Peaky Blinders boss reunites with BBC for gripping new drama
PEAKY Blinders boss Steven Knight is taking another trip back to Birmingham as he reunites with the BBC for a gripping new drama.
Screenwriter Steven, 64, is responsible for bringing the beloved Birmingham-based period crime drama to screens.
His next project, BBC miniseries This Town, will see him return to his old stomping ground, albeit with new characters and in a different time period.
Steven is also in talks to reunite with the broadcaster again and has begun lining up another new Birmingham-based drama centred around the city’s university scene.
This comes as part of his efforts to tell more stories about the city he grew up in, as well as increase local production.
Deadline reported that, unlike This Town, Steven and the BBC are in talks to turn this yet-to-be-named show into a full-length series. However, it’s still in the early stages and has not been green-lit yet.
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Steven is the lead writer on the untitled series, working alongside a team of younger writers with the hope that it could become a prime-time show.
Little is known about the plot of the series so far, but it is expected to centre on a group of university students attending one of Birmingham’s five universities.
However, This Town will appear on-screens before the university drama. Coming in 2024, the series will take viewers to 1981 and follow the formation of a rock band. It’s set to the backdrop of the city’s political and social unrest of the period.
Like Peaky Blinders, the show features an impressive cast, including Jordan Bolger, who played Isaiah Jesus in the crime drama. Jordan is joined by Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery, Top Boy's Nicholas Pinnock and Rogue One actor Geraldine James.
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Alongside the two BBC projects, Steven has been busy working on Netflix’s upcoming series All the Light We Cannot See which premieres on November 2. Additionally, he’s penning the script for Daisy Ridley’s next outing as Rey in the Star Wars franchise.
However, despite his busy schedule, Steven has still not closed the door on Peaky Blinders, which ended in 2022 after six seasons.
Earlier this year, on the official Peaky Blinders Instagram page, he celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the show’s first episode and teased that “the story is not over yet.”
In the tribute post, he said: “It hardly seems believable that it’s 10 years since Tommy Shelby first rode that black horse through the streets of Birmingham.
“The phenomenal global success of the show is down to the brilliance and hard work of the loyal team that makes it happen. 10 years on and the story is not yet over. Watch this space.
“Huge thanks to our incredible fans for the past ten years. Here’s to the next ten…”
Although the series officially ended last year, Steven’s post leaves the door open for Peaky Blinders to return, whether that’s with another season, the previously discussed movie, or a future spin-off.
Peaky Blinders is available to stream on BBC iPlayer and Netflix.