Top Boy
Top Boy is a British television crime drama series. Created and written by Ronan Bennett, the series is set on the fictional Summerhouse estate in the London Borough of Hackney. The first series was broadcast on Channel 4 over four consecutive nights from 31 October to 3 November 2011. A DVD of the first series was issued on 22 July 2013. A second series began airing on Channel 4 from 20 August 2013. A DVD release of the second series followed on 16 September 2013. Although storylines for a third series were proposed, the series was dropped by  Channel 4 in 2014. Following interest from Canadian rapper Drake, it was announced in November 2017 that Netflix would revive the series and order a new season of ten episodes, with both Ashley Walters and Kane Robinson reprising their roles. Series creator Bennett returned to script most episodes, along with the original creative team; Drake, Adel Nur, Maverick Carter, and Jamal Henderson all joined the series as executive producers. The new season premiered on Netflix on 13 September 2019 and was presented as the first season, whilst the original series was added to Netflix under the name Top Boy: Summerhouse . The second new season aired on Netflix on March 18, 2022, consisting of 8 episodes. The third new and final season was renewed on 31 March 2022 which will air at some point in the future. No official date or trailer for season three (or five) has been released as of yet but filming will begin this summer. Plot. Series 1 (2011). The series follows the plight of Ra'Nell as he navigates the pitfalls of living on the crime-filled Summerhouse estate after his mother, Lisa, is admitted to a mental hospital. Ra'Nell, who has gained a reputation around the  estate for his volatile behaviour after stabbing his abusive father, is quiet and closed-off. While his mother is in hospital, he is cared for by her close friend, Leon, who was once a respected enforcer of the estate, but has since put his past behind him. Meanwhile, Lisa's friend Heather enlists Ra'Nell's help to grow a cannabis crop so she can earn enough money to move out of the estate and raise her unborn child somewhere safer. Meanwhile, his best friend, Gem, finds himself in over his head when he begins to work as a drug dealer  for Summerhouse kingpins Dushane and Sully. Gem is easily coerced and finds himself at the mercy of their trusted enforcer, Dris, who is ruthless and violent. Dushane and Sully run the estate together with relative ease, but when Kamale, a rival drug dealer from London Fields, steals a large amount of their supply, they are forced to hunt down the thief before their supplier, Bobby Raikes, takes action. The urgency of the chase puts Dushane and Sully's partnership in jeopardy. Series 2 (2013). After the police uncover a body, Dushane, Sully, and Dris are arrested. Dushane quickly realises that  there is a snitch in their crew, and must deal with the repercussions. Meanwhile, Sully is attempting to start up his own crew to rival Dushane's with his friend Mike, a borderline-psychopathic ex-convict. When a deal with Dushane's Albanian business partners goes bad, he attempts to enlist Sully's help once more to take them out. A young dealer, Michael, begins to fear for his life when the police force him to give information that could imprison Dushane. Lisa is faced with eviction from her business when the landlord triples her rent, while Ra'Nell tries to  better himself by attending football youth trials. Gem is in deep trouble with the vicious Vincent, who uses Gem as his pawn to complete drug deals. Meanwhile, Sully comes into contact with Jason, a neglected boy who is trying to survive in a world filled with drugs and murder. Gem and his father move to Ramsgate and Michael dies. Series 3 (2019). Dushane has fled to Jamaica, where he is getting by working in his cousin's car-rental shop. When he makes a business deal with an imprisoned drug lord named Sugar, he returns to Summerhouse to sell Sugar 's product and become Top Boy once again. However, a new crew from London Fields, headed by the ruthless Jamie, won't stand for Dushane stepping on their turf. Sully is in prison and is caught in a power-struggle with Modie, a murderous drug-dealer who ran the rival London Fields gang in Dushane and Sully's absence. When Sully is released, he reconnects with Jason and Gem to begin selling in Ramsgate. Meanwhile, Dris, having suffered a stroke that has left him partially disabled, struggles with his responsibilities upon Dushane's return. Jamie attempts to assert his dominance  in the borough, driven to provide for his younger brothers while Dushane attempts to regain control. Series 4 (2022). The characters deal with managing a growing empire. Friendships are tested, alliances are formed. Dushane wants to expand his empire beyond the streets. But with huge investments, partners abroad and family crises, more money means more problems. Cast. Cast table. • An empty, grey cell indicates that the character was not in the series, or their presence in the series has not yet been confirmed. Music. On 13 September 2019, the original soundtrack for the series, titled "Top Boy (A Selection of  Music Inspired by the Series)", was released by OVO Sound and Warner. The soundtrack includes appearances from OVO's Drake, Baka Not Nice, and Popcaan and British artists AJ Tracey, Avelino, Dave, Fredo, Ghetts, Headie One, Little Simz, M Huncho, Nafe Smallz, Central Cee and SL. Episodes. <onlyinclude> Filming locations. The Heygate Estate and Loughborough Estate, both in South London, were used as the Summerhouse estate during series 1 (2011) and 2 (2013). Production visited several locations in Kent for Series 3. Filming took place in Margate at Walpole Bay and Fulsam Rock Beach and nearby streets including  Athelstan Road. Production also visited Ramsgate, where they filmed at Jacob's Ladder, outside the Rose of England pub on the High Street and Ramsgate Station. For series 3 (2019) and 4 (2022) the Samuda Estate on the Isle of Dogs, the De Beauvoir Estate in the London Borough of Hackney and Gordon Place in Gravesend doubled as the fictional Summerhouse estate. With the series being set in Hackney much of the filming took place in the borough in areas including Dalston, Haggerston and London Fields. Legal scenes in season 4 were filmed in the old Blackfriars Crown Court. Reception . "Top Boy" received positive feedback from critics. The first series premiered with 1.1 million viewers, and managed to maintain its audience share over the course of its four-night run. Tom Sutcliffe, writing in "The Independent", said: "The drama involved virtually no preaching at all, but a sense of morality was everywhere, as bad conscience flickered in the face of the toughest characters and grief hit the culpable and the blameless alike. Best of all, it always found a little time for something other than plot, whether it was banter on stairwells or the melancholy beauty of the city at  night. Seriously good television." Ed Cumming of "The Daily Telegraph" wrote of "minor quibbles", before adding that "on the whole this was a well-made, convincing drama, with an excellent ensemble cast. Ashley Walters, once of rap group So Solid Crew and with real-life arrests for firearms crimes, knows the world he is portraying. The two boys, Ra'Nell and Gem, did a good job of balancing adolescent aggression with naïve vulnerability. When Ra'Nell left a message on his mentally ill mother's phone, you knew it was half from a sense of responsibility towards her and half because he  just wanted his mum. I wonder if he’ll still need her by the end of Thursday night." He also noted similarities between "Top Boy" and the American television drama series "The Wire".