It is a fact. Peaky Blinders has returned to the BBC for its sixth season, which will (unfortunately) be its last. Since the show is now well into the historical elements of the era it's dealing with, let's see how many have a basis in fact and how much is ultimately the result of imagination and dramaturgical adaptation.
The BBC-Netflix co-production crime drama focuses primarily on the Shelby family, a gang of outlaws who infiltrate high society in 1920s Birmingham, England.
But the real-life Peaky Blinders roamed Birmingham in a completely different time frame.
Steven Knight's performance is largely based on a true story, which has however been dramatized. The series stars Cillian Murphy as Thomas Shelby, a war hero who uses his outsider status and intelligence to orchestrate intrigue in Birmingham and beyond. Like another Michael Corleone, Tommy is elegant and carefully studies his moves. He is also willing to kill enemies for revenge or to gain more power. Tommy is haunted by nightmarish memories of the First World War and the death of his wife, Grace (Annabelle Wallis).
Practically, it embodies the "image" of the Peaky Blinders, but also the look and basic philosophies of the real gang. Still, the show's hero exudes a paranoia and vulnerability that infuses the drama and gives the TV gang a depth that doesn't match the real Birmingham gang.
The real gang or rather, the many gangs
Once upon a time, the real-life Peaky Blinders did make headlines in Birmingham and were known for their style. The creator of the series, Steven Knight, told the History Channel that he created the series based on his father's stories about men who were "immaculately dressed, wearing hats and always had guns in their pockets." In fact, the Peaky Blinders dominated their action in the 1890s, several years before they "acted" in their television adaptation. gangs who were trying to prevail. Organized crime was also flourishing in New York. Birmingham's criminals were mainly young men who gambled and robbed to make ends meet, while using violence to secure a certain "position" of power. Traces of the Blinders can even be traced back to 1870. According to historian Barbara Weinberger, the gang first emerged through the anti-Irish sentiments of the time, which helped recruit members.
Until the 1890s, gang subculture was associated with a specific style: Bowler-style hats, pointed and pulled down on the forehead, hence the term "Peaky Blinders". "Blinders" may be related to their criminal activity itself, that is, to their victims who were blinded, however whatever the truth is, the fact is that they made a sensation when they showed it.
Dirty sloggers
Because the real-life Peaky Blinders were known to come from the lower, working class, their distinct style symbolized what they wanted to wear and the status they claimed. Furthermore, the real Peaky Blinders were made up of various gangs and they were anything but one and only family of outlaws. Criminals like Thomas Gilbert made the "label" so characteristic of the city of Birmingham. In practice, they were "family" only in the sense of belonging to the same group of outlaws, without sharing common blood or being governed by some "omerta" type code like the gangsters in the Sopranos and the Godfather movies.
Over time, the real-life Peaky Blinders began to refer to themselves as "sloggers", that is, those who have been shaped as such by poverty, destitution and slums. In the early 20th century, the gang maintained the same appearance and criminal activities but mainly out of necessity, and without an organized plan to gain enormous power in Birmingham. The actual Peaky Blinders gangs were slowly disbanded due to the infiltration of the youth of the time into sports, the arts and other activities away from crime. Gradually, life itself overtook the older Blinders who were marginalized during the time the TV show is set in.
Kevin Mooney and the Birmingham Boys
Beyond that Tommy Shelby is likely based on Kevin Mooney, aka Thomas Gilbert, who used to change his last name several times. At the height of the actual gang's power, Thomas Gilbert was the leader. The true story behind the Peaky Blinders crimes is not as shocking as the show. For example, Harry Fowles, or "Baby-faced Harry", had been arrested for stealing a... bicycle. A similar crime had been committed by his "partner", Stephen McNickle. Also, the first to be referred to as the Peaky Blinder was a fellow named Henry Lightfoot. Henry fought in World War II, which Thomas Shelby's story also deals with.
Other actual Peaky Blinders members include Earnest Haynes, Stephen McNickle and Billy Kimber. Haynes was jailed for burglary and spent a month in jail. Billy Kimber is one of the only real-life characters to appear in the TV series and is played by actor Charlie Creed-Miles. After joining the Peaky Blinders, Billy formed the Birmingham Boys. In the series Kimber is shown as Tommy's rival, however in reality the Birmingham Boys overtook the Blinders in the 1910s. In fact, Kimber was not murdered by Tommy, but died in 1942 in a nursing home.
