A Thousand Blows
| A Thousand Blows | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Genre | |
| Created by | Steven Knight |
| Starring | |
| Composer | Federico Jusid |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Original language | English |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 6 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers |
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| Cinematography |
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| Editors |
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| Production companies |
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| Original release | |
| Network | Disney+ |
| Release | 21 February 2025 – present |
A Thousand Blows is a British historical drama series created by Steven Knight and based on the Forty Elephants, an all-female crime syndicate who clash with the world of illegal bare-knuckle boxing in 1880s London. The first season premiered on 21 February 2025 on Disney+ internationally and on Hulu in the United States. The second season is set to premiere on 9 January 2026.
Premise
[edit]Set in the East End of London in the 1880s, the series follows the Forty Elephants, an all-female crime syndicate led by Mary Carr that specializes in shoplifting and confidence tricks. They clash with Henry "Sugar" Goodson, the self-declared "emperor" of the East End's illegal bare-knuckle boxing world.[1] Additionally, Hezekiah Moscow, a newly immigrated man from Jamaica with ambitions to become a lion tamer, and his best friend Alec Munroe, fight for survival as they come into contact with both groups.[2][3]
Cast and characters
[edit]Main
[edit]- Erin Doherty as Mary Carr
- Malachi Kirby as Hezekiah Moscow
- Jair Ellis portrays young Hezekiah
- Francis Lovehall as Alec Munroe
- James Nelson-Joyce as Edward "Treacle" Goodson
- Jason Tobin as Lao Lam
- Hannah Walters as Eliza Moody
- Morgan Hilaire as Esme Long
- Caoilfhionn Dunne as Anne Glover
- Jemma Carlton as Belle Downer
- Nadia Albina as Verity Ross
- Tom Davis as Charlie Mitchell
- Daniel Mays as William "Punch" Lewis
- Stephen Graham as Henry "Sugar" Goodson
- Darci Shaw as Alice Diamond
- Gary Lewis as Jack MacAllen
- Susan Lynch as Jane Carr
- Robert Glenister as Indigo Jeremy
Supporting
[edit]- Ashley Walters as Switch
- Elliot Warren as Sharkey Devenish
- Eddie Toll as Saul Woolfe
- Maeve Dermody as Lady Grace
- Aliyah Odoffin as Victoria Davies
- Ziggy Heath as Peggy Bettinson
- Adam Nagaitis as the Earl of Lonsdale
- Ella Lily Hyland as Marianne Goodson
- Elsie Evans as Rose Goodson
- Will Bagnall as Thomas Goodson
- Kwong Loke as Li Hongzhang
- Chike Chan as Lo Feng Lu
- Tom Andrews as the Marquess of Queensberry
- Tim Steed as Vance Murtagh
- Nathan Hubble as Buster Williams
- Ruaridh Mollica as Nicolas Graften
Production
[edit]The concept for the series was the brainchild of actress Hannah Walters, who pitched her idea to Steven Knight. In August 2022, it was revealed that a twelve episode boxing drama was in development, with Knight set as showrunner with Tinge Krishnan as lead director and an executive producer alongside Knight.[4]
The series stars an ensemble cast which includes Erin Doherty,[5] Malachi Kirby[6] and Stephen Graham[4] in lead roles while Francis Lovehall, James Nelson-Joyce, Jason Tobin, Hannah Walters, Morgan Hilaire, Caoilfhionn Dunne, Jemma Carlton, Nadia Albina, Tom Davis, Daniel Mays, Darci Shaw, Gary Lewis, Susan Lynch, and Robert Glenister round out the main cast.[7][3][8]
Principal photography began in March 2023, with filming taking place in London.[5] In February 2025, ahead of the series premiere, it was confirmed that a second season had been filmed.[3][9]
Episodes
[edit]| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Tinge Krishnan & Nick Murphy | Steven Knight | February 21, 2025 |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Tinge Krishnan & Nick Murphy | Steven Knight | February 21, 2025 |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Coky Giedroyc | Insook Chappell | February 21, 2025 |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Ashley Walters | Harlan Davies | February 21, 2025 |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Ashley Walters | Ameir Brown | February 21, 2025 |
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Ashley Walters | Yasmin Joseph | February 21, 2025 |
Release
[edit]A Thousand Blows was first shown at BFI London Film Festival on 11 October 2024. It premiered on 21 February 2025 on Disney+ internationally and on Hulu in the United States.[1][2] The second season is set to premiere on 9 January 2026.[10]
Reception
[edit]On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 88% of 43 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Punching up an intriguing era of British history with creator Steven Knight's flare for genre grit, A Thousand Blows is riveting entertainment that leaves a bruise."[11] Lucy Mangan of The Guardian awarded the first series five stars out of five, praising the depth of storytelling and themes.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Vlessing, Etan (16 January 2025). "Erin Doherty Battles Stephen Graham Outside the Ring in 'A Thousand Blows' Trailer". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 5 February 2025.
- ^ a b King, Jordan (21 August 2024). "Stephen Graham Is A Victorian London Boxer In Disney+ Series A Thousand Blows – First Look". Empire. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
- ^ a b c Kelly, Liam (16 February 2025). "Peaky Blinders Steven Knight: 'Lawlessness always catches one's eye as a writer'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- ^ a b Goodfellow, Melanie (24 August 2022). "Steven Knight, Stephen Graham Team On Disney+ Original Period Drama 'A Thousand Blows'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- ^ a b Ritman, Alex (16 March 2023). "'The Crown' Star Erin Doherty Joins Disney+ Period Boxing Drama 'A Thousand Blows'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 16 March 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- ^ Goldbart, Max (28 February 2023). "'Small Axe' Star Malachi Kirby Boards Steven Knight Disney+ Drama 'A Thousand Blows'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 28 February 2023. Retrieved 16 March 2023.
- ^ Emily, Olivia (21 July 2023). "'I Cried Constantly – I Thought It Was So Visceral': Ella Lily Hyland On Fifteen Love, Prime Video – Interview". Countryandtownhouse.com. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
- ^ Cormack, Morgan (21 February 2025). "A Thousand Blows season 2: Release date speculation and latest news". Radio Times. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
- ^ Anderson, Haley (17 February 2025). "A Thousand Blows season 2 given the green light days ahead of Disney+ debut, Steven Knight confirms". Yahoo News. Retrieved 19 February 2025.
- ^ King, Jordan (8 October 2025). "A Thousand Blows Season 2 Shares First-Look Photos As Steven Knight Series Sets January 2026 Release". Empire. Retrieved 27 October 2025.
- ^ "A Thousand Blows: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes". www.rottentomatoes.com. Retrieved 25 November 2025.
- ^ Mangan, Lucy (21 February 2025). "A Thousand Blows review – the irresistible new boxing drama from the Peaky Blinders creator". The Guardian.
