Peaky Blinders is a British period crime drama television series created by Steven Knight. Set in Birmingham, it follows the exploits of the Peaky Blinders crime gang in the direct aftermath of the First World War. The fictional gang is loosely based on a real urban youth gang by the same name, who were active in the city between the 1880s and the 1910s.

The programme premiered on 12 September 2013. It was broadcast on BBC Two, with repeats on BBC Four, until the fourth series. It then moved to BBC One for the fifth and sixth series.

Cast table Character Portrayed by Series The Immortal Man 1 2 3 4 5 6 Thomas "Tommy" Shelby Cillian Murphy colspan="6" Chief Inspector/Major Chester Campbell Sam Neill colspan="2" colspan="5" Elizabeth Pollyanna "Polly" Gray, née Shelby Helen McCrory colspan="5" colspan="2" Arthur Shelby Jr. Paul Anderson colspan="6" Grace Shelby, née Burgess Annabelle Wallis colspan="3" colspan="2" Freddie Thorne Iddo Goldberg colspan="6" Ada Thorne, née Shelby Sophie Rundle colspan="6" John "Johnny" Shelby Joe Cole colspan="4" colspan="3" Charlie Strong Ned Dennehy colspan="6" Jeremiah "Jimmy" Jesus Benjamin Zephaniah colspan="6" Roberts David Dawson colspan="6" Winston Churchill Andy Nyman colspan="6" Richard McCabe colspan="5" Neil Maskell colspan="4" colspan="2" Billy Kimber Charlie Creed-Miles colspan="6" Arthur Shelby Sr. Tommy Flanagan colspan="6" Darby Sabini Noah Taylor colspan="5" Alfred "Alfie" Solomons Tom Hardy colspan="5" May Fitz Carleton Charlotte Riley colspan="3" Michael Gray Finn Cole colspan="5" Lizzie Shelby, née Stark Natasha O'Keeffe colspan="5" Esme Shelby-Lee Aimee-Ffion Edwards colspan="2" colspan="2" Grand Duchess Tatiana Petrovna Gaite Jansen colspan="2" colspan="4" Ruben Oliver Alexander Siddig colspan="2" colspan="4" Johnny Dogs Packy Lee colspan="2" colspan="4" Arch Duke Leon Romanov Jan Bijvoet colspan="2" colspan="4" Grand Duchess Izabella Petrovna Dina Korzun colspan="2" colspan="4" Father John Hughes Paddy Considine colspan="2" colspan="4" Linda Shelby Kate Phillips colspan="2" colspan="3" Jessie Eden Charlie Murphy colspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="2" Luca Changretta Adrien Brody colspan="3" colspan="3" Curly Ian Peck colspan="3" colspan="3" Bonnie Gold Jack Rowan colspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="2" Aberama Gold Aidan Gillen colspan="3" colspan="2" colspan="2" Gina Gray Anya Taylor-Joy colspan="4" colspan="2" Colonel Ben Younger Kingsley Ben-Adir colspan="3" colspan="2" Sir Oswald Mosley Sam Claflin colspan="4" colspan="2" Jimmy McCavern Brian Gleeson colspan="4" colspan="2" Mother Superior Kate Dickie colspan="4" colspan="2" Brilliant Chang Andrew Koji colspan="4" colspan="2" Barney Thomason Cosmo Jarvis colspan="4" colspan="2" Finn Shelby Alfie Evans-Meese colspan="6" Harry Kirton colspan="4" Laura McKee/Captain Swing Charlene McKenna colspan="4" Frances Pauline Turner colspan="3" colspan="2" Lady Diana Mitford Amber Anderson colspan="5" Jack Nelson James Frecheville colspan="5" Hayden Stagg Stephen Graham colspan="5" Erasmus "Duke" Shelby Conrad Khan colspan="5" Barry Keoghan colspan="6" Isiah Jesus Jordan Bolger colspan="3" colspan="3" Daryl McCormack colspan="4" Billy Grade Emmett J. Scanlan colspan="4" Kaulo Chiriklo Rebecca Ferguson colspan="6" Zelda Chiriklo colspan="6" John Beckett Tim Roth colspan="6"

Main characters

Tommy Shelby

Thomas Michael "Tommy" Shelby (portrayed by Cillian Murphy) is the main protagonist of Peaky Blinders. He is the son of Arthur and Mrs Shelby, and the brother of Arthur, John, Ada, and Finn Shelby. As patriarch of the Shelby family, he leads the Peaky Blinders, a notorious criminal gang based in Birmingham.

