If you haven't already watched it or heard of it take a look at this press release:
"Peaky Blinders is an epic, six-part gangster drama set in the lawless streets of post-war Birmingham on the cusp of the 1920s.
Britain in 1919 is a tumultuous mix of despair and hedonism, a nation cleaned out by the extravagances of the Great War. Returning soldiers, newly minted revolutionaries and criminal gangs all fight for survival in an industrial landscape gripped by economic upheaval.
Thomas Shelby and his family run the most feared and powerful local gang, the Peaky Blinders. Named for their practice of sewing razor blades into the peaks of their caps, they make money from illegal betting, protection and the black market.
But Tommy’s ambitions go beyond running the streets, and when a crate of guns goes missing from an arms factory, he recognises an opportunity to move up in the world. Crime pays, but business pays better.
As rival gangs, Communist revolutionaries and IRA Fenians descend on Small Heath in pursuit of the weapons, Winston Churchill dispatches a ruthless police chief from Belfast to impose order on an increasingly lawless city and recover the guns.
Peaky Blinders is a dazzling picture of England taken directly from the pages of our secret history. They will now burst into life in a vibrant evocation of a hedonistic age. The Shelbys will be a family to be reckoned with.
Peaky Blinders is a six-part drama series for BBC Two by Caryn Mandabach Productions and Tiger Aspect Productions. It is created by Steven Knight, and written by Steven Knight, Stephen Russell and Toby Finlay. It is directed by Otto Bathurst and Tom Harper, and produced by Katie Swinden."
I shouldn't really elaborate, I should just say watch, watch, watch! Family gangster dramas are intriguing anyway, sure we get to see the hierarchy and relationships of families in regular dramas but within the gangster genre theres so much more at stake! Cillian Murphy was a strike of genius in casting, and he makes Thomas Shelby more than a petty thug, he gives the character depth and gains the audiences' sympathy while at it even though he can be quite frightening. Shelbys relationships with his brothers haven't really been fleshed out too much yet but his interactions with aunt Polly (Helen McCrory) are compelling and keep me at the edge of my seat. Speaking of Aunt Polly, I want to know more about her!!! Even after the first episode she had me, and it's wonderful to see such a compelling female character because we don't usually get them in film or television. They usually serve as the mother figure or love interest, and it's brilliant to see that the character isn't wasted here.
It isn't just the family within the show that keeps me coming back for more, the supporting characters are just as good. C.I. Chester Campbell (Sam Neil) plays a smart, worthy police officer who faces off against Tom Shelby, and Shelby is actually worried enough to attempt to make a deal with him. I look forward to watching the battle for birmingham between the two unfold. On a side note, the show got Cillian Murphy and Sam Neil? It's bloody brilliant! Anyways, I was expecting to see Grace Burgess (Annabelle Wallis) as a love interest that makes Tom see the error of his ways and become a better man which is kind of dull, but I'm happy to say that she is way more than that! She's a female in the 1910s that can certainly hold her own, and you never really see that. I won't say much more about that because I don't want to spoil you, I want you to enjoy the show and it's surprises as I am.
Enough about the characters, is it me or are shows set in the 1910s and 1920s better? I mean they're visually stunning and it's nice to say you get a bit of a history lesson (even though it's heavily dramatised), I mean I'd never even heard of the real Peaky Blinders and I tend to stay up late on wikipedia looking at murderers and criminals (I'm not insane I swear). Also, the threat of gangsters and terrorism is still alive today but because the show is set almost a hundred years ago I can sit back and enjoy it rather than worry as I would have done if it was set in present day. One more thing, the soundtrack is amazing. If you think you won't like the show because of the little tidbits I've given you just watch the show for that. I seriously want to meet the guy in charge of the score and give him a firm handshake.
So basically, watch the damn show! Then I don't have to be worried about spoiling you! And also, I'm a nice person and I want you to have the enjoyment that I've gone through watching the show. I look forward to it unfolding, but I'm getting frustrated that theres only three episodes left! I need more dammit!!!!!!
Anyways, Live Long and Blog guys!
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