# Peaky Blinders (2013)

> A ruthless Birmingham gang led by Tommy Shelby fights for control of the city's underworld in the years after the First World War.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/54081

## Facts

- Seasons: 6
- Episodes: 36
- Episode runtime: 57 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama
- Created by: Steven Knight
- Network: BBC One, BBC Two
- Cast: Cillian Murphy, Paul Anderson, Joe Cole, Helen McCrory, Iddo Goldberg, Sophie Rundle, Adrien Brody, Dave Simon
- TMDB rating: 8.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2442560/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: brutal
- Tone: tense, melancholic, stylised

## What critics say

Acclaimed for its stylish period atmosphere, Cillian Murphy's commanding performance as Tommy Shelby, and its gripping gangster family drama across six seasons.

## Synopsis

Set in Birmingham, England, in the aftermath of the First World War, this series follows the Shelby family, a criminal clan whose gang rises from street bookmaking to a formidable force in the city's underworld. Tommy Shelby, a damaged war veteran with sharp strategic instincts, leads the family with ambition and a cold, controlled intensity, while his siblings and associates pull him toward loyalty, vengeance, and reckless excess. Across its seasons the story moves through rivalries with rival gangs, political figures, police and intelligence agents, and rising fascist threats. The mood is tense, melancholic, and operatic, with brutal violence punctuating long stretches of brooding character work. Its period styling, driven by a pounding soundtrack and carefully composed imagery, gives the drama a feverish, stylised sheen. Themes of trauma, family bonds, betrayal, and the cost of power run throughout, and the emotional stakes deepen as each season tightens the noose around the Shelbys' ambitions. Viewers drawn to dark, character-driven crime sagas with strong performances and a dense sense of place will find it immersive and gripping.

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