The "Peaky Blinders" universe will expand with the upcoming release of the Netflix film "The Immortal Man," but if you're looking for shows like "Peaky" to hold you over until then, "A Thousand Blows" should definitely do the trick —the new Hulu series was created, written and executive produced by "Blinders" creator Steven Knight and stars a familiar face from that Cillian Murphy-led crime drama.
Premiering with all six episodes today (Feb. 21), "A Thousand Blows" transports viewers to a gritty corner of bygone England but unlike the 1920s Birmingham of "Peaky Blinders," the new drama takes viewers to Victorian-era London, specifically the rough-and-tumble East End of the city. However, like "Peaky," "A Thousand Blows" offers up an immersive and entertaining world populated with colorful, complicated characters and plenty of action.
What is "A Thousand Blows" about?
Inspired by true-life stories, the period piece centers on Hezekiah (Malachi Kirby) and Alec (Francis Lovehall), two friends from Jamaica, who immigrate to London to realize their dreams, only to become embroiled in the criminal underbelly of London's thriving bare-knuckle boxing scene.
However, "as Hezekiah finds fortune and fame through the art of pugilism, he attracts the attention of the infamous Queen of the Forty Elephants, Mary Carr, who sets about exploiting his talents to further her criminal enterprise," reads the official synopsis, per Hulu. "Meanwhile the menacing and self-declared emperor of the East End boxing world, Sugar Goodson, determines to destroy Hezekiah whose ambitions to fight in the West End threaten everything he has built. What ensues is a battle of the old world against the new."
“The thing that I’m drawn to is forgotten or secret history,” Steven Knight recently told The Telegraph. “And this absolutely is that." The scribe added that he's drawn to "people who take exception to the rules, to authority in various forms... There’s always some element of lawlessness that catches one’s eye as a writer, and it gives you more scope for what naturally turns into drama.”
Who stars in "A Thousand Blows"?
British actress Erin Doherty, who royals' fans will remember as young Princess Anne in the third and fourth seasons of Netflix's "The Crown," plays Mary Carr, while Stephen Graham — who played union convener Hayden Stagg in season six of "Peaky Blinders — gloves up as veteran boxer Sugar Goodson. (Graham also executive produced the series alongside actress-wife Hannah Walters, who also appears as one of the Forty Elephants members, under their Matriarch Productions company.)
Actors Jason Tobin, James Nelson-Jorce, Darci Shaw, Nadia Albina, Morgan Hilaire and Jemma Carlton round out the ensemble cast.
What are reviews saying about "A Thousand Blows"?
With a stellar 92% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, "A Thousand Blows" already seems a hit with critics, who praise the outstanding performances and skillful use of the historical setting to explore contemporary issues.
I have to agree: "A Thousand Blows" is a six-part series — so far, as a second season is already filmed and ready to go — that's packed with meticulous period details, messy personal dynamics and vigorous boxing face-offs. Altogether, it packs quite a wallop.
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