Nine things you didn’t know about 'Gangs of London'
Itching to get stuck into a new series? Raw, visceral and adrenaline-fuelled, ‘Gangs of London’ is the perfect addictive drama to get you through lockdown.
‘Gangs of London’ is the story of revenge, ambition and a fight for supremacy. It begins as Finn Wallace, king of London’s underworld and figurehead of a complex network of international gangs, is assassinated. It’s up to his son, Sean Wallace, to assume his father’s place – but to do that, he’ll need to compete with powerful and dangerous rivals.
It’s a concept that has been in the works for over a decade. What started as co-creator Gareth Evans' idea of what would happen if a major gang boss were assassinated has developed into a big-budget series that is far-reaching in its scope. It’s set in a fictionalised version of London, but is based on extensive research into the reality of gangland London, with input from ex gang members, criminologists and detectives, for a start.
Since pivoting to Time In, we’ve been committed to bringing you the absolute best of the city that you can experience from home. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Sky to bring you this insider’s guide to ‘Gangs of London’: a Sky original which drops in its entirety on Thursday April 23.
1 It’s ten years in the making
If you love ‘Peaky Blinders’, then you’ll love ‘Gangs of London’; and, you’ll recognise some of its lead characters. The impulsive, violent Sean Wallace is played by London actor Joe Cole, who played John Michael Shelby in ‘Blinders’ – and Sean’s associate Jack is played by Emmett J Scanlan, who you might recall as Billy Grade.
There are plenty more major actors in ‘Gangs of London’, including Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark in ‘Games of Thrones’) and Lucian Msamati (‘Black Earth Rising’).
3 Many of the actors aren't strangers to organised crime...
Been to the theatre lately? If you’re partial to a bit of the Bard, then you might recognise some faces in ‘Gangs of London’. Co-starring alongside Joe Cole is Sope Dirisu as lowlife henchman-turned-key-player Elliot Finch. He received rave reviews as Coriolanus in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2017 production of the Shakespeare tragedy – you also might have seen him in the the ‘Nosedive’ episode of ‘Black Mirror’ or in ‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’. Another key character in ‘Gangs’ is Paapa Essiedu, who turned heads as Hamlet for the RSC in 2016.
4 You'll meet some talented up-and-coming stage actors
Of course all the drama that unfolds in ‘Gangs’ is fictional – but its creators based every major plot point on extensive research into the operations of international gangs to make it as true-to-life as possible. Former gang members including Karl Lokko and Duro Oye were consulted, as were criminologists and detectives. It’s not a random decision for the Wallace organisation to run a legitimate property empire; criminologists understand that most people involved in illegitimate businesses use fronts – and often, property is a safe bet. A major narrative in the show is the smuggling of heroin from central Asia to Europe along the Balkan Route; and in real life, and the show, certain regions of Turkey are the ‘handover’ points into the West.
5 Many of its narratives are based on real crimes
Speaking of the heroin trade, a major rival to the Wallace empire in ‘Gangs of London’ is Asif Afridi, who controls the heroin route into London from Pakistan and also has his (very corrupt) hand in politics. He’s based on real-life drug baron Haji Ayub Afridi, who ran the heroin route through Pakistan’s Khyber Pass, and was elected as a Pakistani politician in the ‘90s.
6 Some of its characters are based on real criminals
Like we said before, ‘Gangs of London’ portrays a fictionalised version of London… but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to notice where bits have been filmed. The programme was shot in locations spanning every corner of the capital, from Aldgate to Canary Wharf, Chinatown to Hampstead and through Hackney. It’s an incredible cross-section of an incredible city; something that ‘Gangs’ star Sope Dirisu talked about in our interview with him and co-star Joe Cole.
7 You might recognise bits of London – wherever in the capital you’re from
In fact, arguably, it’s one of the most corrupt cities in the world. In 2017, it was found that an astonishing £90 billion is laundered through London every year. In particular, the capital is a hugely profitable drug market; from its source, the price increases by 2000 per cent, and it costs twice of what it does in France. The population is huge, the demand is limitless.
8 You'll be amazed by just how corrupt London really is...
Here’s the clincher: gang lords are the hardest criminals to catch. These people often operate at a level above national boundaries, moving between jurisdictions – or, they run profitable legitimate businesses with many arms and countless individuals. The National Crime Agency was set up in 2013 to counter organised crime, and despite their huge resources (around £500 million a year), they still struggle. According to academics John Arquilla and David Ronfeldt new criminal networks have ‘no precist head or heart that can be targeted’. That said, every crime boss has a weak point, and every organisation is vulnerable to weakening from the inside – which is something you’ll discover as ‘Gangs of London’ unfolds.
9 ...and how difficult it is to catch the heads of organised crime
So it’s action you’re after? You’re in very good hands. The series’ co-creator, writer and director, Gareth Evans, is known for his 2011 Indonesian action film ‘The Raid’: a cult favourite which cemented his name as a talent for stylistic, complex choreographed fight scenes. Joining the Welsh director is English horror doyen Corin Hardy (‘The Nun’) and French director Xavier Gens (‘The Divide’). Expect heart-stopping action sequences which incorporate pro martial arts moves.
2 Its creative team has seriously impressive credentials
Experience gangland London like never before with the long-awaited Sky original, ‘Gangs of London’. All episodes of this visceral nine-part drama will be available on Sky on Thursday April 23. Head to our Time In page for our exclusive look at the characters, the episodes and behind-the-scenes stories.
