A Thousand Blows

Stephen Graham just keeps knocking out these dark, gritty roles that he pulls off really well. Binge watched this series tonight after watching the trailer on tiktok over the last week or so.

The main characters are engaging, you find yourself cheering for the "bad guys" more often than not to get out of situations and scenarios they have found themselves embroiled within.

Glad to see its been renewed for a season 2 and look forward to seeing what other stories are in the pipeline. It has a peaky blinders feel to it that i didnt realise how much i'd missed. I'd definitly recommend giving it a watch.

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.

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.

Actors, storyline, sets, just riveting! Every character drags you into their baggage and you don't want to leave. The parallel stories of the East and West Ends of London - a stark contrast that is jarring. I really hope the series will continue. Its characters and the story are among the best I've seen this year. Don't miss it! If you love the grit and grime of rough characters in London - it's brutal and gory but you'll be unable to stop watching despite the difficulty of the story. I can't wait for the next set of stories - please bring it back!! It's one of those stories that you hate to see the last episode because you don't want to let go of the characters.

I started watching A Thousand Blows yesterday afternoon on a whim. Not knowing anything about it, unsure if I'd even like it because I'm not a huge fan of boxing, I'm glad I gave it a chance. I was hooked from the first scene. The acting and storytelling is thoroughly and thoughtfully executed, moving seamlessly among story lines and character arcs. It all weaves together into a beautiful narrative tapestry.

Every character plays their part with complexity and warmth. Given the setting and subject matter, the writing could easily rely on well-worn tropes, as it does in so many potentially great series. Thankfully none of that is happening in A Thousand Blows, as each character and plot is written in a way that gives people fully formed personalities and motivations.

Each character's actions and motivations are relevant and important to the story. The dialogue is realistic and continually supports and builds the narrative. The effect provides the viewer with a sense of being carried by the writing so that you can easily get fully absorbed in the narrative. Solid narrative structure is such a rare quality in television these days, so it was refreshing to say the least.

The series is perfectly paced, wasting no moment and never dragging or lagging in story progression. By the end I found myself satisfied with what had transpired and excited to see what happens next.

9/10 completely binge-worthy and satisfying.