Peaky Blinders fans are only just discovering creator Steven Knight’s other show set in Birmingham.
This Town is set in Birmingham(Image: BBC)
Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight has scripted another Birmingham-set series that caught viewers off guard with its quiet release last year.
The 2024 gritty drama, This Town, is slowly being discovered as a hidden gem, with all episodes now ready to stream on BBC iPlayer.
This Town, praised for its “brilliant” soundtrack and “beautiful” acting, offers an evocative snapshot of Birmingham in 1981, capturing the city’s music scene on the brink of eruption against a backdrop of personal and political turmoil.
The official BBC synopsis reads: “Birmingham 1981: a city on edge, a music scene set to explode and a fight to choose your own future. Feuds, family and fierce music from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight.”
With a compact first season of six episodes, it’s the perfect weekend watch for both music aficionados and fans of Peaky Blinders, reports Surrey Live.
Michelle Dockery stars in This Town
Calls for a second instalment are mounting due to This Town’s “surprisingly warmhearted” story, despite delving into darker subject matters.
The ensemble cast features actors Levi Brown, Eve Austin, Ben Rose, Peter McDonald, Jordan Bolger, Nicholas Pinnock, David Dawson, Freya Parks and Michelle Dockery of Downton Abbey fame.
This Town is rated at 67% by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, yet the audience score reflects higher approval at 83%.
Echoing audience sentiments, one comment notes: “A slow-burn start but stick with it and you’ll be well rewarded because it picks up halfway through and does a very good job of carrying you all the way to the excellent ending.
“The props and soundtrack alone are worth watching it for, and anyone who lived through the late 70s/early 80s as a teen+ will enjoy having lots of memories triggered. Excellent acting, great casting and rich characters.
“Only downside is that I’ll never be able to look at Lady Mary in Downton Abbey in the same way again!” they added, referring to Dockery’s character Estella.
“Great series, beautifully acted and incredible attention to detail. Roll on season 2,” another fan gushed.
This Town was created by Steven Knight
“The style, music and acting are worth watching this alone. It doesn’t quite have the grit that is teased throughout the series. I did really enjoy it and it was surprisingly warm hearted,” a third viewer shared, while another wrote: “Really enjoyed this. Great characters, handles a big story in 6 episodes well.”
One viewer penned: “This is original, edgy, explores strange and sometimes difficult places and has a brilliant cast. If you just want some glib entertainment, go elsewhere. You may have to put in a bit a time – a couple of episodes at least – to realise how good and unusual (in the best way) this thing is, but then you will get the point and enjoy. It looks amazing too.”
Echoing the positive sentiments of many, one fan commented: “This Town is brilliant, its touching and brutal, with touching winning through. Some of the professional reviews seem to miss the point, it may seem sketchy in places and yes the brilliant soundtrack is talked over sometimes, but that’s because This Town is about Dante and his brilliant vulnerable mind and how people respond to him. It’s brilliant exactly as it is.”
However, opinions were mixed, as another viewer offered a critical take, adding: “Slow writing, some scenes feel rushed. Feels unfinished. Several errors with backgrounds props and vehicles not period correct, number plates in the wrong font, poor quality CGI traffic on scenes filmed on a motorway ‘bridge’ that was most likely on a sound stage.”
All episodes of This Town are streaming on BBC iPlayer.