The show returns this week with a double-bill over two nights.
Make sure you’ve got work booked off, the couch is all yours, and the phone is switched off…by order of the Peaky Blinders!
After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, the Shelbys are finally back on our screens as Season 5 kicks off with a double bill that’s going to spread out over two nights.
We’ve already disclosed the full plot details for those opening two episodes here – beware of mild spoilers – but prior to the season opener, JOE had the chance to chat with the show’s writer/creator, Steven Knight.
As previously discussed, Irish history and politics will play a small role in the upcoming season but with so many strong ties between Small Heath and the 32 counties, we were curious about Knight’s ability to craft brilliant dialogue, regardless of the character’s background.
Throughout the four seasons of the show, viewers have seen gypsies, Russian aristocracy, notable politicians, cold-blooded killers, IRA members, gangsters, Brummies, and Alfie Solomons – a man that has almost created his own language and verbal rules!
Given the plethora of wonderful characters in the show, we had to know if Knight has a favourite character to write for.
It appears that those characters of an Irish background are very much at the top of his list.
“There’s a couple of characters in this that I love writing for,” he said.
‘It’s great when you get a character from a background that’s verbal. Like, an Irish background because it gives you permission to really be quite eloquent, I think. English people, it’s all a bit stiff and we’re like ‘yeah, whatever.’ We shrug our shoulders and move on. With Irish characters – and Americans too – they just talk and say stuff. It’s good that we’ve also got a particular character from a Scottish background too. It just gives you that ability to legitimately write eloquent stuff. It’s the same with Alfie. You could take that character and he’s just always on fire in a verbal sense.”
In terms of the plot for the new episodes, Knight also told us that Season 5 is set to be the darkest season yet but there’s also going to be plenty of action too.
All will be unveiled when the Season 5 premiere of Peaky Blinders airs at 21:00 on BBC1 on 25 August. Don’t forget that the second episode starts at 21:30 on 26 August on the same channel.
We can’t wait.