Set in 1919 Birmingham, Peaky Blinders Season 1 follows Tommy Shelby as he navigates the aftermath of the Great War, accidentally acquires a crate of government rifles, and attempts to expand his family's illegal betting empire into a legitimate business. 🎬 Episode Guide
Season 1 consists of six episodes, each approximately 55–60 minutes long.
Episode 1: Tommy Shelby fixes a horse race, provoking local kingpin Billy Kimber. Meanwhile, Inspector Campbell arrives to find stolen government guns.
Episode 2: A war begins with the Lee family after a confrontation at a fair. Campbell conducts a brutal raid on Small Heath.
Episode 3: Tommy brings Grace to the Cheltenham races to distract Billy Kimber while the IRA approaches him about the stolen weapons.
Episode 4: To end the feud with the Lees and gain an ally against Kimber, Tommy arranges a marriage between his brother John and Esme Lee.
Episode 5: Grace and Tommy kill IRA members. Grace negotiates with Campbell to spare Tommy in exchange for the guns' location.
Episode 6: The Peaky Blinders and Lees face off against Billy Kimber's men. Kimber is killed, and Campbell confronts Grace at the train station. 👥 Main Cast and Characters index of peaky blinders season 1 top
The season features a powerful ensemble led by Cillian Murphy. Thomas "Tommy" Shelby Cillian Murphy War-hardened leader of the Peaky Blinders Inspector Chester Campbell Brutal Belfast investigator sent by Winston Churchill. Polly Gray Helen McCrory The Shelby family matriarch and gang treasurer. Grace Burgess Annabelle Wallis Undercover agent working for Campbell at the Garrison. Arthur Shelby Jr. Paul Anderson Tommy's volatile eldest brother. Ada Shelby Sophie Rundle Tommy’s rebellious sister, involved with a communist. John Shelby The third-youngest Shelby brother. Freddie Thorne Iddo Goldberg A communist leader and Ada’s husband. ⭐ Reception and Ratings
Season 1 was highly acclaimed for its gritty atmosphere, cinematography, and lead performances.
The story of Peaky Blinders Season 1 follows the rise of Thomas "Tommy" Shelby
, the ambitious leader of the Peaky Blinders gang in post-WWI Birmingham
. The season serves as a high-stakes chess match between Tommy and Chief Inspector Chester Campbell over a shipment of stolen government weapons. The Plot: Guns and Gambles The Catalyst
: Tommy’s men accidentally steal a crate of Lewis machine guns and ammunition meant for the British government. Winston Churchill dispatches Inspector Campbell from Belfast to Birmingham to recover them at all costs. The Strategy
: Instead of returning the guns, Tommy uses them as leverage to expand his empire, fixing horse races and provoking the local kingpin, Billy Kimber. The Infiltrator : Campbell plants an undercover operative, Grace Burgess , as a barmaid at the Garrison Pub to spy on the Shelbys. The Family Tension Set in 1919 Birmingham, Peaky Blinders Season 1
: Internal conflicts rise as Tommy's brother Arthur struggles with PTSD and his sister Ada falls for the communist leader Freddie Thorne, a marriage Tommy initially tries to prevent. Episode Index (Season 1)
The first season of Peaky Blinders , which premiered on September 12, 2013, establishes the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-WWI Birmingham. Led by the ambitious war veteran Thomas Shelby
, the gang navigates a landscape of industrial unrest, police corruption, and shifting criminal hierarchies. Season 1 Episode Index Season 1 consists of six episodes , each approximately 55–60 minutes long. Peaky Blinders Wiki The complete story of the Peaky Blinders | Shelby Brothers
Peaky Blinders Season 1 Index 1919 Birmingham , the first season of Peaky Blinders follows the ambitious war veteran Thomas Shelby
as he leads his family gang to consolidate power through illegal betting and a fortuitous theft of government weapons. 1. Episode Index (Series 1) Season 1 consists of six episodes , each approximately 55–60 minutes in length. Episode 1:
Thomas Shelby fixes a horse race and discovers his gang has accidentally stolen a crate of government guns. Inspector Campbell arrives in Birmingham to retrieve them. Episode 2:
Thomas starts a feud with a gypsy family (the Lees) and meets with Campbell. Campbell carries out a raid in Small Heath. Episode 3: Runtime: 58 minutes Top Index Moment: Tommy confronts
Thomas attempts to get closer to racing kingpin Billy Kimber at the Cheltenham races, using Grace as an accompaniment. Episode 4:
The war with the Lee family intensifies. John Shelby plans to marry a former prostitute, but Thomas intercedes, arranging a marriage to Esme Lee to secure an alliance. Episode 5:
Thomas deals with an IRA chief seeking revenge. His father, Arthur Sr., briefly returns and cons Arthur Jr. before abandoning the family again. Episode 6:
The Peaky Blinders face off against Billy Kimber at the Worcester races (Black Star Day). Grace’s cover is blown, leading to a final confrontation with Campbell. Peaky Blinders Wiki 2. Primary Characters & Cast Series 1 | Peaky Blinders Wiki | Fandom
If you are building your personal "top index" of Season 1, here is the definitive ranking from best to least (though there is no such thing as a bad episode here).
Release Date: September 12, 2013
Number of Episodes: 6
Genre: Historical Crime Drama
Created by: Steven Knight
Production: Caryn Mandabach Productions, Tiger Aspect Productions
Violence here is precise — a form of communication. Whether a quiet intimidatory gesture or a bloody confrontation, acts of force enact power relations. The season indexes violent episodes as narrative punctuation marks that escalate stakes, reveal character, and convert threat into profit.