Peaky Blinders creator 'delighted' the BBC has confirmed series 4 and 5 of the crime thriller

Hit period gangland drama Peaky Blinders has been commissioned for a fourth and fifth series by the BBC.

The series which stars Cillian Murphy as the head of a crime family in 1920s Birmingham returned earlier in May with a consolidated audience of three million viewers on BBC2.

Peaky Blinders executive producer Caryn Mandabach said: “It’s a fantastic vote of confidence in the show and Steven Knight’s writing that the BBC has ordered two more series following the first episode overnight figures. We’re both proud of, and grateful for, the BBC’s continued support of the show."

Creator Steven Knight confirmed he would write all episodes for the new series and added: "I am genuinely thrilled at the response to the third series of the show. The prospect of writing series four and five is truly exciting. This is a real passion project for me and I look forward to telling more stories of the Shelby family."

Cillian Murphy, who plays the central anti-hero, said: “Tommy Shelby is one of the most intense, challenging characters I’ve had the opportunity to play. I’m particularly grateful that Steven’s original, dynamic writing and the long form series allow me to explore Tommy in depth. I very much look forward to Tommy’s evolution over the next two chapters.”

 

Principal photography of series four will commence in 2017.

The current series of Peaky Blinders continues on Thursdays and concludes on June 9th.

WATCH > Steven Knight tell us recently he wants Peaky Blinders to continue right up until World War Two

Patrick McLennan

Patrick McLennan is a London-based journalist and documentary maker who has worked as a writer, sub-editor, digital editor and TV producer in the UK and New Zealand. His CV includes spells as a news producer at the BBC and TVNZ, as well as web editor for Time Inc UK. He has produced TV news and entertainment features on personalities as diverse as Nick Cave, Tom Hardy, Clive James, Jodie Marsh and Kevin Bacon and he co-produced and directed The Ponds, which has screened in UK cinemas, BBC Four and is currently available on Netflix. 


An entertainment writer with a diverse taste in TV and film, he lists Seinfeld, The Sopranos, The Chase, The Thick of It and Detectorists among his favourite shows, but steers well clear of most sci-fi.