Peaky Blinders season 6 premiere is show's biggest ever launch
BBC One's crime period drama was beaten in its slot by Trigger Point
It looks like the Shelby clan faced some strong competition on Sunday night.
Peaky Blinders won a record premiere audience of 3.8 million viewers in the UK on Sunday, according to overnight figures, with a peak of 4.1 million.
This beats the previous launch ratings record of 3.7 million for the season 5 premiere and also matches the ratings of the season 5 finale, notes Deadline.
However, the gangster drama was beaten in the 9pm slot by the finale of ITV bomb disposal drama Trigger Point.
The thriller series, which stars Line of Duty actress Vicky McClure, boasted a high of 4.7 million.
Now season 6 of Peaky Blinders has graced our screens, it is likely the fan base will just keep on growing.
The gripping gangster drama returned to BBC One on Sunday night (February 27), with fans praising its debut episode and "poignant" tribute to the late Helen McCrory.
The legendary actress, who died of cancer in April 2021, played indomitable matriarch Aunt Polly Gray in the series.
**Spoiler warning for Peaky Blinders season 6 episode 1**
In the episode, viewers discovered that Aunt Polly has been killed during a foiled assassination of fascist politician Oswald Mosley (played by Sam Claflin), prompting the Shelby clan to hold a memorial for Polly.
To respect Polly's Romani heritage, they set fire to a carriage with her photographs and portraits inside, with the show airing a three-minute silence as it burns.
While the latest run will mark the end of the hit TV series, creator Steven Knight has previously hinted that he could resurrect the drama in another medium, such as a play. There could also be room for spin-off shows in the future too.
The show-runner had said that Peaky Blinders would end with the first World War II air raid sirens blaring out over Birmingham, but he has since amended his vision to continue into the tragic conflict with the confirmation of a follow-up movie.
The feature film will replace the once-planned seventh season, which the screenwriter reveals was scrapped amid the chaos caused by COVID-19.
"The reason is boringly practical which is that we lost a year due to the pandemic," Knight revealed. "The way these things are scheduled – it’s like turning an oil tanker around."
He continued: "We just felt, also with the loss of Helen [McCrory], that it all seemed to be pointing towards doing what I'm calling ‘the end of the beginning'. Let’s end the beginning, then let's do the film. And then let's see where we go in terms of spin-offs."
Peaky Blinders season 6 airs on BBC One, and is available to stream on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Drama coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what's on tonight.
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