Peaky Blinders and Industry: A Guide

Introduction

• Purpose: This guide is relevant for those studying A-level media studies, as Peaky Blinders is a set text from 2024.
• Creator: Stephen Knight, grew up in Birmingham, has experience with crime dramas focusing on social issues and working-class themes.

Production and Funding

• Involvement of BBC:

  • Channel: BBC Two helped fund and commission the show.
  • Nature: As a public service broadcaster, BBC can take risks due to funding from license fees, not advertisements.
  • Role: BBC aims to inform, educate, and entertain, with a remit to represent regional areas of Britain.

• Production Companies:

  • Karen Manderbach Productions: Independent company, experienced producer.
  • Tiger Aspect: Known for working on series in regional and working-class areas.
  • Yorkshire Screen Fund: Provided funding to represent Yorkshire regions.

Casting and Filming

• Key Cast Members:

  • Cillian Murphy, Sam Neill, Helen McCrory, David Dawson, Tommy Flanagan, and Tom Hardy.
  • Strategy: Familiar faces to attract both local and global audiences.

• Filming Locations:

  • Primary areas: Yorkshire, Leeds, Liverpool, Blackpool, Birmingham.
  • Accent Considerations: Accents were toned down to improve global accessibility.

Broadcast and Distribution

• Broadcast History:

  • Initial airing on BBC Two (2013), later moved to BBC One due to success.
  • Available on iPlayer, Netflix, Amazon Prime, reflecting shifts to streaming services.

• International Distribution:

  • Initial partners: Weinstein Company and Endemol in the US.
  • Changes: Due to the Weinstein scandal, distribution moved away to Netflix.

Future Prospects

• Franchising: Potential for a Peaky Blinders movie to increase brand and revenue.

Conclusion

• The video serves as an informative guide, encouraging viewers to engage with more content and request additional videos as needed.