Bryan McAllister’s personal reference notebook
July 27, 2026Short & citedBlog
Civic Viewpoint.
A quiet encyclopedia with a personal desk
Kept by Bryan McAllister — short guides, clear facts, and the Canadian angle when it matters.
Screen & Stage • Series

Peaky Blinders

Peaky Blinders is a British historical crime drama television series created by Steven Knight.

Updated July 27, 20261 min readCited sources

Peaky Blinders is a British historical crime drama set in post-WWI Birmingham. It follows the Shelby family’s rise through organised crime.

What it is

The series centres on the Shelby family and the fictional Peaky Blinders gang as they expand their criminal and political influence through illegal betting, black-market trading, and broader dealings in postwar Birmingham.

Why it matters

Widely recognised for its crime-drama style and Cillian Murphy’s central performance, the show has a substantial Canadian audience through streaming and is frequently discussed in Canadian pop-culture coverage as a major British crime drama.

Key details

The drama is loosely based on a real Birmingham street gang from the late 19th century into the 1920s. Created by Steven Knight, the series aired six seasons from 2013 to 2022, totalling 36 episodes.

In short

  • Set in post-WWI Birmingham
  • Follows the Shelby family’s criminal rise
  • Loosely based on a real street gang
  • Six seasons aired from 2013 to 2022
Canadian angle

The series has a substantial Canadian audience through international streaming and TV distribution, and it is frequently discussed in Canadian pop-culture coverage as a major British crime drama.

Quick questions

What is Peaky Blinders about?
It is about the Shelby family, a Birmingham crime family, and their rise to power through gambling, black-market activity, and organised crime after World War I.
Is Peaky Blinders based on a true story?
Partly. The series is fictional, but it is loosely based on the real Peaky Blinders street gang that operated in Birmingham from the late 1800s into the 1920s.
Who plays Tommy Shelby in Peaky Blinders?
Cillian Murphy plays Tommy Shelby.

Sources

  1. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2442560/plotsummary/
    Supports: Series premise; Birmingham setting; Tommy Shelby; gangster family focus.
  2. IMDb — https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2471500/plotsummary/
    Supports: Post-World War I setting; Thomas Shelby leads the gang; illegal betting and black-market activity.
  3. Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peaky_Blinders_(TV_series)
    Supports: Created by Steven Knight; set in Birmingham; loosely based on a real gang.
  4. — https://www.wiki.com
    Supports: Unavailable; not used.
  5. Wikipedia — https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Peaky_Blinders_episodes
    Supports: Six series; 36 episodes; final series announcement; 2013–2022 run.
  6. — https://www.wiki.com
    Supports: Unavailable; not used.
  7. Shelby Brothers — https://www.shelbybrothers.com/en/service/peaky-blinders/
    Supports: Cillian Murphy as Tommy Shelby; six seasons; final season in 2022; series overview.
  8. Wikipedia — https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peaky_Blinders
    Supports: Historical gang background; Birmingham origins; activities; period clothing.