As time passed, the name Peaky Blinders would come to be synonymous with any Birmingham street criminals, paving the way for the urban legends that would inspire the series. Bonus round: Who's real and who's not? The
So if you are addicted to Peaky Blinders, you probably already know that the series is based on true events and true characters. So let's dive into the fascinating world of the real-life Peaky Blinders. Steven Knight, mastermind and creator of Peaky Blinders, based the show on his personal life.
Was Thomas Shelby a real person? Nope! While some of the characters in Peaky Blinders are based on real historical figures (including politician Winston Churchill, trade unionist Jessie Eden, rival gang leader Billy Kimber and fascist leader Oswald Mosley) Cillian Murphy's character Tommy Shelby did not actually exist.
Unlike the gang of the TV series, the Peaky Blinders had faded into obscurity by the 1920s. The outbreak of the Great War undoubtedly had an impact on their dominance, and over time, the gang was usurped by Billy Kimber's Birmingham Boys, who in turn were ousted from power by the Sabini gang in the 1930s.
The Shelbys are specifically of Irish-Romani descent, but they refer to themselves and other Romani with the blanket term “Gypsies” in the show. Tommy Shelby, the gang's leader, along with his siblings, Arthur, John, Ada, and Finn, have Irish-Romani heritage on both sides and consider themselves Gypsy.
Tommy Shelby and his kin are Irish-Romani (sometimes spelled Romany) Gypsies, a unique cultural and ethnic group present in Britain since the 1500s. The award-winning Peaky Blinders is directed by Steven Knight and has run for 6 seasons, the most recent hitting U.S. Netflix in June 2022.
Yes, Peaky Blinders is actually based on a true story. Well, kind of. Technically, Peaky Blinders follows the Shelby family, a gang of outlaws who infiltrated late 19th-century England — the Shelby's weren't reported to be real people, but the Peaky Blinders gang did exist.
Although they had disappeared by the 1920s, the name "Peaky Blinders" became synonymous slang for any street gang in Birmingham.
Tommy's foes in Peaky Blinders are real historical figures. As previously mentioned, the leader of the Birmingham Boys, Billy Kimber, was a real-life gangster, along with Charles “Darby” Sabini - a London criminal who controlled racehorse rackets in southern England.
Historian David Cross, of the West Midlands Police Museum in Sparkhill, is also confident that razor blades in caps is just an urban myth. "If you think of your grandfather's cap in those days, then it would have had a very hard peak," said Mr Cross. "They used their hats with razor blades sewn in to rob people.
Billy Kimber: The leader of the Birmingham Boys (also known as the Brummagem Boys) was a real gang leader and possibly the biggest crime boss in England. In real life, he died of a prolonged illness rather than a shot from Thomas Shelby's gun.
The protagonists poured onto the page. Aunt Polly Gray (Helen McCrory) was a real person and she was terrifying – all the men were scared of her. Arthur (Paul Anderson) was an uncle called Fred.
Shelby is a veteran of the First World War and suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of his experiences during the war; something that is a recurring theme throughout the series.
Tommy and others are seen smoking Opium throughout the series as a coping mechanism. over 5000 cigarettes were smoked on the show. Characters drink frequently on-screen, become drunk, and act violent and clumsy. One character has an opium habit, and a 10-year-old child smokes a cigarette on-screen.
The phrase was inspired by John Milton's “Paradise Lost” where the “red right hand” represents divine vengeance.
While the series takes place in the Midlands city of Birmingham — where the real-life Peaky Blinders gang operated from the 1890s through the early 1900s — it might surprise viewers to learn that most of Peaky Blinders is not actually shot in Birmingham, but rather in the county of Yorkshire.
1) Oswald Mosley
The world of Peaky Blinders is full of vicious murderers and violent gangs, but the leader of the Fascist regime, Oswald Mosley (Sam Claflin), poses a multifaceted threat that is relatively unmatched by many of Thomas Shelby's other enemies.
Alfie revealed that he was suffering from skin cancer, which he attributed to the poisonous gas used in the Great War; Alfie had intended for Tommy to discover his betrayal, track him down, and kill him so Alfie could die on his own terms, rather than the Mafia.
Alfie Solomons is a fictional character played by Tom Hardy in the British period crime drama Peaky Blinders. He is the leader of a Jewish gang based in Camden Town and was introduced in Series 2.
Members of this gang dressed in a particular fashion: tailored jackets, waistcoats, overcoats, and topped with a signature flat cap. The name “Peaky Blinders” was the nickname given to the gang because they stitched razor blades into the peaks of their caps to be used as a weapon in fights with competing gangs.
The first season of Peaky Blinders is set in 1919: When we meet gang leader Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy), he's riding through the unpaved, muddy streets of Birmingham on a horse. World War I has finally come to a close after four bloody years in the trenches, heralding the dawn of a new age.
He just hasn't the mental capacity for it. Great at supporting his family, loyal to a fault. His violent temper, act before he thinks, goes against him as a leader.
Will there be a Peaky Blinders season 7? Unfortunately, no, Peaky Blinders season 6 is the final season of the British drama series, but creator Steven Knight confirmed that in place of a seventh season, they're making a Peaky Blinders movie.