Fans praise '10/10' BBC crime drama being called 'best British show since Peaky Blinders'

A lot of people reckon that Peaky Blinders is in a league of it's own and that nothing can come close - but the bloke who created the hit series is giving it a good run for its money.

British screenwriter Steven Knight really knocked it out of the park when he thought up the Birmingham-based drama which first aired more than ten years ago, but he's still got plenty left to give to the entertainment industry.

The 65-year-old gained the inspiration to create the thrilling series, starring Cillian Murphy as the suave yet scary Tommy Shelby, from his parents.

"When I was a boy they told me about their own childhoods, growing up in Small Heath, Birmingham," Knight previously told GQ.

"Their stories were like tales from another world, even though I grew up in the same city."

BBC

"Their words came alive in my imagination. I learned from them that the backstreets of Birmingham in the Twenties were a wild and, in my mind, wonderful place," he continued.

"A lawless, smoky, boozy cast of characters moved to the rhythm of mysterious bangs and booms and hammer blows coming from the car and weapons factories that worked 24 hours a day all year round, dropping ash like snow on the blackened streets."

Taking notice of his mother and father's old tales clearly paid off, as Peaky Blinders went on to achieve international acclaim, scoop a series of major awards and put some incredible British talent on the map.

But for his new crime drama series, Knight is instead drawing from his own experiences this time around.

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The Serenity producer said it is a project which is 'very close to his heart', explaining: "It’s about an era I lived through and know well and it involves characters who I feel I grew up with.

"It’s a love letter to Birmingham and Coventry, but I hope people from all over the world will relate to it."

It seems his wish is coming true, as ever since the first episodes of This Town aired on Easter Sunday (31 March) on BBC One and the series became available to watch on iPlayer, social media users have been raving about it.

The six-part programme, dubbed a 'high octane thriller and a family saga', follows the rise of a upcoming band on a budding music scene in 1980s Birmingham, against the backdrop of political unrest, violence and crime.

Expect some good tunes, shady villains and tearaway teens getting into trouble as This Town explores the rise of ska and two-tone music, which first exploded in Birmingham and Coventry.

BBC

The long-awaited series stars the likes of Levi Brown, Jordan Bolger, Ben Rose and Eve Austin in the lead roles.

Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), Nicholas Pinnock (Marcella) and David Dawson (My Policeman) also make up the impressive cast, who have received praise from viewers for their performances - just not their accents.

One joked: "This Town living up to expectations. Been class so far (apart from some of the accents)."

Another wrote: "Is it just me or could anyone else binge watch the living daylights out of This Town?"

A third added: "Five minutes in and loving This Town. I miss the rebellion of the 1980s and ordinary people standing up against the state. Need it now more than ever."

A fourth wrote: "This Town on the BBC is really good. It’s done very well."

While a fifth commented: "This Town is a f***ing masterpiece. Superb."