A Thousand Blows review: Peaky Blinders comparisons will come, but this boxing drama is its own beast

But really, A Thousand Blows stands on its own two feet as a totally rich and immersive world to take on its own merit.

Set in the East End of London in the 1880s, the new series is a bit of a masterclass in how one drama can fit in so much and yet never feel too crowded or over-the-top.

Somehow seamlessly, the stories of illegal bare-knuckle fighting, a notorious all-female gang and two best friends making the journey from Jamaica to London in order for a better life all intersect for quite the explosive run of episodes.

It's hard to pin down one standout performance in a cast that truly leaves no stone unturned, but viewers will undoubtedly be transfixed by the world of the Forty Elephants when watching.

Based on the real-life history of the gang in question, The Crown's Erin Doherty delivers a knockout performance as the gang's queen, Mary Carr.

She's crafty, witty and thinks on her feet all of the time in order to remain multiple steps ahead of those around her.

From the offset, it's easy to see how intelligent these women are and how loyalty is also at the crux of this group of hard-working women, each taking their job extremely seriously.

There's fun to be had in the scenes of the gang walking casually into Harrods and smashing up displays to steal jewellery, but there's also real tenderness in their downtime, where we get to see the true dynamics within their tight-knit group.

But when one person makes all of the executive decisions, there's surely bound to be some tensions down the line, right?

As we see through small vignettes – particularly with Hannah Walters's Eliza – these women each have their own reasons for joining the gang and, perhaps selfishly, I for one am desperate to learn more about each and every one of them.

A testament to the art of good storytelling, there's a lot more than meets the eye to most of these characters. While we meet them at one place in their life journey, you can't help but ponder the context of where they now find themselves.

Sure, the drama could've utilised flashbacks more, though, while it does for one particular storyline, flashbacks can often be a bit of a lazy way of telling the story on-screen.

There's more fun to be had with having a few missing pieces of the puzzle, forcing the viewers to ideate for themselves and be surprised when things are revealed in the process.

For a lot of people, the prospect of sitting down to watch six episodes all about boxing in the East End won't necessarily fill them with the most excitement. There may be sceptics, even naysayers who don't watch boxing nowadays, so why would you want to watch a drama about the gritty criminal underbelly that previously existed around the sport?

Well, when that entire boxing storyline is headed up by the likes of Stephen Graham and Malachi Kirby, let's just say you're going to want to take some serious notice. Besides, A Thousand Blows may be majorly concerned with the world of boxing, but there's a lot more than meets the eye here.

Graham's Sugar Goodson is a complicated man, a self-appointed emperor of the boxing scene in the East End and someone who many have come to fear over the years, including those closest to him, like his brother Treacle (James Nelson-Joyce).

There's a brotherly bond there that is tender to see, but as per the time period, it's not one filled with outright love and affirmations. Instead, Treacle knows that Sugar's career may be ailing but is always on-hand with well-intentioned support, even if Sugar doesn't always approve of the decisions he makes surrounding his career.

Running The Blue Coat Boy – the last remaining bare-knuckle boxing pub – in Wapping, Sugar's world is very much tied up in the pub, with many of his scenes dictated by training, fighting or broodily lingering about the place, almost looking for a fight.

It's in the first episode of the series that Sugar finally meets his match in Hezekiah Moscow (Malachi Kirby), an unlikely opponent who has actually come over from Jamaica to London in order to be a lion tamer. What a sweet premise, you may be wondering – and yes, it is inspired by a very real story.

But unfortunately, as depicted in the series, Hezekiah's boyhood dreams are quashed by the realities of racism. Coming to England with dreams of riches and wealth, his is a tale that still has so much resonance today.

Even in the face of being sidelined, undermined and outrightly told to go back to Jamaica, though, Hezekiah remains ever hopeful and, along with his best friend Alec (Francis Lovehall), brings a much-needed touching and often humorous element to the entire series.

What do you do when you make such a life-changing trip to another country to find out that your dreams need to change almost immediately? Well, as you can likely guess by now, Hezekiah turns to boxing, and it's within that world that the almost instantaneous rivalry between Sugar and Hezekiah forms.

Both known for their own fair share of scene-stealing performances on the big and small screen, Kirby and Graham are a complex and endearing bundle of emotions to watch.

But it's precisely that brewing tension – that exists even in the many scenes they're not together in – that underpins the series. Where Sugar is like a stick of unpredictable dynamite, Hezekiah is more patient and considered, but undoubtedly just as passionate.

Ultimately, the three leads and their fight for survival continue to intersect, testing loyalties and forming new alliances. But the special thing about such an ensemble piece like A Thousand Blows is that each character's story (not just the central trio) revolves around a similar central desire for more.

With such a lot going on, there can often be moments in the series that you may blink and miss something. Centred on the world of boxing, thievery and more, there's a quick pace to the series that is generally retained quite well but can sometimes veer into unexpected slowness.

Sure, every series needs its quieter moments, so for that, it can all be excused – especially when it's bookended with gripping vicious fights and robbery plots.

Expect the unexpected with this show, I say without meaning to sound too cliché in the world of British drama. But truly, A Thousand Blows can't just be confined to the restraints of "simply" being a drama about boxing. It uses the sport to provide commentary on class, gender, race and childhood trauma, something our complicated three leads all have in common.

Like any series, there are dips and flows to be had, but inevitably things ricochet towards quite the roller coaster of final episodes that are worth sticking with the show for.

It's within those instalments that A Thousand Blows really comes into its own – perhaps a little too late for some – and sets things up for a stellar second season.

A Thousand Blows comes to Disney Plus from 21st February. You can sign up to Disney Plus from £4.99 a month now.

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