# A Thousand Blows

A Thousand Blows is a British historical drama series created by Steven Knight about the Forty Elephants, an all-female crime syndicate clashing with the world of illegal bare-knuckle boxing in 1880s London. The first season premiered on 21 February 2025 on Disney+ internationally and on Hulu in the United States.

## Premise

Set in the East End of London in the 1880s, the series follows the Forty Elephants, an all-female crime syndicate led by Mary Carr, who specialize in shoplifting and confidence tricks, and who clash with Henry "Sugar" Goodson, the self-declared emperor of the East End's illegal bare-knuckle boxing world. Additionally, Hezekiah Moscow, a newly immigrated man from Jamaica with ambitions to become a lion tamer, and his best friend Alec Munroe, fight for survival as they come into contact with both groups.

## Cast

* Malachi Kirby as Hezekiah Moscow
* Stephen Graham as Henry "Sugar" Goodson
* Erin Doherty as Mary Carr
* Francis Lovehall as Alec Munroe
* James Nelson-Joyce as Edward "Treacle" Goodson
* Ziggy Heath as Peggy Bettinson
* Jason Tobin as Lao
* Darci Shaw as Alice Diamond
* Nadia Albina as Verity Ross
* Jemma Carlton as Belle Downer
* Caoilfhionn Dunne as Anne Glover
* Morgan Hilaire as Esme Long
* Ruaridh Mollica as Nicholas Graften
* Tom Davis
* Ella Lily Hyland as Marianne Goodson
* Robert Glenister as Indigo Jeremy
* Susan Lynch as Jane Carr

## Production

The concept for the series was the brainchild of actress Hannah Walters, who pitched her idea to Steven Knight In August 2022, it was revealed that a twelve episode boxing drama was in development, with Knight set as showrunner with Tinge Krishnan as lead director and an executive producer alongside Knight.
Malachi Kirby stars in the lead role, alongside Stephen Graham, Erin Doherty, Francis Lovehall, Jason Tobin, James Nelson-Joyce, Nadia Albina, Morgan Hilaire, Jemma Carlton, Caoilfhionn Dunne, and Ella Lily Hyland. There are also roles for Darci Shaw, Ziggy Heath, Susan Lynch and Robert Glenister.
Principal photography began in March 2023, with filming taking place in London. In February 2025, ahead of the series premiere, it was confirmed that a second season had been filmed.

## Episodes

| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date |
| 1 | "Episode 1" | Tinge Krishnan & Nick Murphy | Steven Knight | February 21, 2025 (2025-02-21) |
| 2 | "Episode 2" | Tinge Krishnan & Nick Murphy | Steven Knight | February 21, 2025 (2025-02-21) |
| 3 | "Episode 3" | Coky Giedroyc | Insook Chappell | February 21, 2025 (2025-02-21) |
| 4 | "Episode 4" | Ashley Walters | Harlan Davies | February 21, 2025 (2025-02-21) |
| 5 | "Episode 5" | Ashley Walters | Ameir Brown | February 21, 2025 (2025-02-21) |
| 6 | "Episode 6" | Ashley Walters | Yasmin Joseph | February 21, 2025 (2025-02-21) |

## Release

A Thousand Blows was first shown at BFI London Film Festival on 11 October 2024. It premiered on 21 February 2025 on Disney+ internationally and on Hulu in the United States.

## Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.3/10. Lucy Mangan of The Guardian awarded the first series five stars out of five, praising the depth of storytelling and themes.