Episode #1.1 

In Birmingham just after the Great War trenches veteran Thomas Shelby leads his gang, the Peaky Blinders, so named as they carry lethal razors in their peaked caps, who make money from ... See full summary »

Director:

Otto Bathurst

Writers:

Steven Knight (creator), Steven Knight

Stars:

Cillian Murphy, Sam Neill, Helen McCrory

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Cillian Murphy	...	Thomas Shelby
Sam Neill	...	Inspector Chester Campbell
Helen McCrory	...	Aunt Polly
Paul Anderson	...	Arthur Shelby
Annabelle Wallis	...	Grace Burgess
Iddo Goldberg	...	Freddie Thorne
Sophie Rundle	...	Ada Shelby
Joe Cole	...	John Shelby
Ned Dennehy	...	Charlie Strong
Benjamin Zephaniah	...	Jeremiah Jesus
Lobo Chan	...	Mr. Zhang
Alfie Evans-Meese	...	Finn Shelby
Neil Bell	...	Harry Fenton
Samuel Edward-Cook	...	Danny Whizz-Bang
Ian Peck	...	Curly

Storyline

In Birmingham just after the Great War trenches veteran Thomas Shelby leads his gang, the Peaky Blinders, so named as they carry lethal razors in their peaked caps, who make money from illegal betting and the black market. Thomas, by mistake, appropriates a consignment of guns which have been stolen from the local arms factory and hard-nosed Inspector Campbell arrives from Ireland, charged by war minister Winston Churchill to recover it. Thomas's aunt Polly urges him to return it but he sees the opportunity to use it to his advantage. Thomas also quarrels with his elder brother Arthur as Thomas has devised the 'powder trick', a means of fixing horse races and Arthur is nervous as Thomas has not involved Billy Kimber, who runs the race-courses and their rackets. Thomas's sister Ada is in love with Freddie Thorne, who saved her brother's life in the war, and is now a Marxist, encouraging workers to strike over a pay cut. As far as Campbell is concerned Freddie is as much the enemy - in ...

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Plot Keywords:

face spattered with blood | police brutality | weapons shipment | year 1919 | war veteran | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

30 September 2014 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Black Country Museum, Dudley, West Midlands, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Caryn Mandabach Productions, Tiger Aspect Productions, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

At the family meeting it was mentioned that two men went to Belfast and were in a pub on the Shankhill Road. It's spelt Shankill Road.

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Quotes

Aunt Polly: This family does everything open. You've nothing more to say to this meeting, Thomas?
Tommy Shelby: No, nothing that's women's business.
Aunt Polly: This whole bloody enterprise was women's business while you boys were away at war. What's changed?
Tommy Shelby: We came back.

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Soundtracks

St. James Infirmary Blues
Traditional
Performed by The White Stripes

User Reviews

Outstanding quality

I wanted to rate an 8 here first, because i don't give 10s and in comparison to other shows it isn't the best you'll ever see. But then I broke different factors for rating apart and compared to most other shows it's brilliant:

Cast/acting: 9,5 of 10, except from Sam Neill, every single character was portrayed almost flawlessly. Great acting and the actors just matched the characters perfectly.

Music/atmosphere: 9 of 10. The music fits very well. Underlines the visually created atmosphere as a good soundtrack is supposed to. And by means of a more modern and at times energizing feel to it, it delivers the action and the feeling you're supposed to feel excellently,

Setting/stage props: 10 of 10. I wondered just how they did it. Everything looks like you'd imagine Birmingham in 1919, just a bit shinier and more atmospheric.

All in all the show does what it wants to do very nicely.