Peaky Blinders 'a Western In The West Midlands'

24 February 2026
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Ed James, BBC Radio WMand


Tim Page, West Midlands


A brand-new documentary has actually lifted the cover on the making of Peaky Blinders, and the "mythology" at the heart of the story.


Peaky Blinders: The Real Story functions interviews with individuals behind the program, including creator Steven Knight talking about the Birmingham household folklore that inspired it.


"My mama was a bookie's runner. Gambling was unlawful at the time, she was 8 years old and she would stroll down the street with a basket of cleaning and people would drop bets into the basket," Knight stated.


The documentary, which introduced on streaming sites today, has actually been made by filmmaker Robin Bextor, who said he set out to different fact from fiction.


"The first reported reference of Peaky Blinders that took place at all was in 1890, whereas the Peaky Blinders we see on screen do not begin up until after the First World War," he told BBC Radio WM.


"The real Peaky Blinders had ended up before the series begins".


The documentary also explores the production methods of the six BBC series of Peaky Blinders, including its use of modern-day rock music alongside folk and blues.


Bextor stated designer Grant Montgomery desired the program to be "based on a series of Western films that he liked".


"I brought a kind of Americana to it. I was constantly drawn to that aesthetic, the lawlessness of it," Montgomery informed the brand-new production.


It comes weeks before the release of a new Netflix movie, the Immortal Man, continuing the story of the Shelbys into World War Two. This will be followed by 2 more BBC series heading through to the 1950s.


Bextor stated his movie was a tribute to Peaky Blinders' Brummie roots, and the "unsurpassed" ability of its creator, Knight.


"It's not a mishap that he's ending up being the king of drama now. He's been asked to write the new Bond motion picture, he's got 2 brand-new series running on TV, he's got the Peaky Blinders film ... and he was asked to compose Star Wars.


"I suggest, this guy is a substantial achiever. Plus of course, what Peaky Blinders provided us was 6 series of a by Cillian Murphy."


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