tim Mielants, David Caffrey, and Anthony Byrne |
| IMDb Ratings | 8.8/10 |
| Country of Origin | United Kingdom |
| Countries where available | Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Israel, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and the United States |
| Total Seasons | 6 |
| Total Number of Episodes | 36 |
| Episode Length | ~ 1 hour |
| Current Season | Season 6, 2022 |
| Filming Locations | Leeds, Liverpool, and Yorkshire |
| Soundtracks | Red Right Hand |
