Everything you need to know about Steven Knight’s new drama This Town

What is This Town about?

Set in the Midlands during the 1980s, This Town is an epic six-part family saga telling the story of “an extended family and four young people who are drawn into the world of ska and 2-tone music”. An era of sound which was born out of Coventry and Birmingham during the 70s and 80s to unite black, Asian, and white youths during a period which was rife with social tension. 

The series has been co-produced with Mercury Studios (part of Universal Music Group) who bring an exciting new dimension to the series and a “range of high-profile music artists to help lay the backdrop for Knight’s incredible story”. One of which includes Brit and Mercury nominated musician and spoken word artist Kae Tempest who wrote the songs performed by the band in the series. We don’t know about you, but we’re expecting an amazing accompanying soundtrack which we will no doubt be playing on repeat!

Who’s starring in This Town?

This Town boasts an impressive ensemble cast from seasoned actors like Michelle Dockery and David Dawson to rising star Levi Brown who plays Dante Williams, our struggling poet protagonist. Here’s a full breakdown of the cast:

• Michelle Dockery (Downton Abbey, Anatomy of a Scandal) 

• Nicholas Pinnock (For Life, Marcella) 

• David Dawson (My Policeman, The Last Kingdom) 

• Levi Brown (Loss and Return) 

• Jordan Bolger (The Woman King, The Book of Boba Fett) 

• Ben Rose (Line of Duty, The Innocents) 

• Eve Austin (You, Our Ladies) 

• Freya Parks (The School of Good and Evil, Here We Go) 

• Shyvonne Ahmmad (Annika, Karen Pirie) 

• Geraldine James (Back To Life, Anne with an E) 

• Peter McDonald (The Batman, Dublin Murders) 

• John Heffernan (Dracula, The Pursuit of Love) 

• Stefan Asante-Boateng (Coronation Street, Suffering) 

• Séainín Brennan (The Fall, Hidden) 

• George Somner (This Is Going To Hurt, Sex Education) 

• Brendan Gibson (Peaky Blinders, Mr Selfridge) 

Watch the trailer

What is Steven Knight also known for?

Arguably one of the busiest writers and creators in television, Steven Knight has several big hit TV shows under his belt. Most notably are Peaky Blinders and Taboo, but more recently he created historical drama SAS Rogue Heroes which aired in 2022. All series are available to stream now on BBC iPlayer if you’re looking to whet your appetite while waiting for This Town to air.

When and where to watch This Town

Save the date! You won’t have long to wait though as the six-part series will be dropping on BBC iPlayer from 6am on Sunday 31st March with the first episode airing live on BBC One at 9pm.