BBC Peaky Blinders director Anthony Byrne has responded to criticism of the Birmingham-based drama’s sixth series. The latest episode saw Tommy Shelby deal a devastating blow when his daughter Ruby Shelby died of tuberculosis.

Fans have so far criticized the show and claimed it was too slow, but things seem to be looking up. Episode three saw the introduction of Stephen Graham’s character, Hayden Stagg – whose opening scenes saw him clash with Arthur Shelby.

Old faces returned to the show, including Esme Shelby who is the wife of Tommy’s late brother, John Shelby. Alfie Solomons is also back for series six with Gina Gray – played by Netflix star Anya Taylor-Joy.

READ MORE:GoBoat offers electric boats for hire on the city’s canals from Brindleyplace

The action-packed scenes that first caught the show’s fans took a back seat to series six and focused more on Tommy’s political career as he awaits an opportunity to defeat fascist leader Oswald Mosley. .

Talk to RadioTimes, Anthony said he wasn’t bothered by the reviews but the show “can’t keep giving people what they want”.

He said: “You take a show like Peaky that’s culturally relevant, it’s a TV phenomenon, and there’s an expectation of, ‘I want Arthur to kick people’s ass and I want Tommy to be Tommy and more Peaky stuff.’

“Season 4 was that. Season 4 was a gangster season with the Italians and the Peakys. There was a lot of gangster stuff and guns and stuff. And then season 5 was about the rise of the fascism and it was darker.

Anthony continued: “Season 6 is a character piece about the darkness of Tommy Shelby’s soul and that’s how far he’s gonna have to go before he can get out. And will there still be something of him? That’s what it is to me And audiences who love the character will go with it because he’s on a journey with this guy, with Tommy Shelby.

“There’s always going to be an element of people wanting the exact same thing, but that’s not what we’re here for because it has to evolve, and it has to change. And it has to challenge audience expectations and take you on a good experience. deeper than you expect.”

Stay up to date with the latest celebrity and TV news with showbiz updates from our daily newsletter here. If you’re on Facebook, you can find a social media group dedicated to all things celebrity. here.