# Pistol (2022)

> A miniseries following the chaotic rise of a working-class London punk band that defied the British establishment in the 1970s.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/109215

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 6
- Episode runtime: 54 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, music
- Created by: Craig Pearce
- Network: Hulu
- Cast: Toby Wallace, Anson Boon, Christian Lees, Sydney Chandler, Talulah Riley, Maisie Williams, Emma Appleton, Thomas Brodie-Sangster
- TMDB rating: 7.6/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13823494/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: irreverent, raucous, bleak, defiant, comic

## What critics say

Audiences broadly rate the miniseries positively for its punk energy, dramatization of the Sex Pistols' rise, and strong lead performances.

## Synopsis

Pistol (2022) is a limited series created by Craig Pearce for Hulu, a six-episode British-set music drama spun from the rise of a rowdy working-class punk band. Toby Wallace plays guitarist Steve Jones, Anson Boon plays the sharp-tongued frontman John Lydon, and Talulah Riley plays fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, with Thomas Brodie-Sangster as manager Malcolm McLaren. Each episode of this 54-minute miniseries follows the band's clashes with record labels, television hosts, and the stuffy British establishment, as young musicians with no prospects turn outrage into a national spectacle. Set in 1970s London, the series moves through squalid rehearsal rooms, crowded clubs, and tabloid headlines, building a noisy, raw atmosphere of rebellion and frayed loyalties. Its tone is brash, irreverent, and often bleak, balancing comic chaos with a sense of youth burning fast. Fans of Vinyl, 24 Hour Party People, and Life on Mars will find resonance in its blend of music history, period grit, and anarchic energy.

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