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 new has actually lifted the lid on the making of Peaky Blinders, and the "folklore" at the heart of the story.


Peaky Blinders: The Real Story features interviews with the individuals behind the program, including creator Steven Knight speaking about the Birmingham family folklore that motivated it.


"My mom was a bookmaker's runner. Gambling was prohibited at the time, she was 8 years of ages and she would walk down the street with a basket of cleaning and individuals would drop bets into the basket," Knight said.


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


"The first reported mention of Peaky Blinders that happened at all was in 1890, whereas the Peaky Blinders we see on screen do not start till after the First World War," he told BBC Radio WM.


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


The documentary likewise checks out the production methods of the six BBC series of Peaky Blinders, including its use of modern rock music together with folk and blues.


Bextor said designer Grant Montgomery desired the program to be "based on a series of Western movies that he enjoyed".


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


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


Bextor said his movie was a tribute to Peaky Blinders' Brummie roots, and the "unsurpassed" skill of its developer, Knight.


"It's not a mishap that he's becoming the king of drama now. He's been asked to compose the new Bond film, he's got two brand-new series working on TV, he's got the Peaky Blinders movie ... and he was asked to compose Star Wars.


"I indicate, this guy is a substantial achiever. Plus obviously, what Peaky Blinders gave us was six series of a fantastic efficiency by Cillian Murphy."


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