There’s nowhere like Birmingham; there are incredible stories to tell on every street corner. But how many TV shows set in Birmingham can you actually name that, at the very least, embody the city’s spirit? Beyond Peaky Blinders and Brum, our memory can get a little hazy, but there are many incredible TV shows set in Birmingham that you must watch!
1. Peaky Blinders
Peaky Blinders has become a global phenomenon and Birmingham’s biggest export since Bird’s Custard since its debut in 2013. Following the exploits of the notorious Peaky Blinders crime gang after the First World War, we’ve since had six series, with a movie and more seasons on the way, showcasing the lives of Tommy Shelby and company.
From an airport restaurant to Digbeth graffiti, escape rooms, stage shows, and even a worldwide adoration for the Brummie accent, nothing has had a bigger impact on this city than Peaky Blinders. If there’s only one TV show that you must watch on this list, let it be this, as you’ll be gripped from the very start…
2. Brum
Sorry Tommy Shelby, you might have the best show, but Birmingham’s biggest name in TV history is Brum. This small, sentient yellow car is well-known for its adventures all over Birmingham, aka Big Town. But, to see the car in the flesh, you’ll have to head to the Cotswold Motoring Museum in Bourton-on-the-Water, where the opening and closing sequences were also filmed.
3. Doctors
Okay, so Doctors is actually set in the fictional Midlands town of Letherbridge, but it’s also described as being very close to Birmingham, so it counts. The medical soap opera, which ran from 2000 to 2024, followed the staff of an NHS doctor’s surgery and a university campus surgery. In total, 4552 episodes aired during its 24-year run, and it had a reputation for being a rite of passage for all British actors.
4. Man Like Mobeen
Combining West Midlands, working-class traditions and Pakistani-Muslim culture, there isn’t a better representation of modern Birmingham than Man Like Mobeen on TV right now. Guz Khan’s comedy drama, set in Small Heath, follows a former drug dealer trying to live as a good Muslim and raise his younger sister. The fifth and final series came out this May 2025, so there’s no better time to catch up.
5. This Town
Stephen Knight loves Birmingham. That’s clear. But, after the success of Peaky Blinders, This Town shows a very different side of the city. On the surface, it’s about four young friends making ska music together in Birmingham, but it also tackles diverse topics like racial discrimination, The Troubles and life in 1980s England.
6. Boon
Boon is a difficult show to describe, but I’ll do my best. It’s essentially about a motorcycle-obsessed ex-fireman, his various businesses – including courier, private eye and bodyguard – and encounters with the criminal underworld. Be warned: This highly original drama with plenty of comedy relief moves from Birmingham to Nottingham at the start of series four.
7. Gangsters
Another gangster TV show? This is nothing like Peaky Blinders. Gangsters is a Birmingham-based TV show about a former SAS officer recruited by law enforcement to become an undercover agent. It may only have produced 12 episodes, but it’s since become a cult favourite for its brutal violence, shocking portrayal of racism, surreal cliffhangers and modern storytelling—with references to film noir, westerns, Bollywood and kung fu movies.
8. Citizen Khan
Set in Sparkhill, Citizen Khan follows a “loud-mouthed, patriarchal, cricket-loving, self-appointed community leader” and his long-suffering family. It is a very traditional British family sitcom with a twist, focusing on a British Pakistani family, and has drawn criticism for its stereotypical humour. That said, it’s still a VERY Brummie show.
9. All About Me
All About Me is another Steven Knight creation, but again, quite different from anything else he’s done. Starring Birmingham’s Jasper Carrott and Wolverhampton’s Meera Syal as the heads of a combined multicultural family. The ‘me’ in the title refers to their son Raj, who is a wheelchair user with cerebral palsy, and shares his thoughts with the audience through voiceover.
10. DI Ray
DI Ray is your standard fare British police procedural, but it is a gripping watch nonetheless. It stars Parminder Nagra as Detective Inspector Rachita Ray in a fictitious Birmingham-based police force. ITV has yet to confirm a series three, but fingers crossed…
11. The Kids From 47A
When their mother is taken into the hospital, The Kids From 47A must learn to cope on their own. The opening was filmed on Norman Road in Northfield.
12. Family Pride
Considered to be the first Asian soap opera in Britain, Family Pride showcased the lives of three Asian families living in Birmingham. Despite only airing for 18 months and filming 51 episodes, it was a hugely groundbreaking show and an incredible opportunity for Asian actors in the UK.