Plans are being discussed for a new Peaky Blinders attraction to be created in Birmingham, with the city’s tourism officials “keen to get maximum draw” from the popularity spawned by the BBC One series.
The drama series, set in the West Midlands city in the twenties and thirties, focuses on local mob family The Shelbys, who rise up the ranks of the criminal underworld.
Despite the show’s storylines detailing the family’s violent and lawless antics, many believe Peaky Blinders hasn’t given Birmingham a bad reputation.
Instead, officials believe the series put Britain’s second city firmly “on the map” after it drew in huge global audiences, running for six series from 2013 to 2022.
Now tourism chiefs for the area, the West Midlands Growth Company, is pushing for a visitor attraction based on the antics of the Shelby gang.
A TV insider told The Sun : "This may sound like a crazy idea but Peaky Blinders was such a phenomenon and it’s reaped huge rewards for Britain.
"Although the show was ultra-violent, it also showcased our industrial past, not to mention a whole new wave of fashion and haircuts.
"So it’s actually a no-brainer for tourism chiefs keen to get the maximum draw and make the most of a TV show that was an international hit."
It has been reported that the local council in Birmingham has already been putting the wheels in motion, with a call going out to creative companies for assistance.
The council has asked for artists to come up with a concept for a permanent attraction, with the centrepiece ideally including the canals around Digbeth Lock.
It is thought that the attraction will continue the legacy of the Commonwealth Games, which took place in Birmingham last year.
Chief executive of the West Midlands Growth Company, Neil Rami has said: “As the tourism body for the West Midlands, we have witnessed at first hand just how much of a global phenomenon Peaky Blinders has become, putting our region on the map with domestic and international visitors.
“Following the positive impact of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, we are keen to keep the spotlight firmly on the area by exploring the feasibility of something more permanent to capitalise on the positive momentum of the “Peaky effect” with visitors.”
The success of the TV show has been used as a lucrative branding tool for many businesses since it rose to fame, with Peaky Blinders-themed alcoholic beverages and novelty toys available. Some venues, attractions and pubs, and experience days such as escape rooms, have been inspired by the series.
The show was filmed in locations across the north and west of the UK, with many scenes shot in the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley, Liverpool, Bradford, and Yorkshire.
A film is in the pipeline for release in 2024, with Cillian Murphy, who plays main character Tommy Shelby, confirming that the script is “close to being finished”.
