iWorld
Discovery+ bolsters content portfolio, changes pricing
KOLKATA: Discovery+ on Wednesday announced its largest content portfolio expansion to make it the go-to app for viewing families. Starting from June, over 100 new shows for Kids and library content from A+E Networks (including from History TV18) will be added to its content slate.
The platform has also changed its pricing. The old rate of Rs 299 will be available only till 8 June 2021, post which subscription will be priced at Rs 399.
With the largest addition to its content library across sub-genres like reality, sports, kids, learning, food, travel, history et al since its inception, discovery+ will be a one stop destination for wholesome a family viewing experience across seven languages, to include English, Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam and Bengali, the company stated.
Covering shows from a wide array of genres, audiences across different age groups and interests will now have access to diverse exciting, informative and entertaining content. From fresh weekly episodes of key acquisitions like Hell’s Kitchen featuring Gordon Ramsay, the chef with a cult following, live races from thrilling 2021 FIM MotoGP World Championship, to highly appreciated motoring television series, Top Gear America hosted by Dax Shepard, Rob Corddry, and Jethro Bovingdon.
Be it walking with migrating elephants in Walking with Elephants ft. Levison Wood, or navigating love under overbearing mothers’ eyes in I Love A Mama’s Boy, along with new episodes of the most loved franchise Undercover Billionaire: Comeback City, the discovery+ audience is assured of entertainment in more ways than one.
The plaform will be expanding its library even further with the acquisition of global and local titles from the A+E Networks’ (including from History TV18) library. From top-rated reality TV series like Pawn Stars based on a family-owned pawn shop to America’s favourite treasure hunters, Storage Wars to OMG! Yeh Mera India, the longest-running and most successful History TV18 franchise hosted by Krushna Abhishek and Kumbh: Among The Seekers based on a famous religious festival amongst other enthralling titles, users will have world-class content available at their fingertips.
Adding to the delight, a special curated kids content slate including exciting and appealing new shows like Mr. Bean, Little Singham, Kids Baking Championship, My Little Pony, Hanuman, Mister Maker among other fun titles are to be introduced. Children will be able to immerse into the world of fantasy and never-ending adventure while increasing their knowledge through informative titles like How Do Animals Do That, MythBusters Jr, to name a few.
Expanding its local original production in 2021, with standout titles including Star vs. Food, Secrets of Sinauli: Discovery of the Century, Mission Frontline, Ladakh Warriors and Vande Bharat Flight IX 1344: Hope To Survival, the app has become home, to strong locally differentiated content in the real-life entertainment and learning space.
Discovery Inc South Asia managing director Megha Tata said: “We at discovery+, have always strived to provide world-class infotainment content to our users. Our partnership with A&E is a testament of how innovation for consumers remains core to discovery+ and reinforces our commitment to our audience by bringing to them content they like consuming under one platform. While we have our broad and engrossing portfolio for adults from varied genres, with the addition of kids we now have more content catering to the entire family. She also added, “We are confident that these additions will further strengthen our family, facts & fun premises that bring us close to our aspiration of being an aggregate platform catering to every member of the family.”
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.
