Surprised there hasn’t been more love for this on here. Honestly think it’s the best British TV drama for years.
For those who haven’t watched it - London-based gang drama series with Kano and Ashley Walters. Two series aired on Channel 4 about a decade ago, then Netflix and Drake revived it recently. The fourth series was released a couple of weeks ago.
Genuinely think it’s brilliant. Feels pretty genuine to me, the use of young actors is great, and it has its finger on the pulse and a real social conscience. Don’t want to be ridiculous, obviously nothing will get near the depth of cast and narrative intellect of The Wire, but the most recent series of this in particular has shades of it. Probably more comparable to a British Snowfall.
The series which has just aired expands into Liverpool, Spain and Morocco. Some of the overseas scenes were incredible cinematically, and some of the newer characters are properly menacing. New episodes are pretty on the ball, with storylines around gentrification, domestic violence, and homophobia, etc.
Think you could realistically dip in straight from the start of Series 4 or 3, but they’re all on Netflix. Might not be everyone’s cup of tea as it’s quite violent at times, but think it does a good job of not glorifying it on the whole.
Huge fan, love the show. Obviously the story and the drama are excellent but I love the cinematography as well. Feel like I can feel the heat coming of the buildings or something, it’s so well shot.
I wasn’t disappointed with the latest series but definitely felt a bit hard to follow and I really needed a refresher to remind myself what happened in the previous one. Felt a bit disjointed and some of the storylines didn’t really go anywhere, certain narrative choices I thought weren’t great. But overall still a fantastic show. I get “The British version of The Wire” comparisons but it’s a bit cheap to be honest, it’s really it’s own thing.
Apparently there’s a final season coming this summer and that’s it? Guess I’m quite happy at that. I think it’s been really realistic, but, (I guess this is a spoiler) Dushane ending every series back on top is getting a bit a bit unrealistic so I suspect he’s either going to end in the jail or the grave. Predicting Sully will eventually leave the game and try to find some peace but then they set that up this season only to snatch it away right at the end. So who knows.
It was absolutely marketed as this when it first came out and the campaign did it no favours at all. Really think that it contributed to the show not being properly appreciated at the time.
Agree with everything in the OP. Best British drama I can remember. Writing and characters are all brilliant but its the actors that carry it. Anyone who’s in two minds should absolutely give it a shot.
Agree about the wrap-up of the most recent series.
Another minor gripe for me would be Shelley’s recent storyline. Get why they would need some muck on her and a trail to Dushane and Sully, but just thought it was unbelievable and clumsily done.
Started series 3 (first Netflix one) on Friday and am now halfway through season 4. Wish I hadn’t slept on it for so long, it’s great.
Only negative is my gf swooning over Jamie every time he’s on screen. He really is annoyingly attractive and he’s so bloody sweet with his brothers.
Massive S3 spoiler I was genuinely so shook when it turned out the junkies were undercover feds. Kinda wish they were still undercover in S4, would’ve been more interesting.
Love it. One of my favourite shows of the last few years. Only realised this series that Little Simz was in it - great actor.
Although it was really bleak, I really liked the Jason and Dushane going country storyline. Wish Jason hadn’t been killed off - really liked his character.
Watched season 3 first cos I thought it was the only season! Then caught up with the 2 Summerhouse seasons.
Actually just started the newest one tonight.
It’s brilliant stuff, well paced to get decent character development, grim and brutal as fuck in places but with a real sense of family either within the gangs or proper families.
Aaron is surely destined for the road whether he likes it or not. Would be funny if Stef and Aaron became basically Dushane and his Foxtons brother though
hang on so Top Boy: Summerhouse is actually seasons 1 and 2? Why the F has it been packaged like that by Netflix? They drove me towards watching s3 and 4 first both by the way it came up in the feed and in the branding that makes s1 and 2 look like a spin off. FUCK THIS.