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Discover more
Nine things you didn't know about 'Gangs of London'
Itching to get stuck into a new series? Raw, visceral and adrenaline-fuelled, ‘Gangs of London’ is the perfect addictive drama to get you through lockdown.
Since pivoting to Time In, we’ve been committed to bringing you the absolute best of the city that you can experience from home. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Sky to bring you this insider’s guide to ‘Gangs of London’: a Sky original which drops in its entirety on Thursday April 23.
1 It’s ten years in the making
‘Gangs of London’ is the story of revenge, ambition and a fight for supremacy. It begins as Finn Wallace, king of London’s underworld and figurehead of a complex network of international gangs, is assassinated. It’s up to his son, Sean Wallace, to assume his father’s place – but to do that, he’ll need to compete with powerful and dangerous rivals.
It’s a concept that has been in the works for over a decade. What started as co-creator Gareth Evans' idea of what would happen if a major gang boss were assassinated has developed into a big-budget series that is far-reaching in its scope. It’s set in a fictionalised version of London, but is based on extensive research into the reality of gangland London, with input from ex gang members, criminologists and detectives, for a start.
If you love ‘Peaky Blinders’, then you’ll love ‘Gangs of London’; and, you’ll recognise some of its lead characters. The impulsive, violent Sean Wallace is played by London actor Joe Cole, who played John Michael Shelby in ‘Blinders’ – and Sean’s associate Jack is played by Emmett J Scanlan, who you might recall as Billy Grade.
There are plenty more major actors in ‘Gangs of London’, including Michelle Fairley (Catelyn Stark in ‘Games of Thrones’ and Lucian Msamati (‘Black Earth Rising’).
3 Many of the actors aren’t strangers to organised crime…
So it’s action you’re after? You’re in very good hands. The series’ co-creator, writer and director, Gareth Evans, is known for his 2011 Indonesian action film ‘The Raid’: a cult favourite which cemented his name as a talent for stylistic, complex choreographed fight scenes. Joining the Welsh director is English horror doyen Corin Hardy (‘The Nun’) and French director Xavier Gens (‘The Divide’). Expect heart-stopping action sequences which incorporate pro martial arts moves.
2 Its creative team has seriously impressive credentials
Been to the theatre lately? If you’re partial to a bit of the Bard, then you might recognise some faces in ‘Gangs of London’. Co-starring alongside Joe Cole is Sope Dirisu as lowlife henchman-turned-key-player Elliot Finch. He received rave reviews as Coriolanus in the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 2017 production of the Shakespeare tragedy – you also might have seen him in the the ‘Nosedive’ episode of ‘Black Mirror’ or in ‘The Huntsman: Winter’s War’. Another key character in ‘Gangs’ is Paapa Essiedu, who turned heads as Hamlet for the RSC in 2016.
4 You’ll meet some talented up-and-coming stage actors
Of course all the drama that unfolds in ‘Gangs’ is fictional – but its creators based every major plot point on extensive research into the operations of international gangs to make it as true-to-life as possible. Former gang members including Karl Lokko and Duro Oye were consulted, as were criminologists and detectives. It’s not a random decision for the Wallace organisation to run a legitimate property empire; criminologists understand that most people involved in illegitimate businesses use fronts – and often, property is a safe bet. A major narrative in the show is the smuggling of heroin from central Asia to Europe along the Balkan Route; and in real life, and the show, certain regions of Turkey are the ‘handover’ points into the West.
5 Many of its narratives are based on real crimes
Speaking of the heroin trade, a major rival to the Wallace empire in ‘Gangs of London’ is Asif Afridi, who controls the heroin route into London from Pakistan and also has his (very corrupt) hand in politics. He’s based on real-life drug baron Haji Ayub Afridi, who ran the heroin route through Pakistan’s Khyber Pass, and was elected as a Pakistani politician in the ‘90s.
6 Some of its characters are based on real criminals
Like we said before, ‘Gangs of London’ portrays a fictionalised version of London… but that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to notice where bits have been filmed. The programme was shot in locations spanning every corner of the capital, from Aldgate to Canary Wharf, Chinatown to Hampstead and through Hackney. It’s an incredible cross-section of an incredible city; something that ‘Gangs’ star Sope Dirisu talked about in our interview with him and co-star Joe Cole.
7 You might recognise bits of London – wherever in the capital you’re from
In fact, arguably, it’s one of the most corrupt cities in the world. In 2017, it was found that an astonishing £90 billion is laundered through London every year. In particular, the capital is a hugely profitable drug market; from its source, the price increases by 2000 per cent, and it costs twice of what it does in France. The population is huge, the demand is limitless.
8 You’ll be amazed by just how corrupt London really is...
Here’s the clincher: gang lords are the hardest criminals to catch. These people often operate at a level above national boundaries, moving between jurisdictions – or, they run profitable legitimate businesses with many arms and countless individuals. The National Crime Agency was set up in 2013 to counter organised crime, and despite their huge resources (around £500 million a year), they still struggle. According to academics John Arquilla and David Ronfeldt new criminal networks have ‘no precist head or heart that can be targeted’. That said, every crime boss has a weak point, and every organisation is vulnerable to weakening from the inside – which is something you’ll discover as ‘Gangs of London’ unfolds.
9 … and how difficult it is to catch the heads of organised crime
Experience gangland London like never before with the long-awaited Sky original, ‘Gangs of London’. All episodes of this visceral nine-part drama will be available on Sky on Thursday 23 April. Head to our Time In page for our exclusive look at the characters, the episodes and behind-the-scenes stories.
Back to top
Discover more