Peaky Blinders kicks of series seven filming in Birmingham with Lashana Lynch making debut in pics from gangster drama's set
- Have YOU got a story? Email tips@dailymail.co.uk
- Not sure what to watch tonight? Discover our brand new TV GUIDE now!
Peaky Blinders has kicked off filming for its highly anticipated seventh series, with cameras rolling in Birmingham as Lashana Lynch makes her show debut.
Last year it was confirmed that the hit series would return with a bang to the BBC and Netflix, telling the story of a new generation of Shelbys, from writer and creator Steven Knight.
The new series is said to be set to begin in the 1950s, following on from the release of the Peaky Blinders film, The Immortal Man.
Lashana, 38, took to the streets of Birmingham as filming began, with first-look pictures showing her transformed with a 1950s period outfit and hair style.
She looked series as she walked through the streets in the all-brown outfit, which was paired with a green hat and leather bag, as she clutched papers to her chest.
Lashana was seen crossing over with a series of other show actors, including a group of men wearing suits and carrying briefcases.
Peaky Blinders has kicked off filming for its highly anticipated seventh series, with cameras rolling in Birmingham as Lashana Lynch makes her show debut
Lashana, 38, took to the streets of Birmingham as filming began, with first-look pictures showing her transformed with a 1950s period outfit and hair style
Series six of Peaky Blinders ended in the 1930s, and the film is set during the Second World War, so an upcoming series would jump forward several years.
The new episodes are expected to pick up in the fifties, a time of violent Teddy Boy gangs and the rise of the infamous Kray twins in London.
Peaky Blinders creator and writer Steven Knight celebrated the show's return, saying: 'I’m thrilled to be announcing this new chapter in the Peaky Blinders story.
'Once again it will be rooted in Birmingham and will tell the story of a city rising from the ashes of the Birmingham blitz.
'The new generation of Shelbys have taken the wheel and it will be a hell of a ride.'
A TV insider told The Sun at the time: 'The sixth series was meant to be the last and the film was supposed to end the story.
'But show boss Steven Knight couldn't resist coming back. He has been hinting for a while that he wanted to do more.'
Peaky Blinders originally ran from 2013 to 2022, following the Shelby family from 1919 through the 1920s and 1930s.
Lashana looked series as she walked through the streets in the all-brown outfit, which was paired with a green hat and leather bag, as she clutched papers to her chest
Cillian Murphy, who stars in the new film, could return to the series as Thomas Shelby, but in a 'father figure' role to a younger generation of gangsters – similar to the role played by the late Helen McCrory as Polly Gray.
After the TV series ended, creator and writer Steven Knight dropped multiple hints that the story would continue - and it was later confirmed a film was in the works.
The Immortal Man dropped on Netflix last month, and saw Cillian, 49, return to his iconic role as Thomas Shelby in a new storyline set in the 1940s.
Tommy, who has been played by Cillian since the show's debut in 2013, will be driven back to Birmingham from his self-imposed exile in the movie.
The film trailer sees the character living far away from home, living alone, when his past finally begins to catch up with him during World War II.
The synopsis teases the character will face his 'most destructive reckoning yet', adding: 'With the future of the family and the country at stake, Tommy must face his own demons, and choose whether to confront his legacy, or burn it to the ground. By order of the Peaky Blinders.'
It comes after the REAL people, rivalries and crimes within Birmingham's Peaky Blinders were revealed in a look back at old newspaper clippings.
Lashana was seen crossing over with a series of other show actors, including a group of men wearing suits and carrying briefcases
Die-hard fans of the series may know that the fictional characters and the series story are loosely based on a real gang members from Birmingham.
Creator Steven drew inspiration from stories his parents told him about real gangs that operated in the area much earlier than the show's post World War I setting.
Now, genealogy site Ancestry has given a look behind the curtain about the real figures who inspired the hit series, delving into newspaper articles from the past on their site Newspapers.com.
Historical records reveal that the term 'Peaky Blinders' originally referred not to a single organised crime dynasty, but to a group of violent youths operating in Birmingham.
