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A Thousand Blows is a historical drama created by Stephen Knight starring Malachi Kirby and Stephen Graham in leading roles. The series was released exclusively on Disney+ when it was launched and is now available on Hulu and Apple TV.
The story follows an illegal bare-knuckle boxing syndicate run by Mary Carr, played by Erin Doherty, and her clash with another boxing mogul, Henry Goodson. Meanwhile, the protagonist, Hezekiah Moscow, arrives in London from Jamaica with the desire to make it big as a lion tamer. The plot twists when he gets caught up in the boxing business through unprecedented events.
The series was released with six episodes on February 21, 2025, and there are no announcements for a second season so far. Viewers who enjoyed A Thousand Blows will enjoy this list of shows with similar themes.
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Disclaimer: This list is made purely based on the author's opinion.
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Warrior, Taboo, and six more historically set dramas similar to A Thousand Blows
1) Warrior - Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV
Inspired by the writings of Bruce Lee, Warrior is a martial arts drama released in April 2019. The show is directed by Justin Lin and executive-produced by Shannon Lee, daughter of Bruce Lee. The series was renewed for three seasons, with 30 episodes in total. Starring Andrew Koji, Olivia Cheng, and Jason Tobin in leading roles, Warrior focuses on Ah Sahm, played by Koji.
The series is based on the Tong faction wars in the 1870s in San Francisco, and Ah Sahm is in the middle of it as he comes searching for his sister from China. Fans of A Thousand Blows will love this series for its historical depiction of Chinatown in San Francisco.
2) Gangs of London - Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV
Created by Gareth Evans and based on a PlayStation Portable game by London Studio, Gangs of London is a British crime thriller based on London's mafia. The series revolves around Sean Wallace, the son of London's biggest crime lord, as he scrambles for power amidst the presence of rival gangs. During his journey as head of the Wallace crime family, the police also infiltrate their organization.
Starring Joe Cole, Colm Meaney, and Lucian Msamati, the series was released in 2020 and renewed for two seasons. Viewers who enjoyed A Thousand Blows will enjoy this show for its depiction of organized crime.
3) Taboo - Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV
A historical drama set in 1814 England, Taboo is another English series released on BBC One in January 2017. It was created by Steven Knight and stars Tom Hardy in the leading role as James Delaney, with Leo Bill and Jessie Buckley. The series revolves around the return of James from Africa, following the end of the 1812 war.
Taboo highlights the political corruption and presence of criminal gangs in Great Britain. Fans of A Thousand Blows and Tom Hardy will find this series interesting for its history and depiction of old England.
4) The Alienist - Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV
Released in March 2018, The Alienist is an American period drama that is inspired by a 1994 book series written by Caleb Carr. The limited series has two seasons, with ten episodes each. It stars Daniel Bruhl, Luke Evans, and Dakota Fanning in leading roles. The story follows an investigative team working on solving the murders of street children in the 1890s.
The show functions on a combination of fact and fiction, as it includes the character of Theodore Roosevelt as a newly appointed police commissioner. Viewers who have recently watched A Thousand Blows will be immersed in this storyline because of its historical portrayal of New York.
5) The Borgias - Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV
The Borgias is a three-season historical drama created and written by Neil Jordan, based in Renaissance-age Italy when the Borgia family rose to power. The series was released in 2011 and stars Jeremy Irons as Pope Alexander VI. The show goes on to display the pattern of bribery, murder, and intimidation used by the family.
Throughout the story, the Borgia siblings vie for power and spiral out of control, especially Cesare and Juan, played by Francois Arnaud and David Oakes. The intricate family drama, paired with a thirst to be at the top of the Catholic Church, and its historical nature is what fans of A Thousand Blows will love about Borgias.
6) Copper - Prime Video, Apple TV
From the mind of Tom Fontana, who also created NBC's Homicide: Life on the Street and HBO's Oz, Copper is a police drama set in 1860s New York. During the American Civil War, an Irish immigrant policeman, played by Tom-Weston Jones, works cases in the Five Points neighborhood. He is the titular 'Copper, ' alongside Kyle Schmid, Anastasia Griffith, and Franka Potente.
The series was renewed for two seasons and has a total of 23 episodes. The show explores Kevin, the policeman's history, with the disappearance of his wife and death of his daughter, as he maintains peace in his neighborhood. Fans of A Thousand Blows will appreciate Copper for its history and focus on olden aristocrats and the effects of the Civil War.
7) Penny Dreadful - Prime Video, Netflix, Apple TV
Created and written by John Logan, Penny Dreadful is a historical fantasy and horror show. The title is inspired by a type of 19th-century British fiction literature that tended to audiences wanting to read sensational subject matter. Released in April 2014, the series includes characters from Victorian Gothic fiction. Some notable ones are Dorian Gray, Count Dracula, Van Helsing, and Henry Jekyll.
Set in London and starring Reeve Carney, Timothy Dalton, and Eva Green, among others, Penny Dreadful is a recounting of iconic gothic stories in three seasons. Fans of A Thousand Blows will find it memorable, especially because it includes London and its gothic nature.
8) The Knick - Prime Video, Apple TV
Released in August 2014, The Knick is a period medical drama based in the 1900s, operating within a fictionalized version of the Knickerbocker Hospital. Based in New York, the series was created by Jack Amiel and Michael Begler. The story revolves around the staff in 'The Knick' as they work hard to minimize mortality despite the medical limitations of that time.
The Knick was renewed for two seasons, totaling 20 episodes, before the show was canceled after December 2015. Fans of A Thousand Blows will find this to be a similar watch because of the timeline and character treatments.
Apart from these titles, some more honorable mentions similar to A Thousand Blows are Peaky Blinders, Boardwalk Empire, Deadwood, and Godless.
