iWorld
Amazon Freevee unveils new slate of originals
Mumbai: During the Amazon presentation at NewFronts in New York City, streaming service platform Amazon Freevee (formerly IMDb TV) announced an increased slate of originals, with multiple pickups of scripted and unscripted content.
The free streaming service greenlit a new cooking competition series called “America’s Test Kitchen: The Next Generation,” the coming-of-age drama “Beyond Black Beauty,” the family competition series “Play-Doh Squished” and the music documentary “Post Malone: Runaway.” Freevee also picked up a second season of “Bosch: Legacy” and a third and fourth season of Uninterrupted’s “Top Class: The Life and Times of the Sierra Canyon Trailblazers.”
Additionally, Amazon Freevee has secured a short-term film licensing agreement with Disney Media And Entertainment Distribution for a limited selection of titles such as “Deadpool,” “Deadpool 2,” “Logan,” “Hidden Figures,” “Murder on the Orient Express,” and “The Post” which will be available to customers on the free streaming service. This news follows the previously announced Freevee deal with NBCU for an exclusive network window for films from Universal Filmed Entertainment Group’s 2020-21 theatrical slate, including titles such as “Dolittle,” “The Invisible Man,” “Promising Young Woman,” “F9,” and “Sing 2.”
Amazon Freevee also announced that it has increased its free ad-supported TV (Fast) offering to more than 75 channels, including exclusive linear channels for the Canadian sitcom “Kim’s Convenience,” as well as the original “The Kids in the Hall” comedy series. In addition to these exclusive channels, Fast programming on Freevee includes curated, thematically programmed channels, such as popular movies and TV shows, comedy shows, and animated shows; Freevee and Prime Video Originals channels, such as Judy Justice and Bosch; and syndicated channels with several distribution partners, including A&E, BBC, and Scripps, featuring an array of genres and with content selection based on customers’ wide variety of interests.
“By developing and programming inspired, fan-favorite Original series and movies – produced and delivered by Amazon Studios in partnership with some of the industry’s best creators and studio partners – and by securing exclusive, highly sought licensed content, we have built a destination where viewers know they can discover and enjoy something new, or indulge in something they already love,” said Amazon Freevee co-heads of content and programming Lauren Anderson and Ryan Pirozzi. “We’ve also built a home for talent where their ideas will be nurtured and brought to life, and are building a brand where advertisers know they will find popular, compelling programming. Today’s announcements about our upcoming slate showcase our continued commitment to delivering customers the premium content they crave – always free of charge.”
iWorld
Why Peaky Blinders is one of television’s biggest hits that still deserves more attention
Six seasons, multiple awards and the release of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man bring the Shelby saga back into the spotlight
In the crowded universe of streaming content, only a handful of shows manage to leave a lasting cultural footprint. Peaky Blinders is overwhelmingly considered one of the biggest global hits of the past decade. Yet many viewers still haven’t fully explored the dark, gripping world of the Shelby family.
Originally produced for the UK’s BBC and later finding a massive global audience through Netflix, the series quietly grew from a British period drama into a worldwide streaming phenomenon.
Created by Steven Knight, the show follows the rise of the Shelby crime family in post-First World War Birmingham. What begins as a gritty street-gang story gradually expands into a sweeping narrative about ambition, politics, power and survival.
At the centre of the saga is Thomas Shelby, portrayed with extraordinary depth by Cillian Murphy. The casting of Murphy is widely regarded as perfect for the role. With piercing eyes, restrained dialogue and an almost hypnotic screen presence, he transforms Shelby into one of the most unforgettable characters in modern screen storytelling.
Murphy’s brilliance lies in his restraint. He rarely shouts or performs theatrically. Instead, a quiet stare, a calculated pause or a subtle shift in expression conveys the emotional storms within the character. Beneath the ruthless gang leader is a war veteran carrying trauma, guilt and loneliness. Murphy captures this complexity with remarkable precision, making Thomas Shelby both terrifying and deeply human.
Beyond its central performance, Peaky Blinders stands out for its unfiltered portrayal of reality. The show does not romanticise crime. Instead, it exposes the harsh social conditions of early 20th-century Britain, from poverty and class struggle to political extremism and the psychological scars left by war.
The series also presents powerful female characters who hold their own within the Shelby empire. Polly Gray, played by Helen McCrory, is the strategic backbone of the family and one of the most formidable figures in the story. Women in the series shape decisions, influence power structures and challenge the rigid social norms of the time.
Across six seasons, the narrative grows dramatically in scale. What begins in the smoky streets of Birmingham evolves into a story involving political conspiracies, fascism and international criminal networks.
The series has also earned significant critical acclaim. It won the BAFTA Television Award for Best Drama Series in 2018 and multiple National Television Awards for Best Drama, cementing its reputation as one of Britain’s most celebrated modern shows.
Another defining feature of the series is its iconic music. The show’s opening theme, Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, became instantly recognisable and widely associated with the Shelby universe. Combined with a powerful soundtrack featuring artists such as Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead, the music helped shape the show’s dark, stylish identity and became hugely popular among fans.
And the Shelby story is not over yet.
In fact, its legacy is unfolding right now. The long-awaited feature-length continuation, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, was released on March 6, 2026, bringing the Shelby universe from streaming screens to cinemas and giving fans a new chapter in the saga.
For viewers who have not yet stepped into this world, the timing could not be better.
Six gripping seasons are ready to binge on Netflix. A new film has just arrived in theatres. And at the heart of it all stands one of the most magnetic performances in modern drama by Cillian Murphy.
So if Peaky Blinders has been sitting on your watchlist for years, this weekend is your moment.
So, by order of the Peaky fookin’ Blinders, consider this your cue to finally step into the ruthless world of Thomas Shelby. Pour yourself a drink, clear your schedule and press the play button. Because when the Peaky Blinders give an order, you listen.
