Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight is back with a new BBC drama titled This Town, which throws viewers straight into the Midlands' ska and two-tone music scene in the 1980s.

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Knight grew up in Streetly, on the borders of Birmingham, and has described the series as a "love letter" to the city, where many of his TV shows have been set.

This Town follows a young poet named Dante (Levi Brown), who forms a band that soon finds itself at the centre of a growing yet volatile music industry.

Brown (Payback) is joined in the cast by other up-and-coming actors Jordan Bolger (Peaky Blinders), Ben Rose (Line of Duty) and Eve Austin (You).

They're also accompanied by established stars including Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), Nicholas Pinnock (Django), David Dawson (The Last Kingdom) and many more.

Read on for everything you need to know about This Town.

This Town BBC release date

Bardon Quinn (BEN ROSE); Gregory Williams (JORDAN BOLGER); Dante Williams (LEVI BROWN) walking together in formal attire
This Town. BBC/Banijay Rights, Kudos

This Town was released on Sunday 31st March, with all episodes becoming instantly available to stream on BBC iPlayer at 6am.

How many episodes of This Town are there?

There will be six episodes in total.

Episodes will air weekly on Sunday nights at 9pm, until the final episode on 28th April.

This Town actors and characters - Levi Brown and Michelle Dockery star

Estella played by Michelle Dockery and Deuce Williams played by Nicholas Pinnock in This Town, sat next to each other. She is doing her lipstick in a handheld mirror
Estella played by Michelle Dockery and Deuce Williams played by Nicholas Pinnock in This Town. BBC/Banijay Rights/Kudos

This Town features a cast led by four up-and-coming actors - Levi Brown (Payback), Jordan Bolger (Peaky Blinders), Ben Rose (Line of Duty) and Eve Austin (You).

They are joined by established stars including Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey), Nicholas Pinnock (Django) and David Dawson (The Last Kingdom), as well as other newcomers and recognisable names.

Here's a full list of the cast for This Town:

  • Levi Brown as Dante Williams
  • Jordan Bolger as Gregory Williams
  • Ben Rose as Bardon Quinn
  • Eve Austin as Jeannie
  • Michelle Dockery as Estella
  • Nicholas Pinnock as Deuce Williams
  • David Dawson as Robbie Carmen
  • Freya Parks as Fiona
  • Shyvonne Ahmmad as Matty
  • Geraldine James as Marie
  • Peter McDonald as Eamonn Quinn
  • John Heffernan as Commander Bentley
  • Stefan Asante-Boateng as Wire
  • Séainín Brennan as Mrs Porter
  • George Somner as Tyro
  • Brendan Gibson as TBC

What is This Town about?

Levi Brown as Dante Williams in This Town in a record shop holding a vinyl looking off to the side
Levi Brown as Dante Williams in This Town. BBC/Banijay Rights/Kudos

The official synopsis for This Town says: "Set in a world of family ties, teenage kicks and the exhilarating music of a generation, This Town tells the story of a band’s formation against a backdrop of violence, capturing how creative genius can emerge from a time of madness.

"Both a high octane thriller and a family saga, This Town opens in 1981 at a moment of huge social tensions and unrest.

"Against this backdrop, it tells the story of a group of young people fighting to choose their own paths in life, and each in need of the second chance that music offers."

If you're wondering how the new series compares to Peaky Blinders, then you're in luck: one of its stars, Ben Rose, has now explained.

Talking exclusively with RadioTimes.com, Rose spoke of the similarities between the two shows, revealing: "It’s just the writing. Steven Knight, the writer, he has a really incredible sort of voice, I think, and he's able to create really grounded, naturalistic characters who all speak in poetry, and all have a heightened sense of reality within this really gritty, very earthly world.

"His language is sort of otherworldly. And the way Peaky uses contemporary popular music to contrast with the era, our show kind of has the opposite, because it's using music of the time, of the era, to make you feel even more immersed in that world."

This Town trailer

You can watch the full trailer for This Town right here now.

This Town is be available to stream on BBC iPlayer.

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Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.

Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

Molly MossTrends Writer

Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.

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