Peaky Blinders series 1

Birmingham in 1919, the Peaky Blinders are a half gypsy criminal gang run by the Shelby family, known for keeping razor blades in their caps for assaulting opponents. Illegal bookmaking, race fixing, protection rackets - you name it, they do it. Immediately after WWI the times are changing. Men have returned with untold damage and women are reluctant to return to their pre-war restricted lives. The authorities are cracking down against revolutionary ideas from Russia and seem more worried about strikes and communists than fighting crime. Sometimes it’s hard to distinguish between the cops and the criminals, so similar are their methods and their morals. Cillian Murphy is absolutely mesmerising as gang leader Tommy Shelby, who has a vision for the future and the ruthlessness to make it happen. The strong supporting cast includes Helen McClory as Aunt Polly and Sam McNeill as Inspector Campbell. The first episode is a little confusing, trying to work out what the relationships are and the modern music is literally discordant. This lessens as the series progresses, with the music increasingly well-matching the action, although the relative ages of the Shelby siblings is never quite satisfactorily resolved or explained. Youngest brother Finn is around 10-12; while second youngest John has four children. The tension builds throughout the six episodes, culminating in a breathtaking cliffhanger to series 2.