The people behind Peaky Blinders have a new show about 2 Tone ska

The 2 Tone era in the late 70s and very early 80s produced some of the best ska ever with music from The Specials, Madness, The Selector, and others still resonating today. It’s about time someone created a TV series about that time.

A drama called This Town is coming later this year from BBC One, written and created by Steven Knight, the guy behind Peaky Blinders. Knight was a huge second wave ska fan growing up which bodes well for the project. His first-hand experiences with the scene inform the characters and the story arc.

The series tells the story of a group of young people from Birmingham and Coventry who get sucked into the ska scene, complete with its music, characters, solidarity, and racial animosity with their own band.

The first series of six episodes is finished. Another six are in production. A premiere date is yet to be announced.