The newspapers used the label broadly, often applying it to anyone sporting the now-iconic flat-peaked caps associated with the gangs activity.
One of the most recognisable names from the series is William ‘Billy’ Kimber, portrayed on screen by Charlie Creed-Miles.
In reality, Kimber was a formidable figure long before television dramatised his life, the leader of the Birmingham Boys gang, and appears in official documents and newspapers throughout the early 20th century.
The trailer ends with Tommy and Barry's character taking a shot at the bar together as they look to be working together
The newspapers used the label broadly, often applying it to anyone sporting the now-iconic flat-peaked caps associated with the gangs activity
Die-hard fans of the series may know that the fictional characters and the series story are loosely based on a real gang members from Birmingham
In 1921, Kimber was recorded living in London with his partner, Cissie Kimber, and her family - and were unmarried until 1926, despite living together.
Just weeks before that 1921 census was taken, the Birmingham Gazette reported that Kimber had been injured in a fight with a rival gang.
Contrary to popular belief, the Peaky Blinders weren't just women, and newspaper reports from the era identify women as active participants in gang activity.
Laura Annie Collins, born around 1863, was identified in newspapers as a Peaky Blinder alongside her husband, Alfred J. Worrall (alias John Collins).
In 1904, the Walsall Observer reported that she attacked a police constable with a hairpin during a trip to Bridgtown, Staffordshire.
Nearly a decade earlier, in 1895, Emma Rowlands appeared before a Birmingham court following an altercation.
The Birmingham Evening Mail described her striking a man in the eye with a belt, an act the prosecutor claimed was unprovoked, despite her insisting she acted in self-defence.
A headline from July 1895 labelled her 'A Female ‘Peaky Blinder’.
One of the most recognisable names from the series is William ‘Billy’ Kimber, portrayed on screen by Charlie Creed-Miles
Historical records reveal that the term 'Peaky Blinders' originally referred not to a single organised crime dynasty, but to a group of violent youths operating in Birmingham
The character of Alfie Solomons, was inspired by real Jewish gang leader Alfred Solomon
Elsewhere, in 1905, a split within the Peaky Blinders resulted in one member stabbing another.
Charles Henry Allbutt was seriously injured in the attack but survived, continuing to appear in criminal records until 1910.
Similarly, brothers William and James Brough, born in Birmingham in 1882 and 1884, were both associated with the Peaky Blinders.
In 1905, James was arrested after drunkenly attacking a police officer, and when William and a friend, Thomas Mullis, attempted to intervene, they too were detained, according to the Birmingham Evening Mail.
James Brough later served in the First World War. By 1921, he was no longer appearing in newspaper reports as a criminal.
Instead, he was working as a metal polisher and living in Birmingham with his wife, Emma, and their children.
The character of Alfie Solomons, played by Tom Hardy, was inspired by real Jewish gang leader Alfred Solomon.
Official records list him not as a crime boss but as a ‘fruiterer’ (fruit seller) and in 1921, he was living in Westminster and described by the same trade.
Tommy Shelby, who has been played by Cillian, 49, since the show's debut in 2013, will be driven back to Birmingham from his self-imposed exile
Alfie Solomons was played by Tom Hardy
But in 1924, Solomon was charged with the murder of bookmaker Barney Blitz at the Eden Social Club.
The Daily Mirror reported that he was sentenced to three years in prison.
Simon Pearce, Family History Expert at Ancestry, said: 'Peaky Blinders has captivated audiences with its gritty stories of rivalry and gang loyalty on the streets of Birmingham.
'Ancestry's real-life discoveries show just how closely the city’s history aligns with the drama on screen and some lesser known facts about the infamous gang too.
'From women actively involved in gang activity to men who served in the First World War, and others who reformed as respectable ‘fruiterers’, it’s a reminder that the most fascinating stories often lie hidden in our local and family histories, waiting to be uncovered.'
Peaky Blinders' new film The Immortal Man is available to stream on Netflix
