Robyn Bahr Peaky Blinders was a 2010s phenomenon that hinged on three core elements: vibes, vibes and Cillian Murphy looking irresistibly irascible on a horse. The Birmingham-set British gangster period drama, set between 1919 and the mid-1930s, was sometimes superficially compared to The Sopranos during its early seasons - likely only because both TV series glorified violence, fetishized outsider status and worshipped bygone aesthetics of masculinity.