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Peaky Blinders - A world away from Downton!

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The black country museum was used, but Birmingham councellors were very efficient in removing as much as they could of the old Birmingham, meaning that there was no point in filming there.
 
Other than hearing the actors say Sparkhill, Sparkbrook etc, you don't see the real places. Would take a lot of computer generated imagery beyond their TV budget, to make the areas look like photos from the 1920s.
 
Living in Canada, I've only watched the first 2 series. I do hope that the 3rd will be a little more authentic and/or believable. The violence and sex scenes are 100% 21st century...we do need at least, some people with rotten teeth...I do enjoy the Peaky Blinders, however, my wife has given up on it half way through series 2.

Dave A
 
Actually, seeing the beatings Tommy received in the series, I'm surprised he still has any teeth
 
Am I imagining this or did people sometimes used to say " Cheeky blinder" ? I'm sure I heard this in the past. Any connection? Viv.
 
Could well have been that Mike. But I do seem to remember whichever it was in the context of swearing. Viv.
 
Ar I thought I’d ’eard ‘cheeky blinder’ an’ all Viv, mind, like Mike, I’ve also come across ‘cheeky blighter’ too!

The Oxford English Dictionary certainly ’as ‘blighter’, which it defines as “A contemptible or unpleasant person”, but also says is “often merely as an extravagant substitute for 'fellow'”, an’ in one quote talks about “little blighters”.

Maybe ‘blinder’ is a euphemistic Brummagem version because ‘blighter’ was thought too strong? In the same way you might say ‘flipping heck’, instead of summut else where the first word starts with an ‘F’ and the next word is ‘hell’!!!
 
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There was an article in the Sunday Times today (29/5/2016), by Tony Allen-Mills, entitled "Heady days for cap sales, thanks to Peaky Binders". The first part of the article read "The return of the Peaky Binders, the sneering, strutting Birmingham gangsters featured in the popular BBC2 drama, has sparked a boom in sales for flat caps worn by the series' leading characters. The John Lewis chain said sales of the headgear had soared since the third series of the gangland drama, set in the years after the Great War, began this month. Sales rose by 27% after the first episode and two weeks later were up 83%. The rise has extended from department stores to upmarket boutiques, where designer caps in custom tweed and silk can sell for up to £200 each". Dave.
 
I'm not a prude but I honestly believe that the amount of adult entertainment shown last night was unnecessary and is often due to a weak script.
 
I am not a prude either nick and feel the same way about last nights episode.
However I thought some parts really amusing, I love Alfie and his question to Arthur about him finding Jesus and how that goes with Arthurs 'line of work' made my laugh..
 
I would think that the BBFC would give the whole series an 18 rating. In America it is hitting an NC-17 if not an R rating.
 
I agree with nickcc101 and Alberta, I did laugh at Arthur saying "Made in Birmingham" but I don't know why!!
rosie.
 
To be frank I thought last night’s offering was corking, though the ‘adult scenes’ were certainly a little too graphic and I can see how they could quite easy offend. Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Alfie Solomons, was, as ever, excellent, but the part that made me laugh was near the beginning.

It’s where Tommy is telling his housekeeper, Mary, how the morphine he’s been taking has made him hallucinate about her standing next to his bed stark naked! But, as he didn’t want to know what might have happen next in this drug induced delusion of his, he’d poured his “medicine” away – thought that exchange was very funny indeed!
 
Glarney said:
To be frank I thought last night’s offering was corking, though the ‘adult scenes’ were certainly a little too graphic and I can see how they could quite easy offend. Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Alfie Solomons, was, as ever, excellent, but the part that made me laugh was near the beginning.

It’s where Tommy is telling his housekeeper, Mary, how the morphine he’s been taking has made him hallucinate about her standing next to his bed stark naked! But, as he didn’t want to know what might have happen next in this drug induced delusion of his, he’d poured his “medicine” away – thought that exchange was very funny indeed!
Click to expand...

That was funny, as was her (silent) reaction. And he certainly has great powers of recuperation.

The Russian aunt looked as if she might be thinking about complaining to the BBC - she has a good line in disapproving looks! I'm not sure that mid-clinch was the ideal moment for Polly to tell Reuben that she'd murdered someone...

Can't believe next week is the final episode of this series.
 
Thought the scene of Tommy in hospital, partially conscious accompanied by the David Bowie track "Lazarus" made it a poignant opening to this episode. Bowie - a big PB fan - got his wish for his music to be used in the series. Viv.
 
It gave me a weird shock, with all the associations (I'd seen a bit of the Bowie video of that track though not the whole thing).

maria
 
Tommy has just referred to his friends in the 'Jewellery Quarter" re. The Faberge egg. I thought 'Jewellery Quarter' was a modern title. Viv.
 
No my mother had her first job in the Jewellery Quarter and that would have been about 1935. She told me that she had a gun in the drawer of her desk but she did not know what to do with it. She said all the messengers carried guns.
 
Viv
The earliest mention that comes up in the newspaper archive is from the Birmingham Post. 23.4.1872
 

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To see if I could find an earlier reference to The Jewellery Quarter than that mentioned by Mikejee above I consulted "Rides on Railways" by Samuel Sidney where there is an extensive review of the industries of Birmingham in 1851. While he does refer to men working in small workshops there is no reference I can find to jewellery as such although he does give detailed descriptions of the manufacture of small metal goods. The full text of the book is available free at https://www.fullbooks.com/Rides-on-Railways1.html . Birmingham is covered at the end of Part 2 and the beginning of Part 3.
 
I agree it was certainly a tense episode last night, with so many twists and turns in the story, and I didn’t see the outcome of the jewel theft coming! Fancy stealing from your own family like that!! But how long will we have to wait to find out the fortunes of the Shelbys now, what with so many on their way to gaol?

Regarding the ‘Jewellery Quarter’, as has been said, its use as a term for that part of Hockley is indeed old, though I hadn’t realised quite how far back this went until I read the above postings. The conscious promotion of the district under this name, however, particularly outside of the City, is definitely a much more recent thing.

Anyhow, I wonder what I’ll do next Thursday night now, without those Peaky Blinders!?
 
I agree Maria. The only point of disagreement I would have with it is that I would omit the "arguably" from "those in power are arguably worse than the Shelbys"
 
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