Image credit : @Film Retrospect via facebook
Netflix has an impressive slate of originals, but few crime thrillers have the staying power of Top Boy. This British drama has been on two different networks, over a decade, and spanned five seasons (with its sixth season set to premiere later this month), but remains one of the most engrossing and emotionally raw watchable shows on the platform.
Born On Channel 4
Created by Ronan Bennett, Top Boy aired on British broadcast Channel 4 in 2011. Set in Hackney, East London, it ran for two four-episode seasons before getting the chop in 2013 despite us having a loyal fanbase desperate to see closure on the story of drug dealers Dushane Hill and Sully.
Drake Revived It
Drake saw the original series, bought the rights to produce it, and proposed a revival on Netflix. He had come on board as an executive producer alongside SpringHill Entertainment, which he co-founded with LeBron James. The revival was announced in November 2017, but Netflix delivered when Season 3 came along in September 2019.
Netflix Made It Bigger
After being renewed for a new Netflix series, they brought back Ashley Walters (again as Dushane) and Kane Robinson (as Sully). So much of what made the show essential viewing before was retained, but in many areas the platform greatly broadened its scope, delivering a continuation that kept the spirit of the original Channel 4 series throughout.
A 97 Percent Score
Season 1 of Top Boy has received a perfect 100 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, with a solid average Tomatometer score across all five seasons of 97 percent. It received continual acclaim for its ensemble performances, brutal social realism, and comparatively few shows have managed to cast complex characters operating in systems that offer them little more than a choice between bad options.
BAFTA Recognition Followed
ITV/Channel 4 drama series Top Boy was named as Best Drama Series at the 2024 BAFTA Television Awards, defeating Apple TV’s Slow Horses and BBC’s Happy Valley. The show has become regarded by many as one of the best current British television dramas, with Jasmine Jobson winning that same night for Best Supporting Actress and Kane Robinson nominated for Best Actor.
The Show Never Judges
Top Boy is also distinguished from run-of-the-mill crime thrillers in that it will not draw black-and-white lines of morality. No matter their actions, every character bears visible guilt. The show doesn’t idolize or vilify its protagonists, offering moral grayness and emotional heft in a way that most crime dramas only try for once in a while.
London As Character
With this rare intensity, Top Boy uses its London setting. Alleyway conversations and moonlit skyline shots balance out grittier moments of angry confrontations to reflect a city that is beautiful yet brutal. More importantly, the Summerhouse estate is not a decorating style or backdrop but an actual living environment that impacts every decision characters make.
A True Ending
For what is obviously something quite atypical about Netflix, Top Boy was given a proper ending. It has been a long wait: Season 5, which premiered in September 2023, ended the story on its own terms rather than prolonging it. You are supported by data until October 2023, the co-director William Stefan Smith said. This was in line with the British tradition of pulling shows at their creative peak rather than being squeezed out by commercial pressures.
Still Worth Bingeing
Netflix still has all five seasons as of today. New viewers should definitely not skip the first two seasons, which have retroactively become Top Boy: Summerhouse- they lay the vital groundwork for one of streaming’s best and most culturally valuable crime narratives around anywhere.
About the Author
