As the year rolls on, we begin to mourn the passing of the 6th and final season of Peaky Blinders. The long-running series has said goodbye after nine years. Anyone who wasn’t able to watch the final episodes will be able to do so when the season drops on Netflix this summer. Fans needn’t miss it too much, though, as there have long been plans to continue the Peakyverse in films. Nonetheless, it’s not yet known when any proposed films will be made.
There tends to be a sense of longing when a beloved series reaches its end. Regardless of whether Tommy Shelby and the gang return, it’s a feeling that will need to be faced sooner or later. Fear not, there are other series out there to scratch that itch. Here are 8 British shows like Peaky Blinders that fans can enjoy now that their favorite gangster drama has ended.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
8 Gunpowder
Photo Credit - Kudos
In Gunpowder, Kit Harington (Game of Thrones) stars as rebel leader Robert Catesby as he plots to kill King George at the start of the 1600s for his harsh treatment of the Catholics. In doing so, he hopes to return power over the kingdom to the people. This scheme, now known as “The Gunpowder Plot,” is what made the name of Guy Faux legendary to this day. The three-part series was considered unique for its portrayal of a period not usually featured in television and, even more so, because Harington is a descendant of his character. The star is best known for playing The King in the North Jon Snow, but he stands as tall as a king in this series as the passionate revolutionary fighting for his people. The miniseries is gritty, grounded, and intense like Peaky Blinders, so fans needing a new fix of historical, criminal antics will feel right at home.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
7 The Borgias
Photo Credit - Myriad Pictures, Amblin Entertainment, ImageMovers, Octagon Entertainment, Take 5 Productions, CTV, Bell Media, Showtime Networks
If you loved Tommy and the Peaky Blinders gang, then you may love this series about what some call the first crime family. The Borgias follows the family of the same name as they claw their way to the top in Italy. Set during the Renaissance, this three-season series stars Jeremy Irons as Rodrigo, the family patriarch who ascends to power through the Roman Catholic Church by means of treachery, charm, and diplomacy. However, one can’t ascend in power by such means without making enemies. Lucky for him, his children are equally cunning. This series from Showtime is a beautiful blend of greed, lust, and regal elegance that no other series has been able to copy. It was cut tragically short due to financing, but regardless, it’s a series Peaky fans should watch.
6 The Tudors
BBC Two
Set before The Borgias, we have The Tudors, which follows England’s Renaissance dynasty under King Henry VIII. History buffs may know of this guy: he’s the King who had six wives during his time in power. This show, full of fancy costumes, lust, and greed, starts with Henry desperate for an heir and growing more and more detached from his first wife, which leads to his obsession with Anne Boleyn. While the series focuses on his multiple marriages, there’s a larger story at play, as it examines his relationships with key figures during his time as King. Cardinal Wolsey was the power behind the throne and advised Henry through betrayals and scandals during his reign. While The Tudors may trade the violence of Peaky for sexuality, the spirit matches through one of history’s most reviled monarchs.
5 Gangs of London
Sky Atlantic
In the only present-day show on this list, Gangs of London follows the Wallace family, the most powerful crime family in London, as they rule the roost in the city’s turbulent criminal underworld. However, everything changes when the patriarch is murdered, causing an enormous power vacuum within the city. With opposition everywhere, the impulsive Sean Wallace takes his father’s seat to search for his killer. Unfortunately, his ascension causes a ripple effect across the city as the many multicultural gangs and families attempt to claw their way to the top and fill the void left by Sean’s father. Gangs of London is similar to Peaky Blinders in grit and family themes. The only difference is that the action is cranked up to eleven with the fantastic direction and fight choreography of Gareth Edwards, the man behind The Raid: Redemption and The Raid: Berandal. Season two of the series has been confirmed, following the first’s success, and is expected to air sometime this year.
4 Ripper Street
Photo Credit - Tiger Aspect Productions, Lookout Point
Despite the name, Jack The Ripper is not the villain of this BBC series. Instead, Ripper Street takes place after his last murder. It follows Detectives Edmund Reid (Matthew Macfadyen) and Bennet Drake (Jerome Flynn) solving murders in 1800s London, six months after The Ripper’s spree in Whitechapel. The citizens are afraid and on edge. To them, every murder was done by the elusive killer as they fear his return. No one ever thought he would just disappear. As the two detectives work to solve the post-Ripper murders, they find themselves inching closer to London’s dark underbelly, where the most depraved and vile criminals reside. The show’s name mirrors the actual killer’s crimes as things get pretty gruesome, but at a time when Game of Thrones was the new craze, this didn’t detract viewers.
3 Penny Dreadful
Photo Credit - Desert Wolf Productions, Neal Street Productions, Showtime Networks
This dark gothic series from Showtime was unlike anything seen on television before. Set in 1891 London, we see the coming-together of individuals from across horror literature, with the mission to find Mina Murray, the daughter of the team’s benefactor, Malcolm Murray. This team consists of Malcolm, the scientist Victor Frankenstein, American gunslinger Ethan Chandler, and Vanessa Ives, a mysterious woman with links to witchcraft and dark forces that haunt her. Together, they dive into the bowels of London to confront dark forces. On the outside of this mission are Dorian Gray, an immortal man who’s grown bored with life’s wonders, and Frankenstein’s monster, who stalks and harasses his creator to make him a bride. Penny Dreadful ran for three seasons, concluding its story in 2016 before launching a sequel series Penny Dreadful: City of Angels in 2020, which, according to Deadline, was unfortunately canceled after just one season.
2 Taboo
Photo Credit - Scott Free London, Hardy Son & Baker
The well-paced and brooding series Taboo sees Tom Hardy play the heir to his father’s shipping business, who returns from years in Africa to assume control of the company after his father’s untimely death. This is another fantastic series for anyone who loves Peaky Blinders, as well as anyone who loved Hardy’s portrayal of Alfie Solomon. The actor plays James Delaney, who finds that his new role is more than he bargained for as he faces corruption and political scheming at the hands of the East India Company, who, in turn, fight James for control of his father’s land. At the same time, he’s reunited with his half-sister Zilpha, for whom he holds forbidden feelings, hence the show’s name. While Taboo may not be as action-packed as Peaky Blinders, it weaves a dark and brooding tale of redemption, power, and love that is highlighted, but not carried, by Hardy’s portrayal of the tormented Delaney. The show only needed one season to tell a great story and is definitely worth the watch.
1 Vikings
TM Productions
The Shelby family may have had their share of family squabbles over its six-season run, but not like those of the Ragnar sons. Vikings goes back hundreds of years to the 700s and follows Ragnar Lothbrok and his descendants at the dawn of the Viking Age. Over six seasons, we see the Vikings of Katagat wage war against multiple countries in the pursuit of power. Not only that, but they also wage war against each other, as Vikings made an uncommon plot choice of switching the narrative from Ragnar to his sons halfway through its run. This series has been compared to Game of Thrones in terms of scale and action, but not so much in critical response. But while the critics refused to get behind the show, the fans did, as the lushly set epic got bigger and bloodier over time. While the 2013 series may have ended, the legacy of Ragnar and his kin lives on in Vikings: Valhalla, a Netflix sequel that many deem better than its predecessor.
