David Farnor | On 12, Jan 2018

Peaky Blinders was BBC Two’s biggest drama of 2017, with millions tuning in live and watching on BBC iPlayer every week.

Created and written by Steven Knight, and produced by Caryn Mandabach Productions and Tiger Aspect Productions for BBC Two, the period gangster thriller stars Cillian Murphy, Tom Hardy, Adrien Brody and more – a combination of star talent and visual style that has made the show a blockbuster hit both in the UK and abroad.

Caryn Mandabach, executive producer, says: “It is wildly gratifying to realise how connected our audience is to Tommy Shelby, his family, and everyone in his orbit. Though the action takes place nearly a hundred years ago, Steve has an unparalleled ability to make every character resonate as though they were alive today.”

Season 4 had a series average of 3.3 million, consolidated figures reveal, making it the biggest BBC Two drama series of 2017. It had a peak episode volume of 3.6 million for the season finale, the biggest audience for any Peaky Blinders episode ever. This also makes Season 4 the most popular run of Peaky Blinders to date, ahead of the averages for Season 1 (2.4 million), Season 2 (2.2 million) and Season 3 (2.4 million).

BBC iPlayer figures also reflect the popularity of the critically acclaimed drama, with stats revealing each episode received more than a million requests in the seven days after broadcast transmission. Sign-in data also indicates that nearly 60 per cent of the audience viewing the show on BBC iPlayer were under 35.

“Peaky Blinders continues to grow not just as a TV show but also as a cultural phenomenon,” comments Knight. “As makers we watch the creativity and invention of our fan base as closely as they watch the show. There is a great engine of support behind the show all around the world even in countries where it is not officially available. The BBC gave us a free and open platform to create something other broadcasters may not have understood. The story will continue.”

Patrick Holland, Controller of BBC Two, adds: “Peaky Blinders just gets better and better. It is such a distinctive, brilliantly crafted, beautifully acted series that Steven Knight, the production team and the exceptional cast have taken to another level. It is brilliant that such a broad, younger audience loves the series as much as we do at BBC Two. We can’t wait for the next series!”

Peaky Blinders will return for Season 5 in 2019.

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