Chaplin's secret
The Shelby family of Peaky Blinders did not live in Birmingham, however other historical figures who appear in the series did live in the city. Case in point is Charlie Chaplin who "appears" in Season 2 of Peaky Blinders, which makes sense because the real Charlie Chaplin was actually a Birmingham native with a gypsy upbringing. After all, "Charlotte's" daughter, Victoria, had found a letter from a friend of her father's who wrote to him that he had come into the world "in a caravan belonging to the Queen of the Gypsies who was my aunt. You were born in Black Patch of Smethwick, near Birmingham".
In fact, the real Chaplin would have been fully aware that the Peaky Blinders had reached their prime decades earlier. In Season 6 of Peaky Blinders Lizzie Shelby (Natasha O'Keefe) yells at a group of kids to be careful not to break a movie projector because it was a gift from Charlie Chaplin himself.
And Tommy's other enemies in Peaky Blinders they are real historical figures. As previously mentioned, the leader of the Birmingham Boys, Billy Kimber, was a gangster of the time, as was Charles "Darby" Sabini, who was a London criminal who controlled horse racing. Between themselves these two were enemies.
The real Oswald Mosley and... Joseph Kennedy Sr.
Also, in Season 5 of Peaky Blinders, Tommy Shelby forms a partnership with Oswald Mosley (Sam Claflin). Oswald Mosley did form the British League of Fascists, but he did so in 1932, not 1929 as stated in the series. Although there was no assassination attempt on his life, in 1940 he was almost killed in the middle of World War. Interestingly, Mosley survives Season 5 of Peaky Blinders and the setting of Season 6 of Peaky Blinders arriving in 1933 would more closely match his actual political timeline and rise.
The real Oswald Mosley has died aged 84.
Along with Mosley, other real-life political figures have appeared in Peaky Blinders, most notably Winston Churchill who has an interesting relationship with the fictional Tommy Shelby.
Jack Nelson is also a real person, who returns in the sixth season and is involved with the gangs of Boston. In fact, the character of Uncle Jack is based on Joseph Kennedy Sr. , yes, to JFK's father. Here the creator of the show, Steven Knight, decided to "exploit" the rumors about JFK's father which are denied by many historians, but not in their entirety. Sure, he engaged in some shady dealings, making money on Wall Street through dubious practices that leave room for the "imagination".
While Joseph Kennedy Sr. never became president of the United States like his son , had strong connections to the White House and knew President Roosevelt well. During World War II, Kennedy became ambassador to the United Kingdom, but was recalled for his anti-British statements and sympathy for the Germans and Nazis, making him a man to work alongside Oswald Mosley.
In particular, Joseph Kennedy, from his position as the head of American diplomacy in London stood against the war with Germany, trying until the beginning of 1940 to meet with Hitler without the prior consent of the American leadership. His attitude, combined with his statements in newspapers that "the war against fascism is not a war for democracy", led, on October 22, 1940, to his replacement.
they didn't hide razors in their hats
Season 5 of Peaky Blinders also introduces drug dealer Brilliant Chang who makes an opium distribution deal with Tommy. The true story behind Brilliant Chang is that he ran a Chinese restaurant in Birmingham and was publicly referred to as the "Opium King".
Kind of like the Walter White of the time.
Even if the real-life Peaky Blinders didn't have much of an impact on Birmingham society, the TV series offers an interesting story that focuses on "what could have been".
Most, if not all, historians report that the real Peaky Blinders didn't hide razors in their hats , while many have reported that Knight and his directing team do not seem to understand very well the language and customs of the Roma of the time.
Peaky Blinders:Netflix Announces Season 6 Release Date
However, Netflix officially announced the release date of the 6th season of "Peaky Blinders".
The popular series, starring Cillian Murphy as the head of the Shelby family, will be released on June 10.
The 6th season is - as we already mentioned - to be the last season of the successful series, although a film adaptation is also being prepared, the production of which will start in 2023.
Of course, one crucial character is missing from the last season:that of Aunt Polly , played by Helen McCrory, who died suddenly of cancer last April.
"I think we're determined to make this season a special series and we're committed to working hard. I think the fans will be happy!" Murphy told Variety.
Commenting on the absence of TV Aunt Polly he noted that"her presence and her character are still felt in the show and she is very much a part of Tommy's journey. It will be different without her. It just won't be the same . I've talked about how amazing she was as an actress and as a person and she's a huge loss to the entire film community and not just our own series. I just hope the new season lives up to her memory." noted.