How Peaky Blinders breaks the convention of any other crime drama adaptation (& is yet the G.O.A.T.)

Steven Knight's crime drama series Peaky Blinders stands apart from the vast sea of crime sagas and mob stories that seem to flood the small screen in modern times.

Even in a well-established gangster genre, Tommy Shelby and his family didn't follow the tide, but made their own rules, which is why the show gained immense popularity and is hailed as one of the best crime sagas on television.

While most crime shows found strength in their storylines, Peaky Blinders built its foundation on strong characters, which is why Cillian Murphy's Tommy Shelby has now become synonymous with the gangster image.

Gone is the dingy old aesthetic of the crime genre as Knight's gangsters dressed sharply and looked stylish while blinding their enemies in the Birmingham alleys. This rebirth of the crime genre and its brutal but poetic historical grounding sets it apart from its contemporaries.

More on this in our story.

*Disclaimer- This article is based on the author's opinion. Reader discretion is advised.*

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Peaky Blinders: The post-war Birmingham setting is a unique approach

While most gangster and crime drama adaptations are set in urban settings like the London underworld, New York alleys or American neighborhoods, BBC's Peaky Blinders broke the norm with its post-war Birmingham setting, bringing a new side of history to life.

While many crime dramas have focused on the aftermath of war and dealt with war-induced PTSD, the crime series explored its catastrophic effects to an extent no crime show has. Right from the opening moments of Peaky Blinders Season 1, we see a post-war Birmingham and the general pessimism can be felt in the air.

Without any overtly explicit allusions to the war, Knight was able to create a general paranoia with characters like Danny Whiz-Bang and Arthur Shelby, who visibly suffered from PTSD, labeled as Flanders' blue and had public episodes which bordered on hysteria.

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Peaky Blinders blurred the lines between good and bad

While most crime series base their premise on a general categorization between good and evil, Peaky Blinders broke free from these clear boundaries by creating morally grey characters, who lurked on the edges of these boundaries.

Most crime shows establish good vs bad. While the gangsters are usually the bad guys, who are in stark contrast with the law enforcers, Knight's vision was different.

Tommy and the Shelbies were Birmingham's titular gangster family but they were not evil. Their violent nature and aggression could be termed as a by-product of their times. While Tommy resorted to evil ways to rise the social ladder and fight against many enemies he encountered throughout six seasons, he showed the possibility of change (evidenced by Grace's arrival in his life).

While Tommy and the Shelbies were not always bad, the law enforcement, the supposedly 'good guys' were not always good. One of the most apparent examples is Major Campbell in Seasons 1 and 2. While he started as a 'loyal' officer of the law and the Crown, his personal vendetta against Tommy gets the best of him and he turns into a vicious antagonist.

Not only does he try to wrongfully frame the Peaky Blinders and r*pe Aunt Polly, but he also arranges for Tommy's death in the Season 2 finale.

This switching of sides and blurring the lines between good and bad created an intriguing storyline.

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Peaky Blinders had badass female characters

Another area where Knight's show practically leaves all the crime dramas behind is its approach to female characters. The gangster world is showcased as a male-dominated world in most crime series, with women taking the back seat and playing their parts as a trophy wife.

However, Peaky Blinders broke this norm with badass female characters like Aunt Polly, Ada Shelby and Lizzie, who were central to the plot as much as their male counterparts.

While Aunt Polly was never much involved in action, her influence over the Shelbies, especially Tommy, was clear. While Tommy did not take orders from anybody, even his big brother Arthur, Aunt Polly had a say in all his decisions, which clearly shows that she was the Shelby matriarch.

Aunt Polly's influence over the family cannot be sidelined and while most crime series used their female characters only for beauty, Knight also used them for their brains.

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