Gangs of London: What the Must Watch reviewers think

Wednesday 22 April 2020, 10:26

Every week, the Must Watch podcasters review the biggest TV and streaming shows.

This week, Hayley Campbell and Scott Bryan share their thoughts on Gangs of London.

The new drama series follows struggles between rival gangs and other criminal organisations in present-day London, and features Peaky Blinders star Joe Cole as the son of a murdered gang boss.

All episodes come to Sky Atlantic and NOW TV on Thursday 23 April.

Have you watched it? What did you think? Leave your comments below...

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(Photo: ©Sky UK Ltd)

Hayley says: "It was very watchable except for the bits I couldn't watch!"

"I thought this fitted into that 90s English gangster movie thing: it's a lot like Lock Stock or Snatch, but instead of humour they've got Saw movie-level violence. I had to turn away a lot and I'm pretty hardy when it comes to blood and gore. But the bar brawls in this are very stylised, they're more like Bruce Lee movies than real fights.

"At times can be a bit po-faced — there's a bit where the leader of the gang family stands on a high rise looking over London while his coat billows behind him like he's Batman — but I thought it was very watchable - except for the bits I couldn't watch!"

(Photo: ©Sky UK Ltd)

Scott says: "Ignore all headlines saying it's the new Peaky Blinders"

"It's got a lot of press saying 'it's the new Peaky Blinders' and I just wanted to advise - ignore all of those headlines. If you try to compare this to any other gang related show on TV you're going to end up thinking about what this show has and what that show hasn't.

"I think what creator Gareth Evans is trying to do here is very distinctive and it hasn't been seen on TV before. The way London is shot from the beginning is on a scale that I don't think you've seen on TV that much. The fight scenes are more like martial arts movies as oppose to the normal action-type thriller.

"My only problem with it is down to the length. It's a 90 minute opening episode and it's a long 90 minutes too. Sometimes I just wish creators and directors would think a 47 minute or hour-long show is there for a reason because it can help build up the pace, as opposed to thinking that you have to start it with a full 90 minute movie."