Peaky Blinders season 6: when does the series start and who is in it?

It’s been a while since fans of the acclaimed BBC drama Peaky Blinders saw Thomas Shelby and his family on their television screens.

In February last year, it was confirmed that the sixth and final series of the show had begun filming, in Manchester and Scotland, with a trailer released at the start of this month.

The Peaky Blinders series, primarily set in 1920s Birmingham, left off with Tommy having gone from criminal underworld to public-facing politician, in his bid for power.

So, who will return for the sixth season of Peaky Blinders, what can we expect and when is it released? Here’s all you need to know about the final season of the hit series.

When will the new series be released?

The exact release date for the new and final season is yet to be revealed, all that the BBC are saying at the moment is “fans can expect the next installment early in 2022”. Fans have also been promised that it will be in February and with the World Premiere being held at Cineworld on Broad Street on Thursday the 24th there has been speculation that the release date could be Sunday February 27.

Peaky Blinders teaser trailer and what will happen in season 6

The BBC initially released a short ten second sneak peak of what we can expect from the final series at the start of December, and a full trailer, which you can view above or in the link below, was released on New Year’s Day.

The new season follows on from series five, which introduced Sam Claflin as the leader of the British Union of Fascists, Oswald Mosley, and ended with a cliffhanger as the Shelby family were betrayed by their allies.

In the finale, Tommy’s plan to kill Mosley failed after he was outwitted by the MP, and according to the trailer, it looks as though Mosley and Tommy will again be arch enemies in series 6.

Another shocking moment of the series 5 finale was the revelation that Alfie Solomons (played by Tom Hardy) was still alive.

It was revealed that Tommy had not actually killed Alfie in series 4, but just injured him, when viewers were previously left believing he had been killed off.

Alfie then helped Tommy with his botched plan to assassinate Mosley.

The final episode of the series also revealed that Michael Gray (Finn Cole) was planning to take control of the Peaky Blinders with Tommy demoted.

Bur after Tommy rejected his plan, it looked as though Michael would pursue it regardless.

Who is in the Peaky Blinders season 6 cast?

Lead actor Cillian Murphy will of course return as Thomas Shelby, who concluded season five with Oswald Mosley (Sam Clafin).

Also returning is the Shelby gang, who have starred in the series alongside Murphy since series one.

This includes Paul Anderson (Arthur Shelby), Harry Kirton (Finn Shelby) and Sophie Rundle (Ada Thorne).

Sadly, critically acclaimed actress and Peaky Blinders’ Aunt Polly, Helen McCrory, passed away in April after years of battling cancer.

Cillian Murphy previously confirmed that Helen had not filmed any new episodes of the show prior to her death.

Tom Hardy will return to the show as Alfie Solomons alongside Anya Taylor-Joy (The Queen’s Gambit) Gina Gray.

The show has attracted some star-studded names, including Hardy, Taylor-Joy and Adrien Brody.

But which new names will feature in the upcoming season?

Line of Duty and Help star Stephen Graham is also set to make an appearance in the upcoming series, as the official Peaky Blinders Twitter page confirmed he had joined the cast.

Australian actor James Frecheville has also joined the cast for the new season.

What else do we know about series 6?

The final series will have six episodes, and it has been confirmed that episode one of the new series will be called ‘Black Day.’

What’s been said about the new series?

Writer Steven Knight said of a sixth series: “Peaky is back and with a bang. After the enforced production delay due to the Covid pandemic, we find the family in extreme jeopardy and the stakes have never been higher.

“We believe this will be the best series of all and are sure that our amazing fans will love it.

“While the TV series will be coming to an end, the story will continue in another form.”

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