Peaky Blinders

Bill Bailey to guide aspiring actors through new BBC bootcamp series

Although known for his stand-up, Bill Bailey has had his fair share of acting roles, from Black Books to Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang. As host of Bring the Drama he will guide the eight contestants through an acting bootcamp like no other.

Kelly Valentine Hendry, casting director of shows such as Ghosts, Broadchurch, and Bridgerton, will be acting as mentor throughout the series, taking the wannabe actors to the sets from popular dramas Peaky Blinders, EastEnders and Silent Witness.

BBC releases first-look images of Joe Cole-led real time thriller Nightsleeper

Joe Cole as Joe Roag looks out of a train carriage while on the phone, looking stressed

Over six episodes, the show follows two people trying to foil the hacking of an overnight train from Glasgow to London in real time. The pair have never met, and will need to overcome mutual distrust to work together, not least because one of them is trapped on the train.

Cast announced for series two of SAS Rogue Heroes

WW2 soldiers sat in north African desert in full uniform

Written, created and produced by Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight, SAS Rogue Heroes is the “mostly true” account of the unbelievable origins of the SAS, in the midst of the Second World War.

Series one saw David Stirling, played by Connor Swindells (Sex Education), seeking out the best and most reckless soldiers to push back the Nazis in a series of raids in North Africa.

Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and Kudos team up for two new dramas

Stephen Knight stood smiling at Cillian Murphy

The creative partnership comes after the creation of Knight (Peaky Blinders, Taboo, See) and Kudos’ BBC series SAS Rogue Heroes. The deal will give Kudos a first look at Knight’s UK based projects, and will utilise Knight’s Digbeth Loc. Studios in Birmingham, showing a firm commitment to increasing financial investment in skills and training in the West Midlands.

Disney+ calls on creator of Peaky Blinders for new illegal boxing drama A Thousand Blows

A Thousand Blows will see Knight, the writer who breathed new punk energy into the period piece with series like Peaky Blinders and Taboo, portray the perils of illegal boxing in the 1880s in Victorian London.

Across 12 parts, the thrilling series will follow Hezekiah and Alec, two best friends from Jamaica who are thrust into the melting pot of London’s East End post-industrial revolution.

Birmingham mural announces air date for final series of Peaky Blinders

Street artist Akse was commissioned by the BBC to paint a mural in the home of the eponymous gang that announced the previously secret broadcast date of 27 February.

The 12.71m high artwork depicts the leader of the Peaky Blinders, Tommy Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy. It took seven days to complete and can now be seen in full on the side of a building overlooking the Old Crown pub in Digbeth.

The series, created by Steven Knight, first aired on BBC Two in 2013. It follows the lives and exploits of the Shelby and his gang in the aftermath of the First World War.

BBC One releases Peaky Blinders series six trailer: “One last deal to be done”

Released on New Year’s Day, the trailer sees Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) tease “one last deal to be done, then we Peaky Blinders rest.”

There is also footage of acquaintances new and old, including Stephen Graham’s new character clashing with the Shelby brothers, and Tom Hardy’s return as Alfie in the series.

Also returning are Paul Anderson as Arthur Shelby, Finn Cole as Michael Gray, Anya Taylor-Joy as Gina Gray and Sophie Rundle as Ada Shelby, among others.

Filming begins for sixth and final series of Peaky Blinders

It has also been confirmed that the series will be the drama’s last, although creator and writer, Steven Knight, has hinted at a spin-off: “While the TV series will be coming to an end, the story will continue in another form.”

The story of Tommy Shelby and his notorious family’s rise to power in post-First World War Birmingham has grown to become an international phenomenon since it first aired in 2013.