‘Peaky Blinders’ to end after sixth and final season

The BBC’s hit drama “Peaky Blinders” will end after its sixth and final season, but creator and writer Steven Knight has vowed the story “will continue in another form.”

Heavily popular abroad, the series follows the story of Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy) and his notorious family’s rise to power in the context of the Birmingham working class after WWI. The BBC confirmed the end of the show on Monday, announcing it had resumed production in the UK under strict COVID guidelines.

The end of Season 6 is something of a surprise given that Knight previously told Entertainment Weekly in 2019 that “Peaky Blinders” would live to see Season 7. However, a one-year delay in production due to the pandemic has likely accelerated plans to end with the season. 6, which will likely air in late 2021 or maybe even early 2022 depending on how quickly production can complete filming amid the ongoing UK viral crisis.

Knight said in a statement Monday: “’Peaky’ is back and with a bang. After the forced production delay due to the Covid pandemic, we find the family in extreme danger and the stakes have never been higher. We think this will be the best show ever and are sure our amazing fans will love it. As the TV series draws to a close, the story will continue in another form. “

There’s no word yet on what’s in store for “Peaky” 2.0, but it’s likely the creative team is considering a spinoff movie or show.

Executive Producer Caryn Mandabach said: “Together with our wonderful solidarity partners the BBC and Netflix, we have worked diligently to ensure that we can safely put ‘Peaky’ back into production; the safety of our actors and our team is always our priority. Thank you to all the ‘Peaky’ fans who have been so steadfast and patient. Steve’s scripts are amazing and mark the end of an epic story that has fascinated audiences since its debut in 2013, but the world of “Peaky Blinders” will live on. “

Season 6 is being written by Knight, while Season 5 pilot Anthony Byrne returns live and Nick Goding will produce.

‘Peaky Blinders’ first aired on BBC Two in 2013 and has become one of the public broadcaster’s biggest hits abroad. It made the transition to the flagship channel BBC One for Season 5 in 2019 and is available worldwide on Netflix.

Executive producers include Mandabach, Knight, Byrne, Jamie Glazebrook, David Mason and Cillian Murphy. Tommy Bulfin is executive producer for the BBC and Lucy Bedford is executive producer for Banijay-owned Tiger Aspect. “Peaky Blinders”, by Caryn Mandabach Productions, is co-produced with Tiger Aspect Productions and distributed internationally by Banijay Rights.

The end of the program will almost certainly pose questions to distributor Banijay Rights, for whom “Peaky Blinders” is the crown jewel in a vast scripted portfolio.