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 brand-new documentary has raised the cover on the making of Peaky Blinders, and the "folklore" at the heart of the story.
Peaky Blinders: The Real Story features interviews with individuals behind the show, consisting of creator Steven Knight speaking about the Birmingham family folklore that influenced it.
"My mama was a bookie's runner. Gambling was illegal at the time, she was 8 years of ages and she would stroll down the street with a basket of cleaning and people would drop bets into the basket," Knight stated.
The documentary, which introduced on streaming sites this week, has been made by filmmaker Robin Bextor, who stated he set out to different truth from fiction.
"The first reported mention of Peaky Blinders that took place at all remained in 1890, whereas the Peaky Blinders we see on screen don't start till after the First World War," he informed BBC Radio WM.
"The genuine Peaky Blinders had actually ended up before the series starts".
The documentary likewise checks out the production methods of the six BBC series of Peaky Blinders, including its use of contemporary rock music together with folk and blues.
Bextor stated designer Grant Montgomery desired the program to be "based upon a series of Western films that he liked".
"I brought a type of Americana to it. I was always drawn to that visual, the lawlessness of it," Montgomery told the new production.
It comes weeks before the release of a brand-new Netflix film, the Immortal Man, continuing the story of the Shelbys into World War Two. This will be followed by 2 more BBC series heading through to the 1950s.
Bextor stated his film was a tribute to Peaky Blinders' Brummie roots, and the "unmatched" skill of its creator, Knight.
"It's not a mishap that he's ending up being the king of drama now. He's been asked to compose the brand-new Bond film, he's got 2 new series operating on TV, he's got the Peaky Blinders movie ... and he was asked to compose Star Wars.
"I mean, this guy is a substantial achiever. Plus naturally, what Peaky Blinders provided us was six series of a by Cillian Murphy."
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