iWorld
TVF eyes regional content and new genres in 2020
MUMBAI: After a year of “phenomenal growth”, The Viral Fever (TVF) is looking at 2020 to be more exciting and hectic. While TVF will continue to work with OTT platforms it collaborated with in 2019, it is also open to uploading content on its own app TVFPlay. The premium and one of the early digital content creators of India will also look at regional shows in this year.
“In that way, we are very unique. We are one of the leading content creators. At TVF what we want to be known as the guys who give the best stories, best shows in the country. Where we do it, that’s something we are open to. We are open to collaborating with other OTTs, we are open to putting it on our own app,” TVF Originals chief content officer and head Sameer Saxena said talking about how they want to build TVF’s identity going forward.
“We are actually looking at regional shows in 2020. We are working on Marathi shows. We want to line up shows in Tamil and Telugu too. In 2020, we will get into regional space and we will later expand into other languages,” Saxena commented.
In 2019, the platform has produced shows for major OTT platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, SonyLIV, MX Player, etc. According to Saxena, the deals have worked in favour of brand TVF. He said the alliances have helped them to increase reach because all these platforms have their own set of audience. Hence, working with them opens up the opportunity to reach them. The platform is also looking at expanding these numbers.
The company produced Immature on MX Player, Tripling season 2 and Gullak for SonyLIV. Kota Factory was another hit from the creator which went on TVFPlay and YouTube. Saxena noted that they want to continue short-form content and branded content pieces for TVFPlay. They are concentrating on short form for TVFPlay which they are not doing for any other OTT platform.
“We will continue to work with brands; we will do short-form content. These channels can be a learning stage for new writers,” he added on TVFPlay.
“Overall content strategy for TVF would be to make more shows, make shows in different genres, languages. We are exploring supernatural and horror amongst others,” he commented.
Talking about noticeable changes in the OTT ecosystem, Saxena said that more players have come in and different types of stories are being told across platforms. He also added that new types of stories are getting accepted too. Saxena perceives it as a great sign as going forward TVF also wants to tell different stories.
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.
