Filming has Begun on the Fifth Season of PEAKY BLINDERS

Filming is underway on the fifth series of the acclaimed Bafta award-winning drama Peaky Blinders, which announced its move to BBC One, the nations favourite channel, earlier this year.

The first image has been released of Cillian Murphy (Dunkirk, 28 Days Later) reprising his role as Tommy Shelby in the new series of the acclaimed gangster drama, which began filming in Manchester in September. The drama is written by Steven Knight and is produced by Caryn Mandabach Productions and Tiger Aspect Drama.

Also returning to the series are Helen McCrory (Skyfall, HARRY Potter), Paul Anderson (The Revenant, Legend), Sophie Rundle (Bodyguard), Finn Cole (Animal Kingdom), Kate Phillips (The Crown) and Natasha O'Keefe (Sherlock Holmes: The Abominable Bride).

Aidan Gillen (Game of Thrones) and Jack Rowan (Born To Kill) return as father and son heavyweights Aberama and Bonnie Gold along with Charlie Murphy (Happy Valley) and Kingsley Ben-Adir (Deep State). Series five also sees the return of series regulars HARRY Kirton (We Can Be Heroes), Packy Lee (The Frankenstein Chronicles), Ned Dennehy (Good Omens), Ian Peck (Endeavour) and poet/musician Benjamin Zephaniah.

Series five of Steven Knight's crime family saga finds the world thrown into turmoil by the financial crash of 1929. Opportunity and misfortune are everywhere. When Tommy Shelby MP (Cillian Murphy) is approached by a charismatic politician with a bold vision for Britain, he realises that his response will affect not just his family's future but that of the entire nation.

Executive producer, Caryn Mandabach, says: "Steve's Birmingham saga becomes more fascinating and more relevant with every chapter. This one promises to be the best yet. I'm truly grateful to the BBC for their support of such thrilling, immersive and resonant storytelling".

Creator, Steven Knight, says: "The story of the PEAKY BLINDERS and of the Shelby family gets woven into the political fabric of Britain and Europe as the 1920's end and the thirties begin. Tommy Shelby faces the darkest force he has ever faced and his struggle is as relevant today as it was then."

Piers Wenger, Controller of BBC Drama, says: "Peaky Blinders is a truly iconic BBC drama and I cannot wait for viewers to see what Steven has in store when the cast, led by the mesmerising Cillian Murphy, return for series five in its new home on BBC One."

The fifth series will be directed by Anthony Byrne (In Darkness, Butterfly, Ripper Street) and will be produced by Annie Harrison-Baxter (Marcella, In the Flesh, The Secret of Crickley Hall).

Peaky Blinders is produced by Caryn Mandabach Productions and Tiger Aspect Drama for BBC One; executive produced by Caryn Mandabach, Steven Knight, Jamie Glazebrook, David Mason, Patrick Spence, Cillian Murphy and, for the BBC, Tommy Bulfin.

The show is represented internationally by Endemol Shine International, has sold across 183 countries and airs widely on Netflix internationally including the USA.

Speaking at the 2018 Edinburgh TV Festival Charlotte Moore, Director of BBC Content, announced that the Bafta award-winning drama series PEAKY BLINDERS will move from BBC Two to BBC One for it's fifth series.

Series four was the best performing so far and BBC Two's top drama of 2017, attracting an average consolidated audience of 3.3m - almost one million more than series three. PEAKY BLINDERS is one of the top BBC dramas for 16-34s, and has grown series on series; series four increased its 16-34 audience by 56% from series three.

The series took home the British Academy Television Awards for best drama series at the 2018 award ceremony.