Just watched the first episode of Peaky Blinders, the BBC's much-hyped interwar gangland drama. With its strong storytelling, lush photography and a big name cast delivering top-notch performances, I've got to say - it was one of the best things I've seen on TV for ages. Then again, I'm not exactly impartial. Having lived in Birmingham for most of my life, it was a rare pleasure to watch the brutal history of my much-maligned adopted city draped in the tropes and archetypes of cinematic myth. A rare pleasure, but not a unique one. Back in the 70s, the BBC [...]