It doesn’t take much to convince me to watch a gritty Victorian drama, but when that drama is based on a real and infamous all-female criminal gang, it shoots straight to the top of my to-watch list. And not only did A Thousand Blows not disappoint, but it’s one of the best pieces of television I’ve watched in quite a while, and I’m going to confidently predict it’ll be the best show I watch in 2025.

A Thousand Blows dives into the dark underbelly of boxing in Victorian London and follows Hezekiah and Alec (played by Malachi Kirby and Francis Lovehall), two best friends from Jamaica who find themselves thrust into the vibrant and violent melting pot of East End London in the wake of the industrial revolution. Drawn into the crime-riddled world of the thriving boxing scene, Hezekiah meets Mary Carr (Erin Doherty), leader of The Forty Elephants – the notorious all-female gang – as they fight for survival on the streets.

As Hezekiah sharpens his new skills, he comes up against Sugar Goodson (Stephen Graham), a seasoned and dangerous boxer, and the two are soon locked into an intense rivalry that spills out way beyond the ring. The series was created by Peaky Blinders’ Steven Knight, and in a similar vein to his previous shows, Knight based A Thousand Blows on real people. Sugar Goodson, Hezekiah Moscow and Mary Carr were all real people and The Forty Elephants was a real group of criminals that operated in London for decades.

“A Thousand Blows is already the best show I’ll see this year”