A Thousand Blows: Steven Knight's boxing drama series premieres today on Disney Plus and here's what we know 

Steven Knight's A Thousand Blows, a fictionalized tale about London's boxing scene, premiered today on Disney+.

Loosely based on the Forty Elephants Group and enigmatic boxers Hezekiah Moscow and Henry Goodson, the show explores the illegal bare-knuckle boxing scene in Victorian London.

The show stars Stephen Graham, Malachi Kirby, Francis Lovehall, and Erin Doherty in the titular roles.

Graham, who also serves as one of the executive producers on the show, has worked with Knight before on his hit series Peaky Blinders.

More details on Knight's latest show's release are in our story.

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A Thousand Blows premieres on Disney Plus

If you are in the mood to watch something new today, Knight's A Thousand Blows premiered today on Disney+ internationally. The show also debuted on Hulu in the US on February 21, 2025.

All six episodes of the show are now available to binge-watch on the platform and the good news? Knight also confirmed that the show will return with Season 2 in an interview with the Mirror:

''We do have the second series in the can and we all want to keep this story going and I think we will and just take it towards the 21st Century."

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What is A Thousand Blows about?

A Thousand Blows explores the underbelly of London's East-End boxing ring. Much like Peaky Blinders' historical setting, Knight's newest series also captures the London of the 1880s, with all its Victorian Era charm.

The show follows two best friends, Hezekiah Moscow and Alec Munroe, who migrate from Jamaica to the East End of London and become entangled with The Forty Elephants Group and a ruthless boxer.

Historically, Forty Elephants Group was a real-life female-led crime group, active during the 19th and 20th centuries, that specialized in shoplifting. Moscow will cross paths with the group's leader, Mary Carr.

In addition, Carr and Moscow will both clash with a ruthless boxer, Henry "Sugar" Goodson, who is the king of London's bare-knuckle boxing scene. The show will explore London's boxing scene with a female group, fighting to find their way in the men's world.

Also Read: A Thousand Blows cast and character guide

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A Thousand Blows is based on a true story

Knight's show is actually based on the true story of the enigmatic boxer Hezekiah Moscow. In an interview with Radio Times, Graham reminisced how he conceived the idea of the show with his wife, who then pitched it to Knight:

"I’d love to take the credit for that but that’s not the case. I pass it now to Hannah [Walters]. We got sent this beautiful photograph of Hezekiah and he looked so regal, just so full of humility and dignity. It was a fantastic photograph.''

In another interview with Radio Times, Knight discussed how he was fascinated by the real Forty Elephants group and wanted to adapt them on-screen:

"I’ve wanted to do the Forty Elephants story for so long because it’s just an incredibly compelling story that has so much resonance with modern times.''

He added:

"I just felt that, because it took place in the 1880s in London, that was an opportunity to tell that fantastic story of hardship and triumph and marry that with the story of the Forty Elephants and put those two things together."

A Thousand Blows is now streaming on Disney+.

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