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Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is taking audiences back to Birmingham with his new BBC series This Town. Set in the West Midlands in the 1980s, at a time of great political unrest, the show follows the formation of a band against such a backdrop of terror and violence and sparked a revolutionary chapter in the history of modern music. Knight’s iconic crime dramaPeaky Blinders was also set primarily in Birmingham, but This Town is a more personal project for the British screenwriter, director, and producer, as it’s set during a time that he lived through and experienced first-hand. The music-themed series recounts the explosion of ska and two-tone that united youths and artists of all races and ages from the late 70s through the 80s in Coventry and Birmingham.
Considering Knight’s previous work, fans are expecting the show to have plenty of gripping crime thriller elements, but what sets This Town apart is its musical side. The show’s music, a mix of originals and classics, has been crafted with help from Universal Music Group, who are co-producing the series through their Mercury Studios label. There’s no denying This Town has the potential to be our new favorite musical drama series, joining the ranks of acclaimed and popular shows like Prime Video’s Daisy Jones and the Six and Netflix’s The Get Down. As the all-new period drama series arrives this March, check out all the details, including the plot, trailer, cast, characters, and everything we know so far about This Town.
Does 'This Town' Have a Release Date?
Though the series doesn’t have a US release date yet, viewers in the UK can watch This Townon BBC iPlayer starting on March 31, 2024 (Easter Sunday). All six episodes of the series are expected to be released on the streaming service on the same day. The first two episodes of This Town will also be broadcast on BBC One on March 31 and April 1, 2024.
Where Can You Watch 'This Town'?
For viewers in the UK, BBC iPlayer will be the primary home of the series, and that’s where you’ll be able to watch the show in its entirety. BBC iPlayer is a free service within the UK, so there’s no subscription required. However, the streaming service has location restrictions and cannot be accessed from IP addresses based in the US. It’s also been announced that the first two episodes of This Town will air on BBC One at 9 pm GMT on March 31, then again at the same time on April 1.
Unfortunately, there has been no word yet on where This Town will be available in the US. The series does have a confirmed international distributor, Banijay Rights, so it’s likely to get a US release at some point. And if and when it does, you can probably expect the series to land on platforms like AMC, Prime Video, Netflix, or other streamers that regularly host other similar BBC titles. Meanwhile, there are a host of other popular and well-acclaimed BBC series that you can watch right now, which are available on streaming in the US.
Is There a Trailer for 'This Town'?
Released on March 15, the official ThisTown trailer kicks off in Birmingham in the year 1981. It’s a time of violence and tension. Dante (Levi Brown) is a struggling poet who finds a new sense of purpose when he forms a band with Jennie Keefe (Eve Austin). But, as you might imagine, the band members soon find themselves facing new struggles, from drugs to the IRA. One of the band members is seen being pressured to join the IRA by his militant father, while Dante gives into the temptation of the “sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll” lifestyle.
If the video is anything to go by, This Town looks like it’s going to be a madcap journey of music, crime, and thrills, with strong themes of family bonds and friendship thrown into the mix. While the trailer presents plenty of violence and grit, a sense of humor underlying the chaos makes it even more appealing. You can’t quite call it a comedy, but there’s no denying the delightful tongue-in-cheek wit that the trailer highlights. It’s also got tons of energy, with constant movement and an ever-escalating narrative. The trailer does seem to give away most of the plot, which honestly seems quite predictable. However, that humor and energy, mixed with the show’s hypnotic mix of poetry and music, gives This Town the potential to be a wildly entertaining series.
What Is 'This Town' About?
The official synopsis of This Town readsas follows:
Set in a world of family ties, teenage kicks and the exhilarating music of a generation, This Town tells the story of a band’s formation against a backdrop of violence, capturing how creative genius can emerge from a time of madness. Both a high-octane thriller and a family saga, This Town opens in 1981 at a moment of huge social tensions and unrest. Against this backdrop, it tells the story of a group of young people fighting to choose their own paths in life, and each in need of the second chance that music offers.
Who Stars in 'This Town'?
The young stars at the heart of This Town are Levi Brown (Loss and Return) as Dante, Jordan Bolger (The Book of Boba Fett) as Gregory, Ben Rose (The Innocents) as Bardon, and Eve Austin (You) as Jeannie. The series also boasts an ensemble supporting cast filled with acclaimed talent like multiple Emmy-nominated Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery, who plays a character called Estella. Geraldine James, who co-starred with Dockery in the 2019 Downton Abbey film as Queen Mary, plays Marie in This Town.
Other announced cast members of This Town include Nicholas Pinnock (The Book of Clarence) as Deuce Williams, David Dawson (My Policeman)as Robbie Carmen, Peter McDonald (The Batman) as Eamonn, Freya Parks (The School of Good and Evil) as Fiona, Shyvonne Ahmmad (Annika) as Matty, John Heffernan (The Pursuit of Love), Stefan Asante-Boateng (Coronation Street) as Wire, Séainín Brennan (The Fall) as Mrs Porter, and George Somner (Sex Education) as Tyro, as well as Brendan Gibson (Peaky Blinders) in an undisclosed role.
How Many Episodes Are There in 'This Town'?
This Town is a six-episode series. The show is expected to be a miniseries, so those six episodes are likely the whole story. The series is directed in its entirety by Paul Whittingham (who has previously directed episodes of Netflix’s The Crown) and written by creator Steven Knight. As mentioned above, all six episodes of This Town are expected to debut on the same day on BBC iPlayer.
Who is Making This Town (And Who’s Writing the Music)?
This Town is from the mind of Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, who created, wrote, and executive produced the series. Knight originally began working on the project in 2020, with producer Nick Angel. Knight has described the show as a “love letter to Birmingham and Coventry”. This Town is directed by Paul Whittington and produced by Tim Whitby and Charlotte Surtees. Other executive producers of the series apart from Knight include Karen Wilson, Katie McAleese, and Martin Haines for Kudos, and Jo McClellan for the BBC. Matthew James Wilkinson (Stigma Films), Nick Angel, and Laura Conway (Kudos North) are co-executive producers, with Alice Webb and Marc Robinson as co-producers.
Considering This Town is a musical series, the original songs used in the show are a major part of the production. To that end, Universal Music Group’s Mercury Studios is co-producing the series, providing the musical backdrop for the story. This Town’s music has been written by producer and songwriter Dan Carey and musician, novelist, and poet Kae Tempest. The series also features music by Sekou, Gregory Porter, Celeste, Olivia Dean, Ray Laurél, and Self Esteem, all of whom have also recorded new cover versions of their tracks to be used for the show’s closing credits.
