A Thousand Blows

I ended up enjoying A Thousand Blows much more than I expected to. I've been looking forward to it ever since I first saw the trailers. I'm a fan of this genre so I was going to give it a chance no matter what. It ended up not only meeting my expectations but exceed them. This series is created by Stephen Knight, the same guy who created great shows like Peaky Blinders, See, Rogue Heroes, All the Light We Cannot See, etc. The writing is very good but what makes this series work so well is the acting. The three leads, Malachi Kirby, Erin Doherty and especially the ridiculously underrated Stephen Graham are what makes this series a must watch. Graham is such a good actor, you might know him from Boardwalk Empire, Peaky Blinders, Gangs of New York, The Irishman, Band of Brothers, Taboo, Pirates of the Caribbean, Bodies, Venom and so many other great movies/shows. He was great in all of those. I can't say enough about what an underrated actor Graham is. If you're a fan Stephen Knight's other work then give this a chance... I promise you won't be disappointed.

We yearn for a shot that can captivate an audience. A show that is riveting and knows how to build characters. Ever since Peaky Blinders I've missed just that. This show, although I've only seen the first and second episode have shown all the above. It has everything I need in a show and more. The backdrop is beautiful, the acting stellar, characters on point. I love the direction it's going and I think this show shows great potential as the subject is one of masculinity and possibly femininity ;). Deep dark gritty and violent, perfect score to suit home and watch all day. Accents are a bit rough for some, be ready for subtitles lol.

I don't always enjoy costume drama, but this one is definitely one to watch. Stephen Graham didn't disappoint! He is made for this role. What an amazing performance from his end.

I also loved how the crime syndicate displayed is one with women. Erin Doherty is perfect for the role of Mary Carr.

Throughout great acting, good script and the locations are spectacular. I suspect AI is used for some scenerys but it is done well in this case. I guess what ever keeps the production coats down and free budget for other things like great actors is a plus !

Cliffhanger in the end, meaning there will be a second season and I will definitely watch it.

The sets, scenery and costumes are fantastic even the actors who are some of my favourites especially Erin Doherty and Stephen Graham, however something felt off with this series? Not because I'm expecting it to be peaky blinders, absolutely not it's, it's own show, but it felt far too disney if that makes sense? The writing/directing mainly and this doesn't reflect the actors. I guess this is meant to be the part characters are simply introduced to build upon the storyline they've given us as the preview they've shown at the end looks more gripping! I just hope that's the case as I really want to like this more. I just found myself slightly underwhelmed at present.

Great program gets you reeled in . Definitely one of best at the moment. Lots of great performances with twists and turns throughout the whole series . Short and sweet with only 6 to watch so doesn't feel like it's been dragged out to the death . The characters could do a tweak here and there but sure that's down to getting to know them and been introduced to each of their roles . Hope a second series comes up . Would like to see more of The pub characters eg the brother , punch and the Tom Davies part . Plenty to like and more to love about this showcase of London in a different time of Victorian England.