Who were the Peaky Blinders? Was it all based on a true story?
Peaky Blinders is a British crime drama television series that is based on the real-life activities of the Shelby family. Created by Steven Knight the event takes place in Birmingham, England. Steven Knight highlights the series on the life and criminal activities of the Shelby family. The show premiered on 12th September 2013 on BBC Two, until the fourth season, and shifted to BBC One for the latest fifth season.
The cast of Peaky Blinders features Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory, Joe Cole, Sophie Rundle and Paul Anderson starring Tommy Shelby, Elizabeth “Polly” Gray, John Shelby, Ada Shelby and Arthur Shelby respectively.
History of the Peaky Blinders
During the early 19th century, there was an urban street gang based in Birmingham, England called the Peaky Blinders. The Peaky Blinders grew up in harsh economic deprivation of working-class Britain and made a name for themselves from robbery, violence, racketeering, illegal bookmaking and the control of gambling. Because of these activities, they were notorious all over England and were feared by all the citizens of the country.
The Peaky Blinders had a signature gang outfit of their own. All of them wore tailored jackets, lapel overcoats, button waistcoats, silk scarves, bell-bottom, trousers, leather boots, and peaked flat caps. They came in dominance after they beat their rival gang “Slogger” with whom they fought for territory in Birmingham and its surrounding districts.
The Plot Summary
The series starts in the year 1919, several months after the end of the first world war. The gang becomes notorious for their actions and catches the attention of Major Chester Campbell, portrayed by Sam Neill, a Detective Chief Inspector in Royal Irish Constabulary. The main motive of the peaky blinders in the first season is to take over Billy Kimber’s betting pitches at the Worcester Races.
All the seasons portrays the different methods used by the peaky blinders to expand their criminal organization. Soon, they enter an even more dangerous realm as they plan to expand their terrorization internationally.
Series Details
This series created a lot of hype as the characters were portrayed with such grace that made people fall in love with the criminals. Peaky Blinders is now one of the most loved series with their favourite character being Thomas Shelby. Cillian Murphy nailed the role with such perfection and the accent he talks in has everyone lose their mind.
To date, there are a total of 5 seasons to this series. The series has a total screen time of 30 hours. Each of the episodes takes up to 55 – 65 minutes to be completed. There are a total of 30 episodes in total with 6 episodes in every 5 seasons. The shooting for the new season has already started. Although the release date is not fixed yet, it has been hinted by the director that it will be released either in late 2021 or early 2022. It has also been said by Stephen Knight that there will definitely be a seventh season, with the potential of being followed by a film or a spin-off. So better be ready for this crime drama madness.
Series Awards and Reviews
There are countless awards that the Peaky Blinders has won and has been nominated for. Among which three of them are won by Cillian murphy for the best actor, two by Helen McCrory for best actress and others for their soundtrack and costumes and for being the best drama series. Peaky Blinders has received commendation and applause, particularly for its charismatic performance, stylish cinematography, writing and visuals. The IMDB has rated the series a whooping 8.8 out of 10, Rotten Tomatoes with 93% fresh, and Rating Graph with 8.9/10.
I personally believe that this series is one of the best series to binge on Netflix. The creator has brought the vibe of the 1920s in such a way that I was hooked with the accent and the style of the characters. Although Peaky Blinders has a slow start and takes some time to build up, it is worth every second once you get on the third episode.
With such a cliffhanger ending at the end of season 5, I am intrigued to know what is going to happen in the upcoming season. I cannot wait for the next season and as soon as it releases, I will be ready with my packet of chips to start my binge-watch.
Do you all believe that The Peaky Blinders is the best real-life series adaptation? Please let us know in our comment section down below.
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