During World War I, Tommy serves as a Sergeant Major and is decorated with medals for gallantry, which he discards into a canal upon returning home. The horrors of the war leave him deeply disillusioned and plagued by recurring nightmares. These experiences fuel his determination to improve his family's social standing and protect them from being mistreated.

After a bitter rivalry with the New York Mafia and amid the chaos of the Wall Street Crash, Tommy becomes a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party, entrusting the management of the family's legal business to his older brother, Arthur Shelby.

Tommy is respected in his community and regarded as dangerous by his enemies. Under his leadership, the Peaky Blinders transforms from a local street gang into a national organisation, clashing with major entities, such as the New York Mafia. His wartime experiences make him fearless and nearly impossible to intimidate. Despite his violent ways, Tommy shows moments of remorse, reflecting on his actions throughout the series.

By the fifth series, Tommy is deeply depressed and struggles with suicidal thoughts, attempting to take his own life multiple times. After the death of Polly Gray, he becomes sober and gives up drinking. Later, he is falsely diagnosed with an inoperable tuberculoma, leading him to demolish his home, say farewell to his family, and retreat into the wild to live alone. Upon his return, he watches as his wagon and remaining possessions burn before riding away into the unknown.

Arthur Shelby Jr.

Arthur Shelby Jr. (portrayed by Paul Anderson) is one of the central protagonists of Peaky Blinders. He is the eldest son of Arthur and Mrs. Shelby and the older brother of Tommy, John, Ada, and Finn. Arthur is married to Linda Shelby, and together they have a son, Billy Shelby. A key member of the Peaky Blinders, he serves as the Deputy Vice-President of Shelby Company Limited and plays a pivotal role in the Industrial Cleaners Association (ICA), working as his brother Tommy's assistant.

Throughout the series, Arthur grapples with a crippling drug addiction, which steadily erodes his life. He remains fiercely loyal to his family, but his deep remorse for his past actions haunts him. Though he desperately wants to do right by those he loves, Arthur struggles to keep his impulses in check. His temper flares easily, especially when he feels his or his family's pride is threatened.

In the second series, Arthur’s PTSD from his time in World War I comes to light. To cope, he turns to cocaine, hoping it will dull the pain, but it only deepens his emotional and mental turmoil.

Ada Thorne

Ada Thorne (née Shelby) (portrayed by Sophie Rundle) is the fourth and only female sibling in the Shelby family. At first, she is the only one of her brothers not involved with the Peaky Blinders. However, by the end of third series, Ada takes on a leading role in the US branch of Shelby Company Limited, where she focuses exclusively on legal acquisitions, a contrast to her brothers' more hands-on involvement in Birmingham.

Ada is the widow of the known communist, Freddie Thorne, with whom she has a son, Karl Thorne, named after Karl Marx. Ada Thorne has a brief, secret relationship with Colonel Ben Younger, an intelligence officer, following the death of her husband, Freddie Thorne. Ada gives birth to a daughter named Elizabeth "Betty" Younger following Ben's death.

Polly Gray

Elizabeth Pollyanna "Polly" Gray (née Shelby) (portrayed by Helen McCrory) is the mother of Michael and Anna Gray, and the aunt of Arthur, Tommy, John, Ada, and Finn Shelby. She serves as the matriarch of the Shelby family. A key member of the Peaky Blinders, Polly is a certified accountant and the company treasurer for Shelby Company Limited.

