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Picture Shows: Johnny Doggs (Packy Lee), Isiah (Jordan Bolger), John Shelby (Joe Cole), Michael Gray (Finn Cole), Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy), Arthur Shelby (Paul Anderson), Finn Shelby (Harry Kirton), Jeremiah Jesus (Benjamin Zephaniah), Charlie Strong (Ned Dennehy), Curly (Ian Peck) - (C) Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd & Tiger Aspect Productions Ltd 2016 - Photographer: Robert Viglasky

A couple of weeks back we had the privilege of sitting down to watch the first episode of season 3 of Peaky Blinders ahead of its May 4th airing along with two of the stars of the show, Cillian Murphy, and Helen McCory. We can reveal it’s just as gripping as its previous two seasons.

In its first episode, we are delivered a deluge of information showing that Peaky Blinders has come a long way in its two year absence. Be prepared to see the Shelby family moving onwards and upwards in their successful business and family lives. Some family members are changing for the better due their circumstance and we are even indulged with a wedding… but whose you’ll just have to wait and see, thankfully you won’t have to wait too long to find out.

But the question is will they be able to leave behind the background of what made this family who they were? Or will they keep being dragged back because of circumstance?

Tommy is becoming stronger in his leadership, not just through his dialogue but his whole being, even transcending into conversation just by looking into his eyes. The whole feel of series 3 is much darker not just through plot but through the smoky visuals and new location setting too, we even got to see a seat of Tommy’s naked bum which is sure to delight Cillian’s adoring fans.

Picture Shows:  Arthur Shelby (Paul Anderson), Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy), Finn Shelby (Harry Kirton) - (C) Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd & Tiger Aspect Productions Ltd 2016 - Photographer: Robert Viglasky
Picture Shows: Arthur Shelby (Paul Anderson), Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy), Finn Shelby (Harry Kirton) – (C) Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd & Tiger Aspect Productions Ltd 2016 – Photographer: Robert Viglasky

Cillian Murphy – who plays head of the Shelby Family Tommy, Helen McCory who plays Aunt Polly and the show’s creator, Steven Knight opened up about the series, giving us a few glorious insights behind this truly explosive series.

On playing Tommy Shelby Murphy revealed “The nature of the character is immersive; I quite enjoy those types of characters that you have to travel quite a distance from yourself to get to. It’s an incredible exhausting character to play. He never seems to sleep or eat. You have to cancel reality for 4 months; I always come out of it destroyed.”

Cillian also revealed that filming series 3 was absolutely “mind fucking blowing, shooting episodes 1-6 simultaneously. We could be shooting ep 4 in the morning and the finale in the afternoon. Director Tim Mielants had to put together a character map which Cillian had up in is his trailer for 4 months just so he knew what the hell was going on.

Picture Shows:  Arthur Shelby (Paul Anderson), Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) - (C) Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd & Tiger Aspect Productions Ltd 2016 - Photographer: Robert Viglasky
Picture Shows: Arthur Shelby (Paul Anderson), Thomas Shelby (Cillian Murphy) – (C) Caryn Mandabach Productions Ltd & Tiger Aspect Productions Ltd 2016 – Photographer: Robert Viglasky

If the gruelling filming wasn’t enough battering for Cillian’s health he also mentioned that he was constantly smoking herbal cigarettes which over the course of the series added up to a staggering three thousand.

There is one thing we can all count on; Peaky Blinders won’t be disappearing from our screens any time soon as creator Steven Knight revealed he had plans to keep the series going until the first air raid siren sounds for World War II.

We are now chomping at the bit for the rest of the series to unfold after the explosive first episode had us completely addicted.

Peaky Blinders series 3 comes to BBC Two on May 4 at 9pm.