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Top Boy Season 1 is here. It’s finally happened! Well, it’s technically Series 3, but Netflix have rebooted the series and labelled the original two series as Top Boy: Summerhouse.
Either way, it’s taken the might of Netflix and rapper Drake to bring this about, after Channel 4 dumped it after series 2 in 2013. It was one hell of a strong drama, and certainly had legs for a potential third series – and perhaps more to follow? Time will tell once the ratings for this new season are in, since while the first series on Channel 4, in late 2011, was shown daily over four nights, the second series was a weekly affair. Both series ran for four episodes each.
And as the rebooted Top Boy Season 1 begins, TEN episodes are available on day one, and I come to this having not watched a single episode of it in six years. I do hope it gives me a refresher….
…No, it doesn’t.
Drugs are still rife, and back in Blightly, Jamie (Micheal Ward) wants to talk to his Turkish suppliers and tell them they’ll be getting their product from someone else.. yeah, how well do you think that’ll work out?
Meanwhile, Dushane Hill (Ashley Walters) is renting out cars in Kingston, Jamaica, and someone’s offering him an offer he can’t refuse – to rob a post office. However, a situation is about to come about which will mean he needs to get a flight back to London. But is that wise when he left London under a cloud? Or is it still a better choice than where he is now? Oh, what a tangled web we weave…
The first episode is a mere introduction to get us back into Dushane’s world, both home and abroad, and thanks to Netflix having ten episodes to tell the story, it gives the story the room to breathe that it needs.
Beyond that, the extended series allows expansion to the storylines behind the current ‘top boy’ (at the start of the series) Jamie, and his brothers, including Stefan, who’s having problems with his just one of his teachers who he feels is persecuting him.
Meanwhile, Sully is just about to get out of jail, but is getting harrassed by fellow inmate Modie; and Jamie’s mother, Amma, is having problems with immigration. I could go on and list plot points all day, but there’s no reason to do so: just get it watched.
The whole series is paced really well, and with a couple of hints about what the next seriees will lead to, I’m really looking forward to that. There’s also a big surprise in the closing minutes (avoid the spoiler header below, if you don’t want to know). If there’s any problems with it, there are too many characters to keep track of, at times, but on the whole, it really made great use of the full ten episodes, with lots of gunshots and blood all over the place. I’m just surprised the episodes were rated 15, when some of them really looked like an 18-certificate!
Overall: 8/10
Director: Reinaldo Marcus Green
Cast:
Dushane: Ashley Walters
Jamie: Micheal Ward
Sully: Kane Robinson
Jermaine: Ashley Thomas
Dris: Shone Romulus
Jaq: Jasmine Jobson
Previously on DVDfever:
November 2017:
Top Boy Series 3 (or Top Boy Season 1, as it’s been renamed) is coming to Netflix, and it’s been a long time coming after Channel 4 foolishly cancelled this brilliant drama in 2013, when there was clearly at least one more series left to tell. Again, Ashley Walters (Bulletproof) (above) returns as Dushane, as will Kane Robinson as Sully.
All ten new episodes of the gripping, gritty British drama series following two drug dealers at a public housing estate in East London, will be executive-produced by rapper Drake and Adel “Future” Nur, which was created and written by Ronan Bennett, who will also write the new series.
The original series aired for two seasons on on Channel 4 but which can now be seen broadcast in the UK on Netflix. The next chapter, consisting of ten all-new episodes, will be written by Ronan Bennett and executive produced by the original creative team — Charles Steel and Alasdair Flind (for Cowboy Films, whose credits include the Oscar winning film The Last King of Scotland), Ronan Bennett (for Easter Partisan) and Yann Demange. There’s just one downside – you’ll have to wait until 2019. However, as well as Drake and Nur, the new installment will be executive-produced by Maverick Carter and Jamal Henderson for SpringHill Entertainment.
The new episodes of Top Boy Series 3 pick up as Dushane (Ashley Walters) returns from exile to his home in London to reclaim his throne in the highly lucrative drug market. He teams up with Sully (Kane Robinson), his spiritual brother, partner, and sometime rival who is also returning to the same streets after his own form of exile – prison – comes to an end. Awaiting them both is Jamie, the young, hungry and ruthless gang leader whose ambitions leave no place for Dushane and Sully.
Ronan Bennett said: “I am delighted to be reunited once more with the Top Boy team – our wonderful cast and my partners at Cowboy Films – and to have Drake and SpringHill as new collaborators. And I could not be prouder to be doing the show with Netflix”.
Cindy Holland, Vice President, Original Content for Netflix added: “We couldn’t be more excited for Netflix members around the world and a new generation of fans to discover the authentic, raw and real world of Top Boy. Drake came to us several months ago with a passion to help bring this series back to life, and we’re thrilled to support the original creative team to do just that.”
Now, it’s time to get catching up with the fantastic two series!
Reviewer of movies, videogames and music since 1994. Aortic valve operation survivor from the same year. Running DVDfever.co.uk since 2000. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2021.