While the Shelby brothers are away during World War I, Polly takes charge of managing the Peaky Blinders' operations. Upon their return, she continues to play a central role in supporting the family, helping to resolve feuds and offering guidance on key decisions and company policies.

Polly is killed by the IRA, a direct consequence of her nephews' actions after their failed attempt to assassinate Oswald Mosley. Her body is delivered to Tommy’s home, Arrow House, where he is consumed with grief and guilt over her death.

John Shelby

John Michael "Johnny" Shelby, also known as John Boy (portrayed by Joe Cole), is the third son of Arthur Shelby Sr. and the brother of Arthur, Tommy, Ada, and Finn Shelby. He had seven children: two sons and two daughters with his late first wife, Martha Shelby, and three children with his second wife, Esme. One of his daughters is named Katie Shelby.

John served as a soldier during World War I. Upon returning to Birmingham, he becomes a high-ranking member of the Peaky Blinders and holds a one-third share in the Shelby family business, Shelby Company Limited. He is shot and killed by Changretta's men in the fourth series.

Grace Shelby

Grace Helen Shelby (née Burgess) (portrayed by Annabelle Wallis) is an Irish woman who works as a barmaid at The Garrison pub while secretly serving as an undercover agent for the Birmingham Police. Her mission is to get close to Tommy Shelby in order to recover stolen weapons. She operates under Inspector Campbell, who knew her late father, and claims to have been trained as a secret operative. By the end of the first series, she and Tommy become lovers. Their relationship is brief, as she soon leaves for America. Despite urging him to join her, Tommy rejects her offer.

Two years later, Grace marries Clive Macmillan, a wealthy banker, and settles in Poughkeepsie, New York. Despite her new life, her feelings for Tommy remain. When she returns to London, she reunites with him and confesses that she is still in love with him and is carrying his child.

In the third series, Grace and Tommy marry and move to a country estate with their young son, Charles. Soon after, Grace is shot and killed by an Italian assassin during an evening party, on the orders of Vicente Changretta.

Chester Campbell

Chester Campbell (portrayed by Sam Neill) is an inspector in the Royal Irish Constabulary, hired by Winston Churchill to track down and recover a missing consignment of guns from the Birmingham Small Arms factory. Although he is clearly dedicated to upholding the law, he readily resorts to brutal and underhanded tactics, like ordering his henchmen to commit criminal acts.

In the second series, Polly Gray corners Major Campbell in a phone booth while he is talking to Winston Churchill. Despite his desperate pleas, she shoots him.

Winston Churchill

Winston Churchill (portrayed by Andy Nyman in series 1, Richard McCabe in series 2, and Neil Maskell in series 5–6) serves as the Secretary of State for the Colonies during the second series. He hires Inspector Campbell, a man he finds amusing but also a strong candidate for the job, to retrieve his stolen machine guns. Two years after Campbell's death, it is revealed that Churchill continues to strike deals with Tommy Shelby, a partnership that remains mutually beneficial. His character is based on the historical figure by the same name.

Michael Gray

Michael Gray (portrayed by Finn Cole) is the son of Polly Gray and the cousin of the Shelby siblings. He was taken from Polly at a young age and raised by his adoptive mother. When Polly expresses her wish to reunite with her children, Tommy visits Michael’s foster family and invites him to meet his biological mother. Michael reunites with Polly and becomes part of the Shelby family and the Peaky Blinders at the age of 17. He begins his journey on the respectable, legal side of the family business, Shelby Company Limited.

After Polly is murdered by the IRA, Michael is devastated and believes that Tommy’s ambition and schemes led to her death. He swears revenge on Tommy at any cost. By the sixth series, Michael is completely estranged from the Shelby family and has moved to the US, where he lives with his son, Laurence, and his wife, Gina.

During the series finale, Michael attempts to kill Tommy using a car bomb. Tommy, who anticipates the attempt, has Johnny Dogs switch the device, and the resulting explosion kills Michael's associates instead. In the aftermath, Tommy shoots Michael in the head, murdering him.