With the number of streaming services on the market and the sheer volume of new shows and movies that hit those platforms every year, there's always some stuff that ends up sticking on your watchlist forever. I'd wager even the most dedicated viewers still have a watchlist stacked with stuff just waiting to get their time in the limelight.
One of the shows that this happened to for me in recent times was "A Thousand Blows," Hulu's London-set boxing drama from "Peaky Blinders" creator Steven Knight. The first season arrived last January and piqued my interest; I checked out a couple of episodes and liked what I saw but keeping up to speed with everything on the likes of Netflix and Prime Video — I write about TV and movies for a living, and thus I have to stay on top of as many releases as possible — ended up taking priority, and I never found time to circle back to the show.
What is 'A Thousand Blows' about?
"A Thousand Blows" is a drama inspired by the true-life stories of a small cast of characters from the brutal world of boxing in the East End of 1880s London. Hezekiah (Malachi Kirby) and Alec (Francise Lovehall) have just journeyed to the capital from Jamaica and find themselves swiftly pulled into the city's criminal underbelly upon arrival, and it's there that they cross paths with two very strong figures: Mary Carr (Erin Doherty) and Sugar Goodson (Stephen Graham).
Mary is the "Queen" of an all-female criminal gang known as The Forty Elephants, while Sugar is a criminal kingpin and a gifted bare-knuckle brawler who won't stand for anyone threatening his East End empire — and that includes Hezekiah Moscow, who starts drawing attention in the ring.
"A Thousand Blows" also features Jason Tobin, James Nelson-Joyce, Hannah Walters, Darci Shaw, Nadia Albina, Morgan Hilaire, Jemma Carlton, Caoilfhionn Dunne, Susan Lynch, Daniel Mays, Adam Nagaitis, Gary Lewis, Tom Davis, and Robert Glenister.
'A Thousand Blows' is a thrilling, characterful historical drama packed with great characters
It comes as no surprise to me that I enjoyed "A Thousand Blows." Fact is, I've already been a big fan of many of the series creator's other projects, including "House of Guinness," "SAS Rogue Heroes" and, of course, "Peaky Blinders." And if you've enjoyed any of those other series, I'm confident you'll like this, too, as it's another gripping historical drama populated with great characters and carried off with similar flair.
Every major player gives a great performance; Malachi Kirby and Francis Lovehall are very easy to root for, charming in and out of the ring, and impressing in the series' bleak moments. Likewise, Doherty's Mary Carr livens up every scene she's in, be that criminal scheme or emotional moment, and Graham cuts a truly menacing figure as his terrifying, vicious star pugilist.
Those characters aren't just well-performed, they're also well-written. They're a complicated, criminal set, each with plenty to offer in a narrative that hurtles along at a clip. Honestly, I was surprised by just how much the show managed to cram into such a short space of time. There's action, comedy, shock twists, a big heist, and some more tender beats interlaced with all the drama, and that kind of propulsive plotting makes this a thoroughly entertaining and engaging watch. Action fans won't be disappointed, either: "A Thousand Blows" is a boxing drama, and its in-ring action quite literally packs a punch.
All in all, this first season was a riot from end to end, and I left my viewing feeling glad I'd finally managed to get caught up. And given the show leaves us on the precipice of even more explosive conflict, I'm glad I only had to wait a couple of days to dive into "A Thousand Blows" season 2. Seriously, if you're looking for a gripping new show to race through, I cannot recommend "A Thousand Blows" enough.
Stream "A Thousand Blows" on Hulu now
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