Peaky Blinders 'a Western in the West Midlands'
24 February 2026
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Ed James, BBC Radio WMand
Tim Page, West Midlands
A brand-new documentary has raised the lid on the making of Peaky Blinders, and the "folklore" at the heart of the story.
Peaky Blinders: The Real Story features interviews with individuals behind the show, including creator Steven Knight talking about the Birmingham family folklore that motivated it.
"My mom was a bookmaker's runner. Gambling was unlawful at the time, she was eight years of ages and she would walk down the street with a basket of cleaning and individuals would drop bets into the basket," Knight said.
The documentary, which launched on streaming websites today, has actually been made by filmmaker Robin Bextor, who said he set out to separate fact from fiction.
"The first reported reference of Peaky Blinders that took place at all was in 1890, whereas the Peaky Blinders we see on screen do not start until after the First World War," he told BBC Radio WM.
"The real Peaky Blinders had actually finished before the series starts".
The documentary also checks out the production methods of the six BBC series of Peaky Blinders, including its use of modern-day rock music along with folk and blues.
Bextor said designer Grant Montgomery wanted the show to be "based upon a series of Western movies that he enjoyed".
"I brought a type of Americana to it. I was always drawn to that visual, the lawlessness of it," Montgomery informed the new production.
It comes weeks before the release of a new Netflix film, the Immortal Man, continuing the story of the Shelbys into World War Two. This will be followed by 2 more BBC series through to the 1950s.
Bextor said his film was a tribute to Peaky Blinders' Brummie roots, and the "unsurpassed" skill of its developer, Knight.
"It's not a mishap that he's ending up being the king of drama now. He's been asked to write the brand-new Bond movie, he's got 2 new series operating on TV, he's got the Peaky Blinders film ... and he was asked to compose Star Wars.
"I imply, this guy is a huge achiever. Plus obviously, what Peaky Blinders gave us was 6 series of a fantastic performance by Cillian Murphy."
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