Peaky Blinders to end after forthcoming series, BBC confirms

Production on sixth and final series has finally begun after eight months of delay

Peaky Blinders will end after its forthcoming sixth season, the BBC has confirmed.

News of the smash hit drama series coming to an end coincides with the beginning of production on the final season, following months of delay due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement, series creator Steven Knight teased the end of the show, along with a possible kind of spin-off that will not be a television series.

“We find the family in extreme jeopardy and the stakes have never been higher,” Knight declared. “We believe this will be the best series of all and are sure that our amazing fans will love it. While the TV series will be coming to an end, the story will continue in another form.”

“We are very excited that filming for Peaky Blinders has begun and so grateful to everyone for all their hard work to make it happen,” added BBC executive producer Tommy Bulfin. “Steve’s scripts for series six are truly remarkable and provide a fitting send-off which we are sure will delight fans.”

Storylines for the sixth season remain under wraps, but Peaky Blinders director Anthony Byrne did tease last year that a “dark” female character will be introduced.

“I haven’t seen a character like her in Peaky before,” Byrne said. “I won’t say who she is, but she certainly gives Tommy [Shelby, played by Cillian Murphy] a run for his money. She challenges him in a different way.”

The sixth season of Peaky Blinders was due to begin filming in April 2020, but production was delayed indefinitely due to the pandemic.

Cillian Murphy in Peaky Blinders (Robert Viglasky/Tiger Aspect/BBC)

Peaky Blinders stars Murphy as the leader of a prolific crime family operating in the immediate aftermath of the First World War. Helen McCrory and Paul Anderson also star, while actor Stephen Graham was confirmed last year as one of the major new additions to the show’s cast.

The show’s sixth season will presumably air later this year, or in 2022.