Peaky Blinders boss reveals secret link to hit drama in new BBC series SAS Rogue Heroes

PEAKY Blinders boss has revealed a secret link to the hit drama in his new BBC series SAS Rogue Heroes.

Steven Knight is the mastermind behind Peaky Blinders, which came to an end last month after six series.

Now Steven’s latest project, SAS Rogue Heroes, is about to premiere on BBC One and charts the formation of the Special Air Service during World War II.

While viewers might not initially think there is an obvious link between military characters and a group of Birmingham gangsters, Steven has revealed otherwise.

Speaking at a Q&A about his new show, he said the two dramas had similar “themes”.

He explained: “It does seem that there is a sort of a theme with Peaky and this, where it is a group of men who are probably not the easiest people to fit into conventional society.

“I think that all of the people who are the heroes in this, if there had not been a war, they would have ended up in jail and ended up in trouble because they weren’t equipped for normal society.

“There’s a great quote from Rudyard Kipling. He says, ‘For it’s Tommy this, an’ Tommy that, an chuck him out, the brute! But it’s “Saviour of ‘is country” when the guns begin to shoot.’

“In other words, the people who are getting thrown out of clubs and restaurants and getting into terrible trouble in peace, when war comes along, they’re needed. I think that’s really interesting.”

SAS Rogue Heroes stars Sex Education’s Connor Swindells, Game of Thrones’ Alfie Allen and former Skins star Jack O’Connell.

Steven also revealed how he held a screening for current and former members of the SAS in order to assess its accuracy.

He said: “We showed it to members of the SAS and sort of former members of the SAS and the hierarchy of the SAS.

“So we did this screening, and we sit there and look at their reactions as the thing goes on, and they loved it. They absolutely loved it.

“And the result is that they’re very much on board, but the first thing they said was the humour was authentic.

“In other words, in those situations, when people are… When your friend has just been blown to pieces and there is this bleakness and there is this horror, which perhaps will come and hit you a year later, but in the moment, there is this funniness, this humour, this madness.”

SAS Rogue Heroes begins tonight at 9pm on BBC One.