The series is renowned for its contemporary soundtrack, featuring artists like Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, PJ Harvey, and Arctic Monkeys, which adds a modern edge to the historical setting.
The real Peaky Blinders were a street gang based in Birmingham, England, that operated from the late 19th century through the early 20th century. The gang was known for its distinct style, which included tailored jackets, lapel coats, buttoned waistcoats, silk scarves, bell-bottom trousers, leather boots, and peaked caps. The name "Peaky Blinders" is often attributed to the gang's practice of sewing disposable razor blades into the peaks of their flat caps, which could then be used as weapons. However, historians have noted that razor blades were a luxury item at the time and that the name more likely derived from the gang's sartorial style.
Polly Gray is the matriarch of the Shelby family and the gang's treasurer. She ran the business while the men were away at war and remains a powerful and influential figure. Polly is intelligent, resilient, and deeply spiritual, often serving as the family's moral compass and Tommy's most trusted advisor. Arthur Shelby The series is renowned for its contemporary soundtrack,
Set in 1924, the third series finds the Shelbys even more powerful and wealthy. Tommy is now married and has a son, but his life is far from peaceful. He becomes embroiled in a complex international conspiracy involving Russian exiles, the British government, and a shadowy organization known as the Economic League. The stakes are higher than ever, and the family's loyalty is tested to the breaking point.
Tommy Shelby is the complex and enigmatic protagonist of the series. A war hero decorated for bravery, he returns from the trenches of WWI with severe PTSD. He is cold, calculating, and intensely ambitious, driven by a desire to elevate his family's status and escape the poverty of his upbringing. Despite his ruthless nature, Tommy possesses a deep sense of loyalty to his family and a hidden vulnerability. Polly Gray The name "Peaky Blinders" is often attributed to
Peaky Blinders is a British crime drama television series created by Steven Knight. Set in Birmingham, England, it follows the exploits of the Peaky Blinders crime gang in the direct aftermath of the First World War. The fictional gang is loosely based on a real urban youth gang of the same name who were active in the city from the 1880s to the 1910s.
The series features an ensemble cast, led by Cillian Murphy, Helen McCrory, and Paul Anderson starring as Tommy Shelby, Elizabeth "Polly" Gray, and Arthur Shelby, the gang's senior members. Joe Cole, Annabelle Wallis, Sam Neill, Tom Hardy, Paddy Considine, Adrien Brody, Aidan Gillen, Charlotte Riley, Sam Claflin, Amber Anderson, James Frecheville, and Stephen Graham also star. It premiered on 12 September 2013, telecast on BBC Two until the fourth series (with repeats on BBC Three), then moved to BBC One for the fifth and sixth series. She ran the business while the men were
The second series jumps to 1921. The Shelbys expand their criminal empire into London, where they encounter the volatile Italian gang leader Darby Sabini and the Jewish gang leader Alfie Solomons. Meanwhile, Campbell returns, now working for the British intelligence service, and coerced Tommy into carrying out a political assassination. The family also deals with internal conflicts and the lingering trauma of the war.