Hulu Is Streaming The Perfect Show For Peaky Blinders Fans – And You've Probably Never Heard Of It

Give Steven Knight this much credit: He knows exactly what he likes, and he's sticking to it. The acclaimed writer and director (of "Locke" and "Spencer" fame, not to mention the next James Bond film) is most well-known for his work on "Peaky Blinders," the gangster series set in the mud-addled cobblestones of early 1900s Birmingham. Well, did you know that he quietly created an entirely new show cut from a near-identical cloth, set nearby in the East End of London and only a few decades removed from when Tommy Shelby's empire rose to prominence? (Also, while both are loosely based on actual history, it's worth noting that neither show is actually connected to the other.)

"A Thousand Blows" premiered on Hulu last year and follows two interwoven storylines: one involving the steely Mary Carr (Erin Doherty), the leader of an all-women criminal group known as the Forty Elephants, and another focusing on the rivalry between Steven Graham's local heavy Sugar Goodson and Jamaican newcomer Hezekiah Moscow (Malachi Kirby) circling one another in a heated, bare-knuckle boxing tournament. But, perhaps as a result of its fairly unheralded (though no less talented) cast and meager six episode count, the series didn't leave much of an impact outside of its core viewership — certainly nothing on the level of "Peaky Blinders."

The recent premiere of the show's excellent second season seems to have given way to similar results ... but, for those in the know, "A Thousand Blows" has quietly transformed into a sleeper pick for one of the best series currently streaming. Whether you're a "Peaky Blinders" fan or simply someone craving some well-executed drama with an ensemble all at the top of their games, there's something for everyone here. Get on board while you can, folks.

Spoilers for the first season of "A Thousand Blows" to follow.

Much like "Peaky Blinders," "A Thousand Blows" provides plenty of fascinating figures to hold our attention. Of all the various factions fighting for the spotlight in the first season, perhaps none made as much of an impression as Mary Carr and her cohort of pickpocketing, bank-robbing, con-artist followers. Creator Steven Knight engineered a thrilling drama in the bustling heart of London, bringing the so-called Forty Elephants gang and the illegal boxing empire of Sugar Goodson into direct conflict with one another — a perfect melting pot for all of the city's most desperate castoffs to bump shoulders with one another. It isn't long before immigrant Hezekiah Moscow and his best friend Alec Munroe (Francis Lovehall) end up in Sugar's crosshairs, both for daring to outshine him at his own game and for Hezekiah grabbing the attention of Mary herself.

That simmering storyline, as with the rest of the season's ongoing concerns, doesn't exactly end well by the end of season 1 ... but that's exactly what gives season 2 so much energy and momentum right out of the gate. Picking up roughly a year later, "A Thousand Blows" takes the bittersweet (but satisfying) conclusion of the first six episodes and adds a new arc that feels like a natural next step for all of these characters. Sugar, once the kingmaker at the top of this city, has succumbed to his vices of alcohol and violence. Hezekiah, once eager enough to flee to New York City with Mary, can now barely stand the sight of her after an unforgivable betrayal of his trust. And Mary, always hatching a new scheme, might've found the payday of a lifetime.

If season 1 of "A Thousand Blows" slowly brought its disparate protagonists together into one cohesive narrative, season 2 largely keeps them apart as they continue to explore this world (and themselves) in ways that take them in all sorts of intriguing directions — almost right until the explosive finale. Torn between his desire of vengeance for a fallen friend and his passionate hatred of the man responsible for a childhood tragedy back at home, Hezekiah finds himself at a crossroads with the most unexpected choice of all: teach a royal prince how to box and reclaim an entire parcel of Jamaican land for himself. Meanwhile, Sugar fights to stay sober enough to patch things up with his estranged brother Treacle (James Nelson-Joyce), ward off a rival gang led by Indigo Jeremy (Robert Glenister), and protect Mary in her dangerous exploits. As for Mary, well, the chance to con her way into acquiring a long-lost work of art and pulling a fast one over the city's most powerful patrons proves too tempting to resist.

This time around, the true pleasures of "A Thousand Blows" comes from seeing these seemingly disconnected subplots all twist and turn and meld into one another at the most unexpected of moments. Though focused predominantly on our three main characters, Knight and his team of writers and directors all find ways to elevate even the most minor of side characters into full-fledged individuals in their own right. This world has never felt more vibrant or expansive, with viewers almost able to touch and feel (and, ugh, smell) the action unfolding in those London alleyways.

For those late to one of the best TV shows of 2025, don't make the same mistake again.